Trust in God in the presence of danger is the keynote of this and the following Psalm, which are intimately connected together. The danger is imminent; fear is inevitable; but faith is victorious over fear. The spirit of the Psalm is concentrated in the twice-repeated refrain (Psalm 56:3-4; Psalms 10, 11).

This Psalm and Psalms 34 are connected by their titles with the same period in David’s life. His first visit to Gath (1 Samuel 21:10 ff), when he went there as a solitary fugitive, must be the occasion referred to. Finding that his life was no longer safe in Judah, he resorted to the desperate expedient of taking refuge with the enemies of his country, hoping no doubt that the Philistines would not recognise in him the stripling who slew their champion. But their suspicions were aroused: David, in fear for his life, feigned madness, so that he might be supposed to be harmless. It is not expressly stated in 1 Samuel that the Philistines forcibly detained him, but the words “feigned himself mad in their hands,” together with the mention of his escape in ch. Psalm 22:1, seem to imply that he was practically a prisoner.

The obscure words of the title, set to Yonath elem rechökim, are paraphrased in the LXX, “For the people removed far from the sanctuary”; and in the Targum, “Concerning the congregation of Israel, which is compared to a silent dove at the time when they were far from their cities, and turned again and praised the Lord of the World.” These interpretations are interesting as shewing that the Psalm was at an early date regarded as a national Psalm, and placed in the mouth of the suffering people. Hence the Psalmist has been regarded by some critics as “the mouthpiece of oppressed and suffering Israel.” But it is a mistake to say that this is “the oldest interpretation of the Psalm.” For the title, whether it rests upon an authentic tradition or is only the conjecture of the editor of this book, proves that at a still earlier time the Psalm was regarded as the expression of personal experience. And this is the natural account of its origin; its use as the prayer of the nation in exile was a secondary application of it. While it is impossible to affirm with certainty that it was really composed by David in Gath, it breathes the spirit of trust in God in the face of danger by which David was animated, and may be taken as an illustration of his feelings in that hour of his extremity.

The Psalm consists of two stanzas, each ending with a refrain, Psalm 56:1-11; and a concluding thanksgiving Psalm 56:12-13. In each of the principal stanzas prayers for help against enemies whose hostility is described are combined with the strongest expressions of trust in God.

In the title, For the chief Musician; set to Yonath elem rechökim. (A Psalm) of David; Michtam: when the Philistines took him in Gath: the words Yonath elem rechôkîm mean The silent dove of them that are afar off; or if çlîm be read for çlěm (a change of vowel-points only), The dove of the distant terebinths. These words, like ‘The hind of the morning’ in the title of Psalms 22, are doubtless the title of some song to the melody of which the Psalm was to be sung, so called either from its opening words or from its subject. The explanation which regards these words as a figurative description of the subject of the Psalm (concerning the silent dove &c.), the innocent sufferer David patiently enduring persecution in a foreign land, is now generally abandoned.

On Michtam, which appears in the titles of the four following Psalms also, and of Psalms 16, see Introd. p. xx.

1. Be merciful] Be gracious: see note on Psalm 51:1, and cp. Psalm 57:1.

for man would swallow me up] Like a wild beast rushing upon its prey. But all the Ancient Versions render trample upon or crush, which may be right. Cp. Psalm 57:3. The word for man denotes mortal man as contrasted with God. Cp. Psalm 9:19; Psalm 10:18. Will the Almighty allow weak men to triumph against His Will?

he fighting daily &c.] R.V., all the day long lie fighting oppresseth me. See note on Psalm 42:9. ‘All the day long’ is a phrase characteristic of this Psalms , vv2, 5.

1–4. However fiercely his enemies may assault him, he will trust in God, Who will surely be true to His promise.

2. They that lie in wait for me would swallow me up [or, crush me] all the day long:

For many are they that fight against me haughtily.

For they that lie in wait for me see note on Psalm 54:5. The word rendered O thou most High in A.V. is not Elyôn, the word usually so rendered (e.g. Psalm 57:2), but mârôm. This word is applied to God, as in Micah 6:6, “the high God,” Psalm 92:8, “Thou, O Lord, art on high for evermore:” but it can hardly stand by itself as a vocative, and probably means ‘with a high hand,’ ‘haughtily.’ Cp. Psalm 73:8. ‘Be thou exalted’ in Psalm 57:5; Psalm 57:11 is derived from the same root. The Psalmist prays that God will prove His own supreme exaltation against these self-exalted braggarts. P.B.V. are in hand = are busying themselves.

3. What time &c.] Lit., In the day that I am afraid. David’s sojourn in Gath is the only occasion on which he is recorded to have been afraid of man (1 Samuel 21:12; but cp. Psalm 18:4).

I will trust in thee] R.V., I will put my trust in thee, as in A.V. Psalm 56:4. I is emphatic; they trust in their own might, but I will trust in Thee. The preposition, which is different from that in Psalm 56:4, gives a delicate shade of meaning, ‘I will trustfully betake myself to Thee.’ “Each day of peril should be to him a discipline of faith.” Kay.

4. in God I will praise his word] In God’s strength, by the help of His grace, I shall be enabled to praise His words of promise (Psalm 130:5). Cp. Psalm 44:8. This rendering is preferable to the possible alternative, In God do I make my boast, even in his word.

in God &c.] R.V., In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid; what can flesh do unto me? Flesh, synonymous with man in Psalm 56:11, denotes man on the material side of his nature, as a frail and perishable being, contrasted with God the Eternal and Almighty. Cp. Psalm 78:39; Genesis 6:3; Job 10:4; Isaiah 40:5-6; Jeremiah 17:5.

5. From the heights of faith he returns to the urgent reality of present distress. Cp. Psalm 42:6.

Every day] R.V., all the day long.

they wrest my words] Distorting and perverting them. Calumniators endeavoured to poison Saul’s mind against David, 1 Samuel 24:9, cp. Psalm 7:3 ff. But the meaning is somewhat doubtful. It may be, they pervert my affairs, i.e. injure my interests.

all their thoughts &c.] Cp. Psalm 41:7.

5–11. The second division of the Psalm is similar to the first: a description of present distress, and prayer for help, followed by an expression of perfect confidence in God’s protection.

6. they hide themselves] I.e., lie in wait for me; or according to the Kthibh, set an ambush. Cp. Psalm 59:3; Psalm 10:8-9.

they mark my steps] Like hunters tracking their game. “Go, I pray you,” said Saul to the men of Keilah, “and know and see his place where his haunt (lit. foot) is” (1 Samuel 23:22-23).

when they wait &c.] R.V., even as (marg. inasmuch as) they have waited for my soul; have been watching their opportunity to take my life. Cp. Psalm 119:95.

7. Shall they escape by iniquity?] Or, In spite of iniquity shall they escape? When their conduct is so inhuman, shall they escape the judgement? Less probable is the rendering of R.V. marg. (for the thought of which cp. Isaiah 28:15), They think to escape by iniquity. But the phrase is obscure, and the emendation pallçs for pallçt adopted by many critics deserves consideration: Weigh unto them (i.e. pay them, cp. Psalm 58:2) according to their iniquity.

in thine anger &c.] In anger bring down peoples, O God: humble them by judgement. Cp. Psalm 55:23; Isaiah 63:6. This prayer, it is said, is unsuitable for an individual: it must be the voice of the congregation demanding the humiliation of its proud oppressors. But here, as in Psalm 7:6 ff., the appeal for a particular judgement is absorbed in the desire for a general judgement of the world.

8. Thou tellest my wanderings] Thou countest the days and adventures of my fugitive life, while I am driven from my home as a wanderer and vagabond (Psalm 36:11, notes); not one of them escapes Thy notice (Job 31:4; Matthew 10:30). Tell, as in Psalm 22:17, Psalm 48:12, means count.

put thou my tears] Or, my tears are put.

into thy bottle] By a bold figure God is said to collect and treasure his tears, as though they were precious wine. Kay quotes St. Bernard’s saying, “Lacrimae poenitentium vinum angelorum.” The ‘bottle’ is the skin bottle of Oriental countries, holding a considerable quantity (Joshua 9:4; Joshua 9:13; 1 Samuel 16:20; Psalm 119:83). There is no reference to the use of so-called ‘lachrymatories.’

are they not in thy book?] Or, record. For God’s ‘book of remembrance’ see Malachi 3:16. Cp. Exodus 32:32; Psalm 69:28; Psalm 139:16. The abrupt question is characteristic of this Psalm. Cp. Psalm 56:4; Psalm 56:13.

9. Then shall mine enemies turn back in the day when I call:

This I know, that [or, for] God is on my side.

For the emphatic then cp. Psalm 2:5. The certainty that God is on his side is the ground of his assurance that his enemies will be put to flight. Cp. Psalm 9:3; Psalm 118:6.

10. his word] The omission of the pronoun, which is found in Psalm 56:4, is difficult. If the text is sound, word must be used absolutely for the divine word of promise. Cp. Proverbs 13:13; Proverbs 16:20.

In the Lord will I praise his word] The line is repeated for emphasis with the substitution of the covenant name Jehovah for God. The two names sometimes occur together in the Elohistic Psalms (e. g. Psalm 55:16; Psalm 58:6); and a refrain is not always repeated in precisely the same form. But the repetition may simply be a ‘conflate reading,’ the second line being either the survival or the restoration of the original text, while the first line is due to the ‘Elohistic’ editor.

11. In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid;

What can man do unto me? (R.V.).

‘Man’ = ‘flesh’ of Psalm 56:4. Cp. Psalm 118:6, borrowed from this passage.

12. Thy vows &c.] Vows made to Thee. The Psalmist acknowledges his obligations. Cp. Psalm 66:13; Acts 21:23.

praises] R.V., thank offerings, in addition to the votive offerings.

12, 13. Concluding vows of thanksgiving.

13. Borrowed with slight variations in Psalm 116:8.

For thou hast delivered &c.] He takes his stand in the future and looks back upon deliverance granted. Cp. Psalm 54:7.

wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling] Yea, my feet from stumbling: lit., ‘hast thou not delivered my feet from thrusting?’ i.e. not only saved me from death, but upheld me when the foe “thrust sore at me that I might fall” (Psalm 118:13; cp. Psalm 36:12).

that I may walk before God] Not simply live in His Presence and under His protection, but serve Him acceptably. So the LXX, τοῦ εὐαρεστῆσαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ; cp. Hebrews 11:5-6. Cp. Genesis 17:1; Genesis 24:40; Psalm 61:7 : and Genesis 5:22; Genesis 5:24; Genesis 6:9.

in the light of the living] Or, of life. “The land of the living” (Psalm 27:13; Psalm 116:9) is the land of light contrasted with the darkness of the grave (Job 33:28; Job 33:30); it is illuminated by the Presence of God (Psalm 36:9), from Whom comes all that is worthy to be called happiness. What to the Psalmist was a present and temporal truth, receives for the Christian a spiritual and eternal meaning. Cp. John 8:12, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.”