1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.
3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.
4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.
5 Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.
6 They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
8 But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.
9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.
10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.
13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
15 Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.
16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.
1 [[To the chief Musician, H5329 Altaschith, H516 Michtam H4387 of David; H1732 when Saul H7586 sent, H7971 and they watched H8104 the house H1004 to kill him.]] H4191 Deliver H5337 me from mine enemies, H341 O my God: H430 defend H7682 me from them that rise up H6965 against me.
2 Deliver H5337 me from the workers H6466 of iniquity, H205 and save H3467 me from bloody H1818 men. H582
3 For, lo, they lie in wait H693 for my soul: H5315 the mighty H5794 are gathered H1481 against me; not for my transgression, H6588 nor for my sin, H2403 O LORD. H3068
4 They run H7323 and prepare H3559 themselves without my fault: H5771 awake H5782 to help H7125 me, and behold. H7200
5 Thou therefore, O LORD H3068 God H430 of hosts, H6635 the God H430 of Israel, H3478 awake H6974 to visit H6485 all the heathen: H1471 be not merciful H2603 to any wicked H205 transgressors. H898 Selah. H5542
6 They return H7725 at evening: H6153 they make a noise H1993 like a dog, H3611 and go round about H5437 the city. H5892
7 Behold, they belch out H5042 with their mouth: H6310 swords H2719 are in their lips: H8193 for who, say they, doth hear? H8085
8 But thou, O LORD, H3068 shalt laugh H7832 at them; thou shalt have all the heathen H1471 in derision. H3932
9 Because of his strength H5797 will I wait H8104 upon thee: for God H430 is my defence. H4869
10 The God H430 of my mercy H2617 shall prevent H6923 me: God H430 shall let me see H7200 my desire upon mine enemies. H8324
11 Slay H2026 them not, lest my people H5971 forget: H7911 scatter H5128 them by thy power; H2428 and bring them down, H3381 O Lord H136 our shield. H4043
12 For the sin H2403 of their mouth H6310 and the words H1697 of their lips H8193 let them even be taken H3920 in their pride: H1347 and for cursing H423 and lying H3585 which they speak. H5608
13 Consume H3615 them in wrath, H2534 consume H3615 them, that they may not be: and let them know H3045 that God H430 ruleth H4910 in Jacob H3290 unto the ends H657 of the earth. H776 Selah. H5542
14 And at evening H6153 let them return; H7725 and let them make a noise H1993 like a dog, H3611 and go round about H5437 the city. H5892
15 Let them wander up and down H5128 H5128 for meat, H398 and grudge H3885 if they be not satisfied. H7646
16 But I will sing H7891 of thy power; H5797 yea, I will sing aloud H7442 of thy mercy H2617 in the morning: H1242 for thou hast been my defence H4869 and refuge H4498 in the day H3117 of my trouble. H6862
17 Unto thee, O my strength, H5797 will I sing: H2167 for God H430 is my defence, H4869 and the God H430 of my mercy. H2617
1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: Set me on high from them that rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from the bloodthirsty men.
3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul; The mighty gather themselves together against me: Not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Jehovah.
4 They run and prepare themselves without `my' fault: Awake thou to help me, and behold.
5 Even thou, O Jehovah God of hosts, the God of Israel, Arise to visit all the nations: Be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah
6 They return at evening, they howl like a dog, And go round about the city.
7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth; Swords are in their lips: For who, `say they', doth hear?
8 But thou, O Jehovah, wilt laugh at them; Thou wilt have all the nations in derision.
9 `Because of' his strength I will give heed unto thee; For God is my high tower.
10 My God with his lovingkindness will meet me: God will let me see `my desire' upon mine enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: Scatter them by thy power, and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
12 `For' the sin of their mouth, `and' the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for cursing and lying which they speak.
13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, so that they shall be no more: And let them know that God ruleth in Jacob, Unto the ends of the earth. Selah
14 And at evening let them return, let them howl like a dog, And go round about the city.
15 They shall wander up and down for food, And tarry all night if they be not satisfied.
16 But I will sing of thy strength; Yea, I will sing aloud of thy lovingkindness in the morning: For thou hast been my high tower, And a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing praises: For God is my high tower, the God of my mercy. Psalm 60 For the Chief Musician; `set to' Shushan Eduth. Michtam of David, to teach; and when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the Valley of Salt twelve thousand.
1 To the Overseer. -- `Destroy not,' by David. -- A secret treasure, in Saul's sending, and they watch the house to put him to death. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God, From my withstanders set me on high.
2 Deliver me from workers of iniquity, And from men of blood save me.
3 For, lo, they laid wait for my soul, Assembled against me are strong ones, Not my transgression nor my sin, O Jehovah.
4 Without punishment they run and prepare themselves, Stir up to meet me, and see.
5 And Thou, Jehovah, God of Hosts, God of Israel, Awake to inspect all the nations. Favour not any treacherous dealers of iniquity. Selah.
6 They turn back at evening, They make a noise like a dog, And go round about the city.
7 Lo, they belch out with their mouths, Swords `are' in their lips, for `Who heareth?'
8 And Thou, O Jehovah dost laugh at them, Thou dost mock at all the nations.
9 O my Strength, unto Thee I take heed, For God `is' my tower -- the God of my kindness.
10 God doth go before me, He causeth me to look on mine enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget, Shake them by Thy strength, And bring them down, O Lord our shield.
12 The sin of their mouth `is' a word of their lips, And they are captured in their pride, And from the curse and lying they recount.
13 Consume in fury, consume and they are not, And they know that God is ruling in Jacob, To the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 And they turn back at evening, They make a noise like a dog, And they go round about the city.
15 They -- they wander for food, If they are not satisfied -- then they murmur.
16 And I -- I sing `of' Thy strength, And I sing at morn `of' Thy kindness, For thou hast been a tower to me, And a refuge for me in a day of adversity.
17 O my Strength, unto Thee I sing praise, For God `is' my tower, the God of my kindness!
1 {To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.} Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God; secure me on high from them that rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from men of blood.
3 For behold, they lie in wait for my soul; strong ones are gathered against me: not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Jehovah.
4 They run and prepare themselves without [my] fault: awake to meet me, and behold.
5 Yea, do thou, Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, arise to visit all the nations: be not gracious to any plotters of iniquity. Selah.
6 They return in the evening; they howl like a dog, and go round about the city:
7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth; swords are in their lips: for who [say they] doth hear?
8 But thou, Jehovah, wilt laugh at them; thou wilt have all the nations in derision.
9 Their strength! ... I will take heed to thee; for God is my high fortress.
10 God, whose loving-kindness will come to meet me, -- God shall let me see [my desire] upon mine enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget; by thy power make them wander, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield.
12 [Because of] the sin of their mouth, the word of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride; and because of cursing and lying which they speak.
13 Make an end in wrath, make an end, that they may be no more; that they may know that God ruleth in Jacob, unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 And in the evening they shall return, they shall howl like a dog, and go round about the city.
15 They shall wander about for meat, and stay all night if they be not satisfied.
16 But as for me, I will sing of thy strength; yea, I will sing aloud of thy loving-kindness in the morning; for thou hast been to me a high fortress, and a refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 Unto thee, my strength, will I sing psalms; for God is my high fortress, the God of my mercy.
1 > Deliver me from my enemies, my God. Set me on high from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity. Save me from the bloodthirsty men.
3 For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul. The mighty gather themselves together against me, Not for my disobedience, nor for my sin, Yahweh.
4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Rise up, behold, and help me!
5 You, Yahweh God of hosts, the God of Israel, Rouse yourself to punish the nations. Show no mercy to the wicked traitors. Selah.
6 They return at evening, howling like dogs, And prowl around the city.
7 Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, "For," they say, "who hears us?"
8 But you, Yahweh, laugh at them. You scoff at all the nations.
9 Oh, my Strength, I watch for you, For God is my high tower.
10 My God will go before me with his loving kindness. God will let me look at my enemies in triumph.
11 Don't kill them, or my people may forget. Scatter them by your power, and bring them down, Lord our shield.
12 For 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.
13 Consume 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.
14 At evening let them return. Let them howl like a dog, and go around the city.
15 They shall wander up and down for food, And wait all night if they aren't satisfied.
16 But 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.
17 To you, my strength, I will sing praises. For God is my high tower, the God of my mercy.
1 <To the chief music-maker; put to At-tashheth. Michtam. Of David. When Saul sent, and they were watching the house, to put him to death.> Take me out of the hands of the cruel ones, O my God; keep me safe from those who come up against me.
2 Take me out of the power of the workers of evil, and keep me safe from the men of blood.
3 For see, they are watching in secret for my soul; the strong have come together against me? but not because of my sin, or my evil-doing, O Lord.
4 For no sin of mine they go quickly and get themselves ready; be awake and come to my help, and see.
5 You, O Lord God of armies, are the God of Israel; come now and give punishment to the nations; have no mercy on any workers of deceit. (Selah.)
6 They come back in the evening; they make a noise like a dog, and go round the town.
7 See, hate is dropping from their lips; curses are on their tongues: they say, Who gives attention to it?
8 But you are laughing at them, O Lord; you will make sport of all the nations.
9 O my strength, I will put my hope in you; because God is my strong tower.
10 The God of my mercy will go before me: God will let me see my desire effected on my haters.
11 Put them not to death, for so my people will keep the memory of them: let them be sent in all directions by your power; make them low, O Lord our saviour.
12 Because of the sin of their mouths and the word of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride; and for their curses and their deceit,
13 Put an end to them in your wrath, put an end to them, so that they may not be seen again; let them see that God is ruling in Jacob and to the ends of the earth. (Selah.)
14 And in the evening let them come back, and make a noise like a dog, and go round the town.
15 Let them go wandering up and down in search of food, and be there all night if they have not enough.
16 But I will make songs of your power; yes, I will give cries of joy for your mercy in the morning; because you have been my strength and my high tower in the day of my trouble.
17 To you, O my strength, will I make my song: because God is my high tower, even the God of my mercy.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 59
Commentary on Psalms 59 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Prayer of an innocent Man Whom Men Are Trying to Take
This Michtam , after the melody Al-tashcheth , coinciding with Psalms 57:5 and Psalms 58:7 in the figure used in Psalms 59:8, is the earliest among the Davidic Psalms which are dated from the time of Saul's persecution. When Saul sent and they (those who were sent by him) watched the house in order to slay him (David); it therefore belongs to the time spoken of in 1 Samuel 19:11. This inscription is no more intended to imply that the Psalm was composed on that night before the flight, which was rendered possible by the artifice of Michal, than the inscription of Ps 51 is meant to imply that the origin of the Psalm was coincident with the arrival of Nathan. The בּ of such inscriptions only sets forth in a general way the historical groundwork of the song. If we consider the contents of the Psalm from this point of view, we shall obtain a tolerably distinct picture of the situation. We must imagine that Saul, even before he issued that command to watch David's house the night through and to slay him in the morning, i.e., to assassinate him behind Michal's back (1 Samuel 19:11), sought to get rid of him in some more secret way; that the venal men of his court, themselves not less ill-disposed towards David, had offered him their hand for the deed; and that in consequence of this, great activity, which was probably seen through by him whose life was threatened, was observable in Gibea, and that more especially every evening, when the bandits strolled through the city in order to meet with the dreaded rival and give him his deathblow. The Psalms and the Prophets are often the medium through which we gain a deeper insight into events which are only sketched in the historical books after their most prominent outward features.
In consideration of the fact that the description of the nightly proceedings of the enemies is repeated after the manner of a refrain, and that the poet in Psalms 59:17 contrasts his believingly joyous prospects for the coming morning with the ineffectual ardour with which they pass the night patrolling the streets, Psalms 59 seems to be an evening song belonging to those perilous days spent in Gibea.
First part. As far as Psalms 59:4 we recognise strains familiar in the Psalms. The enemies are called מתקוממי as in Job 27:7, cf. Psalms 17:7; עזּים as shameless, עזּי פנים or עזּי נפשׁ ; as in Isaiah 56:11, on account of their bold shameless greediness, dogs. On לא in a subordinate clause, vid., Ewald, §286, g : without there being transgression or sin on my side, which might have caused it. The suffix (transgression on my part) is similar to Psalms 18:24. בּליּ־עון (cf. Job 34:6) is a similar adverbial collateral definition: without there existing any sin, which ought to be punished. The energetic future jeruzûn depicts those who servilely give effect to the king's evil caprice; they run hither and thither as if attacking and put themselves in position. הכונן = התכונן , like the Hithpa . הכּסּה , Proverbs 26:26, the Hothpa . הכּבּס , Leviticus 13:55., and the Hithpa. נכּפּר , Deuteronomy 21:8. Surrounded by such a band of assassins, David is like one besieged, who sighs for succour; and he calls upon Jahve, who seems to be sleeping and inclined to abandon him, with that bold עוּרה לקראתי וּראה , to awake to meet him, i.e., to join him with His help like a relieving army, and to convince Himself from personal observation of the extreme danger in which His charge finds himself. The continuation was obliged to be expressed by ואתּה , because a special appeal to God interposes between עוּרה and הקיצה . In the emphatic “Thou,” however, after it has been once expressed, is implied the conditional character of the deliverance by the absolute One. And each of the divine names made use of in this lengthy invocation, which corresponds to the deep anxiety of the poet, is a challenge, so to speak, to the ability and willingness, the power and promise of God. The juxtaposition Jahve Elohim Tsebaoth (occurring, besides this instance, in Psalms 80:5, 20; Psalms 84:9), which is peculiar to the Elohimic Psalms, is to be explained by the consideration that Elohim had become a proper name like Jahve , and that the designation Jahve Tsebaoth , by the insertion of Elohim in accordance with the style of the Elohimic Psalms, is made still more imposing and solemn; and now צבאות is a genitive dependent not merely upon יהוה but upon יהוה אלהים (similar to Psalms 56:1 , Isaiah 28:1 ; Symbolae , p. 15). אלהי ישׂראל is in apposition to this threefold name of God. The poet evidently reckons himself as belonging to an Israel from which he excludes his enemies, viz., the true Israel which is in reality the people of God. Among the heathen, against whom the poet invokes God's interposition, are included the heathen-minded in Israel; this at least is the view which brings about this extension of the prayer. Also in connection with the words און כּל־בּגדי the poet, in fact, has chiefly before his mind those who are immediately round about him and thus disposed. It is those who act treacherously from extreme moral nothingness and worthlessness ( און genit. epexeg .). The music, as Sela directs, here becomes more boisterous; it gives intensity to the strong cry for the judgment of God; and the first unfolding of thought of this Michtam is here brought to a close.
The second begins by again taking up the description of the movements of the enemy which was begun in Psalms 59:4, Psalms 59:5. We see at a glance how here Psalms 59:7 coincides with Psalms 59:5, and Psalms 59:8 with Psalms 59:4, and Psalms 59:9 with Psalms 59:6. Hence the imprecatory rendering of the futures of Psalms 59:7 is not for a moment to be entertained. By day the emissaries of Saul do not venture to carry out their plot, and David naturally does not run into their hands. They therefore come back in the evening, and that evening after evening (cf. Job 24:14); they snarl or howl like dogs ( המה , used elsewhere of the growling of the bear and the cooing of the dove; it is distinct from נבח , Arab. nbb , nbḥ , to bark, and כלב , to yelp), because they do not want to betray themselves by loud barking, and still cannot altogether conceal their vexation and rage; and they go their rounds in the city (like סובב בּעיר , Song of Solomon 3:2, cf. supra Psalms 55:11), in order to cut off their victim from flight, and perhaps, what would be very welcome to them, to run against him in the darkness. The further description in Psalms 59:8 follows them on this patrol. What they belch out or foam out is to be inferred from the fact that swords are in their lips, which they, as it were, draw so soon as they merely move their lips. Their mouth overflows with murderous thoughts and with slanders concerning David, by which they justify their murderous greed to themselves as if there were no one, viz., no God, who heard it. But Jahve, from whom nothing, as with men, can be kept secret, laughs at them, just as He makes a mockery of all heathen, to whom this murderous band, which fears the light and in unworthy of the Israelitish name, is compared. This is the primary passage to Psalms 37:13; Psalms 2:4; for Ps 59 is perhaps the oldest of the Davidic Psalms that have come down to us, and therefore also the earliest monument of Israelitish poetry in which the divine name Jahve Tsebaoth occurs; and the chronicler, knowing that it was the time of Samuel and David that brought it into use, uses this name only in the life of David. Just as this strophe opened in Psalms 59:7 with a distich that recurs in Psalms 59:15, so it also closes now in Psalms 59:10 with a distich that recurs below in v. 18, and that is to be amended according to the text of that passage. For all attempts to understand עזּי as being genuine prove its inaccuracy. With the old versions it has to be read עזּי ; but as for the rest, אשׁמרה must be retained in accordance with the usual variation found in such refrains: my strength, Thee will I regard (1 Samuel 26:15; observe, 2 Samuel 11:16), or upon Thee will I wait (cf. ל , Psalms 130:6); i.e., in the consciousness of my own feebleness, tranquil and resigned, I will look for Thine interposition on my behalf.
In this second half of the Psalm the cry of fear is hushed. Hope reigns, and anger burns more fiercely. The Kerמ says that Psalms 59:11 is to be read: אלהי חסדּי יקדּמני , my gracious God will anticipate me, - but with what? This question altogether disappears if we retain the Chethîb and point אלהי הסדּו : my God will anticipate me with His mercy (cf. Psalms 21:4), i.e., will meet me bringing His mercy without any effort of mine. Even the old translators have felt that chcdw must belong to the verb as a second object. The lxx is perfectly correct in its rendering, ὁ Θεὸς μου τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ προφθάσει με . The Kerî has come into existence in looking to v. 18, according to which it seems as though אלהי הסדּי ought to be added to the refrain, Psalms 59:10 (cf. a similar instance in Psalms 42:6-7). But Psalms 59:11 would be stunted by doing this, and it accords with Biblical poetic usage that the refrain in v. 18 should be climactic in comparison with Psalms 59:10 (just as it also does not altogether harmonize in its first half); so that Olshausen's proposal to close Psalms 59:10 with אלהי חסדי and to begin Psalms 59:11 with חסדו (cf. Psalms 79:8) is only just to be put on record. The prayer “slay them not” does not contradict the prayer that follows for their destruction. The poet wishes that those who lie in wait for him, before they are totally swept away, may remain for a season before the eyes of this people as an example of punishment. In accordance with this, הניעמו , by a comparison of the Hiph . in Numbers 32:13, and of the Kal in Psalms 59:16, Psalms 109:10, is to be rendered: cause them to wander about (Targum, cf. Genesis Rabba , ch. 38 init ., טלטלמו ); and in connection with בחילך one is involuntarily reminded of Psalms 10:10, Psalms 10:14, and is tempted to read בחלך or בחלך : cause them to wander about in adversity or wretchedness, = Arab. ‛umr ḥâlik , vita caliginosa h. e. misera ), and more especially since בחילך occurs nowhere else instead of בּזרעך or בּימינך . But the Jod in בחילך is unfavourable to this supposition; and since the martial apostrophe of God by “our shield” follows, the choice of the word is explained by the consideration that the poet conceives of the power of God as an army (Joel 2:25), and perhaps thinks directly of the heavenly host (Joel 3:11), over which the Lord of Hosts holds command (Hitzig). By means of this He is first of all to cause them to go astray ( נע ונד , Genesis 4:12), then utterly to cast them down (Psalms 56:8). The Lord ( אדני ) is to do this, as truly as He is Israel's shield against all the heathen and all pseudo-Israelites who have become as heathen. The first member of Psalms 59:13 is undoubtedly meant descriptively: “the sin of their mouth (the sin of the tongue) is the word of their lips” (with the dull-toned suffix mo , in the use of which Ps 59 associates itself with the Psalms of the time of Saul, Psalms 56:1-13, Psalms 11:1-7, Psalms 17:1-15, 22, 35, Psalms 64:1-10). The combination ולילּכדוּ בגאונם , however, more readily suggests parallel passages like Proverbs 11:6 than Proverbs 6:2; and moreover the מן of the expression וּמאלה וּמכּחשׁ , which is without example in connection with ספּר , and, taken as expressing the motive (Hupfeld), ought to be joined with some designations of the disposition of mind, is best explained as an appended statement of the reason for which they are to be ensnared, so that consequently יספּרוּ (cf. Psalms 69:27; Psalms 64:6) is an attributive clause; nor is this contrary to the accentuation, if one admits the Munach to be a transformation of Mugrash . It is therefore to be rendered: “let them, then, be taken in their pride, and on account of the curse and deceit which they wilfully utter.” If, by virtue of the righteousness of the Ruler of the world, their sin has thus become their fall, then, after they have been as it were a warning example to Israel, God is utterly to remove them out of the way, in order that they (it is unnecessary to suppose any change of subject), while perishing, may perceive that Elohim is Ruler in Jacob ( בּ , used elsewhere of the object, e.g., Micah 5:1, is here used of the place of dominion), and as in Jacob, so from thence unto the ends of the earth ( ל like על , Psalms 48:11) wields the sceptre. Just like the first group of the first part, this first group of the second part also closes with Sela .
The second group opens like the second group in the first part, but with this exception, that here we read וישׁבוּ , which loosely connects it with what precedes, whereas there it is ישׁוּבוּ . The poet's gaze is again turned towards his present straitened condition, and again the pack of dogs by which Saul is hunting him present themselves to his mind. המּה points towards an antithesis that follows, and which finds its expression in ואני . ויּלינוּ and לבּקר stand in direct contrast to one another, and in addition to this לערב has preceded. The reading of the lxx (Vulgate, Luther, [and authorized version]), καὶ γογγύσουσιν = ויּלּינוּ or ויּלּנוּ , is thereby proved to be erroneous. But if ויּלינוּ is the correct reading, then it follows that we have to take Psalms 59:16 not as foretelling what will take place, but as describing that which is present; so that consequently the fut. consec . (as is frequently the case apart from any historical connection) is only a consecutive continuation of ינוּעוּן (for which the Kerî has יניעוּן ; the form that was required in Psalms 59:12, but is inadmissible here): they wander up and down ( נוּע as in Psalms 109:10, cf. נוּד , Job 15:23) to eat (that is to say, seeking after food); and if they are not satisfied, they pass the night, i.e., remain, eager for food and expecting it, over night on the spot. This interpretation is the most natural, the simplest, and the one that harmonizes best not only with the text before us (the punctuation ישׂבּעוּ , not ישׂבּעוּ , gives the member of the clause the impress of being a protasis), but also with the situation. The poet describes the activity of his enemies, and that by completing or retouching the picture of their comparison to dogs: he himself is the food or prey for which they are so eager, and which they would not willingly allow to escape them, and which they nevertheless cannot get within their grasp. Their morbid desire remains unsatisfied: he, however, in the morning, is able to sing of the power of God, which protects him, and exultantly to praise God's loving-kindness, which satiates and satisfies him (Psalms 90:14); for in the day of fear, which to him is now past, God was his inaccessible stronghold, his unapproachable asylum. To this God, then, even further the play of his harp shall be directed ( אזמּרה ), just as was his waiting or hoping ( אשׁמרה , Psalms 59:10).