Psalms 59

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies.

1 ¹Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; ²Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.

2 Deliver me from ³those who do iniquity And save me from ⁴men of bloodshed.

3 For behold, they ⁵have set an ambush for my life; Fierce men ⁶launch an attack against me, ⁷Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD,

4 ⁸For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me. ⁹Arouse Yourself to help me, and see!

5 You, ¹⁰O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to ¹¹punish all the nations; ¹²Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. Selah.

6 They ¹³return at evening, they howl like a ¹⁴dog, And go around the city.

7 Behold, they ¹⁵belch forth with their mouth; ¹⁶Swords are in their lips, For, they say, "¹⁷Who hears?"

8 But You, O LORD, ¹⁸laugh at them; You ¹⁹scoff at all the nations.

9 Because of his ²⁰strength I will watch for You, For God is my ²¹stronghold.

10 My God ²²in His lovingkindness will meet me; God will let me ²³look triumphantly upon my foes.

11 Do not slay them, ²⁴or my people will forget; ²⁵Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord, ²⁶our shield.

12 On account of the ²⁷sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be ²⁸caught in their pride, And on account of ²⁹curses and lies which they utter.

13 ³⁰Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more; That men may ³¹know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Selah.

14 They ³²return at evening, they howl like a dog, And go around the city.

15 They ³³wander about for food And growl if they are not satisfied.

16 But as for me, I shall ³⁴sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall ³⁵joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the ³⁶morning, For You have been my ³⁷stronghold And a ³⁸refuge in the day of my distress.

17 ³⁹O my strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my ⁴⁰stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.

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.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 143:9
• 2. Psalms 20:1; Psalms 69:29
• 3. Psalms 28:3; Psalms 36:12; Psalms 53:4; Psalms 92:7; Psalms 94:16
• 4. Psalms 26:9; Psalms 139:19; Proverbs 29:10
• 5. Psalms 56:6
• 6. Psalms 56:6
• 7. 1 Samuel 24:11; Psalms 7:3, 4; Psalms 69:4
• 8. Psalms 35:19
• 9. Psalms 7:6; Psalms 35:23
• 10. Psalms 69:6; Psalms 80:4; Psalms 84:8
• 11. Psalms 9:5; Isaiah 26:14
• 12. Isaiah 2:9; Jeremiah 18:23
• 13. Psalms 59:14
• 14. Psalms 22:16
• 15. Psalms 94:4; Proverbs 15:2, 28
• 16. Psalms 57:4; Proverbs 12:18
• 17. Job 22:13; Psalms 10:11; Psalms 73:11; Psalms 94:7
• 18. Psalms 37:13; Proverbs 1:26
• 19. Psalms 2:4
• 20. Psalms 18:17
• 21. Psalms 9:9; Psalms 62:2
• 22. Psalms 21:3
• 23. Psalms 54:7
• 24. Deuteronomy 4:9; Deuteronomy 6:12
• 25. Psalms 106:27; Psalms 144:6; Isaiah 33:3
• 26. Psalms 84:9
• 27. Proverbs 12:13
• 28. Zephaniah 3:11
• 29. Psalms 10:7
• 30. Psalms 104:35
• 31. Psalms 83:18
• 32. Psalms 59:6
• 33. Job 15:23
• 34. Psalms 21:13
• 35. Psalms 101:1
• 36. Psalms 5:3; Psalms 88:13
• 37. Psalms 59:9
• 38. 2 Samuel 22:3; Psalms 46:1
• 39. Psalms 59:9
• 40. Psalms 59:10

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "May You put me in an inaccessibly high place"
• [b]. Or "lain in wait"
• [c]. Lit "soul"
• [d]. Or "Strong"
• [e]. Or "stir up strife"
• [f]. Lit "Without guilt"
• [g]. Lit "meet"
• [h]. Lit "visit"
• [i]. "Selah" may mean: "Pause, Crescendo" or "Musical interlude"
• [j]. Many mss and some ancient versions read "My strength"
• [k]. Many mss and some ancient versions read "The God of my lovingkindness"
• [l]. Lit "those who lie in wait for me"
• [m]. Or "Make them wander"
• [n]. Or "The sin of their mouth is the word of their lips,"
• [o]. Lit "lying"
• [p]. Lit "Bring to an end"
• [q]. Lit "Bring to an end"
• [r]. Or "is Ruler"
• [s]. Or "to devour"
• [t]. Another reading is "tarry all night"
• [u]. Lit "God of my lovingkindness"

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.