Psalms 59

A Prayer for Protection

1

For the [music] director, [according to] Do Not Destroy. Of David. A miktam. When Saul dispatched [men] and they watched the house to kill him.

1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God. Protect me from those who rise up against me.

2 Deliver me from workers of iniquity, and from men of bloodshed save me.

3 For look, they lie in wait for my life. The mighty attack against me, not [because of] my transgression or my sin, O Yahweh.

4 Without guilt on my part they run and ready themselves. Awake to meet me and see.

5 And you, Yahweh, God [of] hosts, [are] the God of Israel. Rouse yourself to punish all the nations. Do not be gracious to any [who] treacherously plot evil. Selah

6 They return at evening; they howl like dogs while they prowl [the] city.

7 Look, they pour out [talk] with their mouth. Swords [are] on their lips, for [they say], "Who hears?"

8 But you, O Yahweh, will laugh at them; you will mock all [the] nations.

9 O my strength, I will watch for you, because [you], O God, [are] my (high) stronghold.

10 My God of loyal love will meet me; God will cause me to look [in triumph] on my enemies.

11 Do not kill them, lest my people forget. Make them [to] wander by your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield.

12 [By] the sin of their mouth [and] the words of their lips, even in their pride, let them be trapped, and for [the] curses and lies they proclaim.

13 Destroy in anger; destroy so they are no more, so that they may know that God [is] ruling in Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah

14 They return at evening; they howl like dogs while they prowl [the] city.

15 As for them, they wander for food. If they are not satisfied, then they continue all night.

16 But as for me, I will sing [of] your strength, and I will hail your loyal love in the morning, because you have been my [high] stronghold and a refuge in my {time} of trouble.

17 O my strength, to you I will give praise, because God [is] my [high] stronghold, my God of loyal love.

Psalms 59 Commentary

Chapter 59

David prays for deliverance from his enemies. (1-7) He foresees their destruction. (8-17)

Verses 1-7 In these words we hear the voice of David when a prisoner in his own house; the voice of Christ when surrounded by his merciless enemies; the voice of the church when under bondage in the world; and the voice of the Christian when under temptation, affliction, and persecution. And thus earnestly should we pray daily, to be defended and delivered from our spiritual enemies, the temptations of Satan, and the corruptions of our own hearts. We should fear suffering as evil-doers, but not be ashamed of the hatred of workers of iniquity. It is not strange, if those regard not what they themselves say, who have made themselves believe that God regards not what they say. And where there is no fear of God, there is nothing to secure proper regard to man.

Verses 8-17 It is our wisdom and duty, in times of danger and difficulty, to wait upon God; for he is our defence, in whom we shall be safe. It is very comfortable to us, in prayer, to look to God as the God of our mercy, the Author of all good in us, and the Giver of all good to us. The wicked can never be satisfied, which is the greatest misery in a poor condition. A contented man, if he has not what he would have, yet he does not quarrel with Providence, nor fret within himself. It is not poverty, but discontent that makes a man unhappy. David would praise God because he had many times, and all along, found Him his refuge in the day of trouble. He that is all this to us, is certainly worthy of our best affections, praises, and services. The trials of his people will end in joy and praise. When the night of affliction is over, they will sing of the Lord's power and mercy in the morning. Let believers now, in assured faith and hope, praise Him for those mercies, for which they will rejoice and praise him for ever.

Footnotes

• [a]. The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
• [b]. The sense is that of making something inaccessibly high, like a fortress
• [c]. Hebrew "soul"
• [d]. Or "stir up strife"
• [e]. Hebrew "dog"
• [f]. Reading with a few Hebrew manuscripts and the LXX, Targum and v. 17
• [g]. According to the reading tradition (Qere), some Hebrew manuscripts and the LXX
• [h]. Hebrew "curse"
• [i]. Hebrew "lie"
• [j]. Hebrew "dog"
• [k]. Or "then they growl"
• [l]. Literally "day"

Chapter Summary

To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. The history of Saul's sending messengers to watch the house of David, and to kill him when he rose in the morning, is in 1 Samuel 19:11; which was the occasion of his writing this psalm; though the title of the Syriac version of it is, "David said or composed this, when he heard that the priests were slain by Saul:" and in the same is added, "but unto us it declares the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith, and the rejection of the Jews." And which perhaps is designed in Psalm 59:5; and some interpreters are of opinion that the whole psalm is to be understood of Christ, of whom David was a type, especially in his sufferings; and there are some things in it which better agree with him than with David, as particularly his being without sin, Psalm 59:3.