Psalms 61:1-6

1 {To the chief Musician. On a stringed instrument. [A Psalm] of David.} Hear, O God, my cry; attend unto my prayer.

2 From the end of the earth will I call unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: thou wilt lead me on to a rock which is too high for me.

3 For thou hast been a refuge for me, a strong tower from before the enemy.

4 I will sojourn in thy tent for ever; I will take refuge in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows; thou hast given [me] the inheritance of those that fear thy name.

6 Thou wilt add days to the days of the king: his years shall be as many generations.

Psalms 61:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician upon Neginah, [A Psalm] of David. "Neginah" is either the beginning of a song, as Aben Ezra; or the musical note or tune of one: or rather the name of a musical instrument, which was touched by the hand, or with a quill or bow. It is the singular of "neginoth," See Gill on "Ps 4:1." This psalm was written by David, when at the end of the earth, or land of Judea, as appears from Psalm 61:2; either when he was fighting with the Syrians, as R. Obadiah, and so was composed about the same time with the former; or when he was in the land of the Philistines, being obliged to fly there from Saul, as Kimchi and others: or rather after he himself was king, since mention is made of the king in it; and when he fled from his son Absalom, and passed over to the other side of Jordan, and came to Mahanaim, 2 Samuel 17:22; where very probably he wrote this psalm. In it respect is had to the Messiah, as in Psalm 61:2; though Arama thinks it was composed after the prophecy came to Nathan that David should not build the temple; see Psalm 61:4.

Footnotes

• [a]. As Ps. 58.2.
• [b]. Or 'which is higher than I.'
• [c]. Or 'Let me sojourn -- let me take refuge:' cohortatives.
• [d]. Lit. 'as generation and generation.'