7 Shall they escape H6405 by iniquity? H205 in thine anger H639 cast down H3381 the people, H5971 O God. H430
But thou, O God, H430 shalt bring them down H3381 into the pit H875 of destruction: H7845 bloody H1818 and deceitful H4820 men H582 shall not live out half H2673 their days; H3117 but I will trust H982 in thee.
Let death H4194 seize H5377 H3451 upon them, and let them go down H3381 quick H2416 into hell: H7585 for wickedness H7451 is in their dwellings, H4033 and among H7130 them.
Shall the throne H3678 of iniquity H1942 have fellowship H2266 with thee, which frameth H3335 mischief H5999 by a law? H2706 They gather themselves together H1413 against the soul H5315 of the righteous, H6662 and condemn H7561 the innocent H5355 blood. H1818
There is no man H120 that hath power H7989 over the spirit H7307 to retain H3607 the spirit; H7307 neither hath he power H7983 in the day H3117 of death: H4194 and there is no discharge H4917 in that war; H4421 neither shall wickedness H7562 deliver H4422 those that are given H1167 to it.
Because ye have said, H559 We have made H3772 a covenant H1285 with death, H4194 and with hell H7585 are we H6213 at agreement; H2374 when the overflowing H7857 scourge H7752 H7885 shall pass through, H5674 H5674 it shall not come H935 unto us: for we have made H7760 lies H3577 our refuge, H4268 and under falsehood H8267 have we hid H5641 ourselves:
And come H935 and stand H5975 before H6440 me in this house, H1004 which is called H7121 by my name, H8034 and say, H559 We are delivered H5337 to do H6213 all these abominations? H8441
Pour out H8210 thy fury H2534 upon the heathen H1471 that know H3045 thee not, and upon the families H4940 that call H7121 not on thy name: H8034 for they have eaten up H398 Jacob, H3290 and devoured H398 him, and consumed H3615 him, and have made his habitation H5116 desolate. H8074
Give heed H7181 to me, O LORD, H3068 and hearken H8085 to the voice H6963 of them that contend H3401 with me. Shall evil H7451 be recompensed H7999 for good? H2896 for they have digged H3738 a pit H7745 for my soul. H5315 Remember H2142 that I stood H5975 before H6440 thee to speak H1696 good H2896 for them, and to turn away H7725 thy wrath H2534 from them. Therefore deliver up H5414 their children H1121 to the famine, H7458 and pour out H5064 their blood by the force H3027 of the sword; H2719 and let their wives H802 be bereaved H7909 of their children, and be widows; H490 and let their men H582 be put H2026 to death; H4194 let their young men H970 be slain H5221 by the sword H2719 in battle. H4421 Let a cry H2201 be heard H8085 from their houses, H1004 when thou shalt bring H935 a troop H1416 suddenly H6597 upon them: for they have digged H3738 a pit H7745 H7882 to take H3920 me, and hid H2934 snares H6341 for my feet. H7272 Yet, LORD, H3068 thou knowest H3045 all their counsel H6098 against me to slay H4194 me: forgive H3722 not their iniquity, H5771 neither blot out H4229 their sin H2403 from thy sight, H6440 but let them be overthrown H3782 before H6440 thee; deal H6213 thus with them in the time H6256 of thine anger. H639
Thou art of purer H2889 eyes H5869 than to behold H7200 evil, H7451 and canst H3201 not look H5027 on iniquity: H5999 wherefore lookest H5027 thou upon them that deal treacherously, H898 and holdest thy tongue H2790 when the wicked H7563 devoureth H1104 the man that is more righteous H6662 than he?
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 56
Commentary on Psalms 56 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 56
It seems by this, and many other psalms, that even in times of the greatest trouble and distress David never hung his harp upon the willow-trees, never unstrung it or laid it by; but that when his dangers and fears were greatest he was still in tune for singing God's praises. He was in imminent peril when he penned this psalm, at least when he meditated it; yet even then his meditation of God was sweet.
How pleasantly may a good Christian, in singing this psalm, rejoice in God, and praise him for what he will do, as well as for what he has done.
To the chief musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.
Psa 56:1-7
David, in this psalm, by his faith throws himself into the hands of God, even when he had by his fear and folly thrown himself into the hands of the Philistines; it was when they took him in Gath, whither he fled for fear of Saul, forgetting the quarrel they had with him for killing Goliath; but they soon put him in mid of it, 1 Sa. 21:10, 11. Upon that occasion he changed his behaviour, but with so little ruffle to his temper that then he penned both this psalm and the 34th. This is called Michtam-a golden psalm. So some other psalms are entitled, but this has something peculiar in the title; it is upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, which signifies the silent dove afar off. Some apply this to David himself, who wished for the wings of a dove on which to fly away. He was innocent and inoffensive, mild and patient, as a dove, was at this time driven from his nest, from the sanctuary (Ps. 84:3), was forced to wander afar off, to seek for shelter in distant countries; there he was like the doves of the valleys, mourning and melancholy; but silent, neither murmuring against God nor railing at the instruments of his trouble; herein a type of Christ, who was as a sheep, dumb before the shearers, and a pattern to Christians, who, wherever they are and whatever injuries are done them, ought to be as silent doves. In this former part of the psalm,
Psa 56:8-13
Several things David here comforts himself with in the day of his distress and fear.