Through My Bible Yr 01 – September 12

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Through My Bible Yr 01 – September 12

Psalm 56 – 57

Psalm 56

When I Am Afraid

Heading

For the choir director. ā€œA Dove on Distant Oaks.ā€ [1]
By David. A miktam. [2]
When the Philistines had seized him in Gath. [3]

The Enemies

1Ā Be merciful to me, O God, for a man pants as he pursues me. [4]
All day long an attacker presses against me.
2Ā Those who spy on me pant as they pursue me all day long.
Yes, many are attacking me boldly. [5]

Davidā€™s Trust

3Ā On the day when I am afraid, I will trust in you.
4Ā In God I praise his word.
In God I trust. I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?

The Enemies

5Ā All day long they hurt my cause. [6]
All their thoughts against me are evil.
6Ā They gather together. They hide.
They try to trip me by grabbing my heels
Ā Ā Ā Ā while they wait to take my life.

Davidā€™s Trust

7Ā Because of their wickedness do not let them escape. [7]
In your anger bring down the peoples, O God.
8Ā You keep a record of my tossing and turning. [8]
Keep my tears in your bottle.
Arenā€™t they all listed in your book?
9Ā Then my enemies will turn back on the day when I call.
This is how I will know that God is for me.
10Ā In God I praise a word. [9]
In the Lord I praise a word.
11Ā In God I trust. I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

Davidā€™s Promise

12Ā My vows to you are binding, O God.
I will complete my thank offerings to you,
13Ā because you have delivered my life from death.
Have you not delivered my feet from stumbling
Ā Ā Ā Ā so I can walk before God in the light of life?

Psalm 57

Refuge in the Shadow of Your Wings
(Psalm 57:7-11 parallels Psalm 108:1-5)

Heading

For the choir director. ā€œDo Not Destroy.ā€ [10] By David. A miktam.
When he fled from Saul. In the cave. [11]

The Opening Plea

1Ā Have mercy on me, O God,
have mercy on me,
because my soul has taken refuge in you.
In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge
Ā Ā Ā Ā until destruction has passed by.
2Ā I call to God Most High,
to God, who completes his plans for me. [12]
3Ā He will send from heaven, and he will save me. Interlude
He puts to shame the one who pants as he pursues me. [13]
God will send his mercy and his faithfulness.

The Problem

4Ā My life is spent among lions.
I lie down among ferocious men,
whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongue is a sharp sword.
5Ā Be exalted above the heavens, O God.
May your glory be over all the earth.
6Ā They spread a net for my steps.
My soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in front of me. Interlude
They have fallen into it.

Davidā€™s Confidence

7Ā My heart is steadfast, O God.
My heart is steadfast.
I will sing and I will make music.
8Ā Awake, my soul! [14]
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
9Ā I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O Lord.
I will make music to you among the nations, [15]
10Ā because your great mercy reaches above the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
11Ā Be exalted above the heavens, O God.
Let your glory be over all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 56:1 This may be the name of the tune. The translation reads the Hebrew word alm as a word which means oaks or terebinths. The standard Hebrew text reads it as a word for silent. This would result in the translation silent dove, distant ones.
  2. Psalm 56:1 A miktam is a type of song. The meaning is uncertain. It may mean a golden psalm or a choice piece or a psalm inscribed on a tablet. Miktams include Psalms 57ā€“60.
  3. Psalm 56:1 See 1 Samuel 21.
  4. Psalm 56:1 Or hotly pursues me. Or the verb may be a homonym that means tramples me.
  5. Psalm 56:2 Some take the word translated boldly as a name of God that means Exalted One. If this is correct, the word may belong with the next verse.
  6. Psalm 56:5 Or they twist my words
  7. Psalm 56:7 The Hebrew reads because of wickedness, deliverance to them. This does not make sense in the context. The translation assumes there was an accidental omission of a negative. Another way to handle the problem is to make the phrase a question: because of their wickedness, will they escape?
  8. Psalm 56:8 Or wandering
  9. Psalm 56:10 This cryptic expression is a literal translation.
  10. Psalm 57:1 This may be the name of the tune.
  11. Psalm 57:1 The cave at Adullam in 1 Samuel 22 or the cave at En Gedi in 1 Samuel 24
  12. Psalm 57:2 Or avenges me
  13. Psalm 57:3 Or who tramples me
  14. Psalm 57:8 Literally my glory
  15. Psalm 57:9 The main Hebrew text divides the word for nations into two words to create the derogatory expression non-nations.


The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage VersionĀ®, EHVĀ®, Ā© 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.