Through My Bible Yr 01 – September 12
Psalm 56 – 57
Psalm 56
When I Am Afraid
Heading
For the choir director. āA 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]
Davidās 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
while they wait to take my life.
Davidās 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.
Arenāt 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?
Davidās 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
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. āDo 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
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.
Davidās 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
- 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.
- 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 57ā60.
- Psalm 56:1 See 1 Samuel 21.
- Psalm 56:1 Or hotly pursues me. Or the verb may be a homonym that means tramples me.
- 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.
- Psalm 56:5 Or they twist my words
- 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?
- Psalm 56:8 Or wandering
- Psalm 56:10 This cryptic expression is a literal translation.
- Psalm 57:1 This may be the name of the tune.
- Psalm 57:1 The cave at Adullam in 1 Samuel 22 or the cave at En Gedi in 1 Samuel 24
- Psalm 57:2 Or avenges me
- Psalm 57:3 Or who tramples me
- Psalm 57:8 Literally my glory
- 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.