Psalm 59

1Deliver me from my enemies, my God. Set me on high from those who rise up against me. 2Deliver me from the workers of iniquity. Save me from the bloodthirsty men. 3For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul. The mighty gather themselves together against me, not for my disobedience, nor for my sin, Yahweh. 4I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Rise up, behold, and help me! 5You, Yahweh God of Armies, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish the nations. Show no mercy to the wicked traitors. Selah. 6They return at evening, howling like dogs, and prowl around the city. 7Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, “For”, they say, “who hears us?” 8But you, Yahweh, laugh at them. You scoff at all the nations. 9Oh, my Strength, I watch for you, for God is my high tower. 10My God will go before me with his loving kindness. God will let me look at my enemies in triumph. 11Don’t kill them, or my people may forget. Scatter them by your power, and bring them down, Lord our shield. 12For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride, for the curses and lies which they utter. 13Consume them in wrath. Consume them, and they will be no more. Let them know that God rules in Jacob, to the ends of the earth. Selah. 14At evening let them return. Let them howl like a dog, and go around the city. 15They shall wander up and down for food, and wait all night if they aren’t satisfied. 16But I will sing of your strength. Yes, I will sing aloud of your loving kindness in the morning. For you have been my high tower, a refuge in the day of my distress. 17To you, my strength, I will sing praises. For God is my high tower, the God of my mercy.

This psalm is of the same nature and scope with six or seven foregoing psalms; they are all filled with David's complaints of the malice of his enemies and of their cursed and cruel designs against him, his prayers and prophecies against them, and his comfort and confidence in God as his God. The first is the language of nature, and may be allowed; the second of a prophetical spirit, looking forward to Christ and the enemies of his kingdom, and therefore not to be drawn into a precedent; the third of grace and a most holy faith, which ought to be imitated by every one of us. In this psalm, I. He prays to God to defend and deliver him from his enemies, representing them as very bad men, barbarous, malicious, and atheistical (Psa 59:1-7). II. He foresees and foretels the destruction of his enemies, which he would give to God the glory of (Psa 59:8-17). As far as it appears that any of the particular enemies of God's people fall under these characters, we may, in singing this psalm, read their doom and foresee their ruin.

To the chief musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David, when Saul sent and they watched the house to kill him.

Cross-references: Ps 59:1 · Ps 59:8

Introduction