Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 57:1

Clarke's Commentary

PSALM LVII

David cries to God for mercy, with the strongest confidence of

being heard, 1-3;

he describes his enemies as lions, 4;

thanks God for his deliverance, 5;

and purposes to publish the praises of the Lord among his

people, 6-11.

NOTES ON PSALM LVII

The title is, To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, (destroy not,) a golden Psalm of David, (or one to be engraven,) where he fed from Saul in the cave. It is very likely that this Psalm was made to commemorate his escape from Saul in the cave of En-gedi, where Saul had entered without knowing that David was there, and David cut off the skirt of his garment. And it is not improbable that, when he found that Saul was providentially delivered into his hand, he might have formed the hasty resolution to take away his life, as his companions counselled him to do; and in that moment the Divine monition came, אל תשצת al tascheth! Destroy not! lift not up thy hand against the Lord's anointed! Instead, therefore, of taking away his life, he contented himself with taking away his skirt, to show him that he had been in his power. When, afterwards, he composed the Psalm, he gave it for title the words which he received as a Divine warning. See the history 1 Samuel 24:1-22. See also my note upon the fourth verse of that chapter. 1 Samuel 24:4.

Verse Psalms 57:1. Be merciful unto me — To show David's deep earnestness, he repeats this twice; he was in great danger, surrounded by implacable enemies, and he knew that God alone could deliver him.

My soul trusteth in thee — I put my life into thy hand; and my immortal spirit knows no other portion than thyself.

In the shadow of thy wings — A metaphor taken from the brood of a hen taking shelter under her wings when they see a bird of prey; and there they continue to hide themselves till their enemy disappears. In a storm, or tempest of rain, the mother covers them with her wings to afford them shelter and defence. This the psalmist has particularly in view, as the following words show: "Until these calamities be overpast."

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me; For my soul taketh refuge in thee: Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I take refuge, Until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God Most High, Unto God that performeth all things for me. He will send from heaven, and save me, When he that would swallow me up reproacheth; (Selah) God will send forth his lovingkindness and his truth. My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.”

“In the shadow of thy wings will I take refuge” This metaphor reminds us of the words of Jesus, “How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not” (Matthew 23:37).

“Until these calamities be overpast” “The word here rendered `calamities’ may also be translated as `wickednesses,’ or `malignities.’ That they would indeed pass the psalmist was certain; but what he needed was support while they endured.”The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8-B, p. 6.

“Unto God who performeth all things for me” “This indicates that already the psalmist’s confidence in God’s deliverance begins to be felt.”H. C. Leupold, p. 432. Perhaps this confidence may spring in part from the titles of God here, which are “[~’Elohiym], [~’Elyon], i.e., Almighty God, Most High.”The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8-B, p. 6.

“When he that would swallow me up reproacheth” These were nothing other than “people eaters” who were attacking David. The use of mixed figures of speech in Psalms 57:4, which speaks of both wild beasts (`lions’), and spears and arrows, “Along with the traditional phrases and stereotyped images make it difficult to reconstruct the personal circumstances of the psalmist. Was he being physically attacked, or falsely accused?”The New Layman’s Bible Commentary, p. 638.

Spurgeon took the view that it was the vicious tongues of these “people eaters” which constituted the principal trouble. He spoke to the gossips of his church as follows:

“You eat men up; you eat their souls, the finest part of men. You are more than glad if you can whisper a word that is derogatory to a neighbor, or his wife, or his daughter. The morsel is too exquisite to be lost. Here is the soul of a person, his hope in this life and his hope of heaven; and you have it on your fork, and you can’t refrain from eating it and asking others to taste it.Charles Haddon Spurgeon, p. 257. (Spurgeon then quoted Henry Ward Beecher). “You are cannibals, eating men’s honor and rejoicing in it; and that too when ninety-nine times out of a hundred the probabilities are there’s not a word of truth in it. - Beecher.”

“Among lions… and the sons of men whose teeth are like spears and arrows” The NIV has “tongue” instead of “teeth” here. Ash stated that, “The mixed metaphor of the `lions’ and the `military’ show how precarious the situation was. Deliverance would have been hopeless without God.”Anthony L. Ash, Jeremiah and Lamentations (Abilene, Texas: A.C.U. Press, 1987), p. 195.

“Them that are set on fire” “These were they whose hearts were on fire with enmity and hatred and who spoke words which were as sharp as military weapons.”The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 486.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Be merciful unto me, O God - The same beginning as the former psalm - a cry for mercy; an overwhelming sense of trouble and danger leading him to come at once to the throne of God for help. See the notes at Psalms 56:1.

For my soul trusteth in thee - See the notes at Psalms 56:3. He had nowhere else to go; there was no one on whom he could rely but God.

Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge - Under the protection or covering of his wings - as young birds seek protection under the wings of the parent bird. See the notes at Psalms 17:8. Compare Psalms 36:7.

Until these calamities be overpast - Compare Job 14:13, note; Psalms 27:13, note; also at Isaiah 26:20, note. He believed that these calamities “would” pass away, or would cease; that a time would come when he would not thus be driven from place to place. At present he knew that he was in danger, and he desired the divine protection, for under “that” protection he would be safe.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

1.Be merciful unto me, O God! The repetition of the prayer proves that the grief, the anxiety, and the apprehension, with which David was filled at this time, must have been of no common description. It is noticeable, that his plea for mercy is, his having hoped in God. His soul trusted in him; and this is a form of expression the force of which is not to be overlooked: for it implies that the trust which he exercised proceeded from his very innermost affections, — that it was of no volatile character, but deeply and strongly rooted. He declares the same truth in figurative terms, when he adds his persuasion that God would cover him with the shadow of his wings. The Hebrew word חסה, chasah, which I have translated to hope, signifies occasionally to lodge, or obtain shelter, and in this sense it may be understood with great propriety in the passage before us, where allusion is made to the shadow of wings. David had committed himself, in short, entirely to the guardianship of God; and now experienced that blessed consciousness of dwelling in a place of safety, which he expresses in the beginning of the ninetieth psalm. The divine protection is compared to the shadow of wings, because God, as I have elsewhere observed, the more familiarly to invite us to himself, is represented as stretching out his wings like the hen, or other birds, for the shelter of their young. The greater our ingratitude and perversity, in being so slow to comply with such an endearing and gentle invitation! He does not merely say, in general, that he would hope in God, and rest under the shadow of his wings, but, particularly, that he would do so at the time when wickedness should pass over him, like a storm or whirlwind. The Hebrew word הוה, hovah, which I have rendered wickedness, some translate power. Be that as it may, it is evident he declares that God would prove his refuge, and the wings of God his shelter, under every tempest of affliction which blew over him. There are seasons when we are privileged to enjoy the calm sunshine of prosperity; but there is not a day of our lives in which we may not suddenly be overtaken by storms of affliction, and it is necessary we should be persuaded that God will cover us with his wings. To hope he adds prayer. Those, indeed, who have placed their trust in God, will always direct their prayers to him; and David gives here a practical proof of his hope, by showing that he applied to God in his emergencies. In addressing God, he applies to him an honorable title, commending him as the God who performed whatsoever he had promised, or (as we may understand the expression) who carries forward to perfection the work which he has begun. ⁽³³⁹⁾ The Hebrew word גמר , gomer, here employed, would seem to be used in the same sense as in Psalms 138:8, the scope of both passages being the same. It materially confirms and sustains our hope to reflect that God will never forsake the workmanship of his own hands, — that he will perfect the salvation of his people, and continue his divine guidance until he have brought them to the termination of their course. Some read, to God, who rewards me; but this fails to bring out the force of the expression. It would be more to the purpose, in my judgment, to read, God, who fails me; in which case the sentence would, of course, require to be understood adversatively: That though God failed him, and stretched not out his hand for his deliverance, he would still persist in crying to him. The other meaning, which some have suggested, I will cry to God, who performs, or exerts to the utmost, his severity against me, is evidently forced, and the context would lead us to understand the word as referring to the goodness of God, the constancy of which in perfecting his work when once begun, should ever be present to our remembrance,

(339) Horsley reads the last clause of the verse, “Upon God, who will bring things to a conclusion for me.”

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 57:1-11

Psalms 57:1-11 . To the chief musician, and that Altaschith is "destroying not." It is a prayer of David when he fled from Saul and was hiding in the cave. So Saul is looking for David; he is hiding in the cave. And David says,

Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusts in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities are over. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. For they have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, and in the midst whereof they are fallen themselves ( Psalms 57:1-6 ).

Remember, Saul came in and went to sleep there in the cave. And David, when they were sound asleep, went down and he took his sword and cut off Saul's skirt. And then he got out of there and he got over a safe distance and cried, "Saul, look at what I've got." So he speaks about him falling in the net that they had prepared for me. "My soul is bowed down. They have digged a pit before me wherein the midst they have fallen."

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. Wake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. For I will praise thee, O Lord among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and let thy glory be above all the eaRuth ( Psalms 57:7-11 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

David began by comparing himself to a little bird that takes refuge from a passing enemy by hiding under the wing of its parent (cf. Psalms 17:8; Psalms 36:7; Psalms 61:4; Psalms 63:7; Psalms 91:4). The overarching side of the cave in which David hid may have reminded him of a bird’s wing.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. The psalmist’s need for God’s help 57:1-5

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 57

David’s hiding from Saul in a cave is the background of this individual lament psalm (1 Samuel 22; 1 Samuel 24; cf. Psalms 142). The tune name means "Do not destroy." This psalm resembles the preceding one in its general theme and design. It, too, has a recurring refrain (Psalms 57:5; Psalms 57:11). It is, however, more "upbeat."

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Be merciful unto me, O God,.... Or "be gracious to me" k; which words are repeated by him. "Be merciful", or "gracious, unto me"; to show the greatness of his distress, the eagerness, vehemency, and importunity he used in prayer; his case requiring a speedy answer, and immediate relief; and that he expected only from the mercy and grace of God; :-;

for my soul trusteth in thee; or "in thy word"; as the Targum; and in thee only, both as the God of providence and the God of grace; and a great act of faith this was to trust in the Lord in such circumstances; and it was not a bare profession of trust, but it was hearty and sincere; his "soul" trusted in the Lord; he trusted in him with all his heart and soul, and trusted him with his soul or life: and this he makes a reason or argument for mercy; seeing, as the mercy of the Lord is an encouragement to faith and hope; so the Lord has declared, that he takes pleasure in those that hope and trust in it; wherefore mercy may be expected by such;

yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge; or "I will hope" l; the meaning is, that he would betake himself to the power and protection of God, and make him his refuge from the enemy: the allusion is either to the hen, or any other bird covering its young with its wings, when a bird of prey is near, till that is gone; or to the cherubim, whose wings overshadowed the mercy seat, between which the glory of God dwelt; and so the Targum,

"in the shadow of thy Shechinah, or glorious Majesty, will I trust;''

which agrees with his applying to the mercy seat, or to God on a throne of grace and mercy: and here he determines to abide,

until [these] calamities be overpast; the storm of them was over, which was very black and threatening. The Targum is,

"until the tumult is over;''

and so the Syriac version; until Saul and his men were gone, of whom he was afraid. The Septuagint version, and those that follow it, render the words "until sin passeth away"; the cause of these troubles; unless sin is put for sinful men; and so the sense is as before; see

Isaiah 26:20.

k חנני "gratiam fac mihi", Junius Tremellius, Cocceius so Piscator, Ainsworth. l אחסה "sperabo", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; "spero", Tigurine version, Musculus, Michaelis.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

To the chief musician, Al-taschith, Michtam

of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.

      1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.   2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.   3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.   4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.   5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.   6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.

      The title of this psalm has one word new in it, Al-taschith--Destroy not. Some make it to be only some known tune to which this psalm was set; others apply it to the occasion and matter of the psalm. Destroy not; that is, David would not let Saul be destroyed, when now in the cave there was a fair opportunity of killing him, and his servants would fain have done so. No, says David, destroy him not,1 Samuel 24:4; 1 Samuel 24:6. Or, rather, God would not let David be destroyed by Saul; he suffered him to persecute David, but still under this limitation, Destroy him hot; as he permitted Satan to afflict Job, Only save his life. David must not be destroyed, for a blessing is in him (Isaiah 65:8), even Christ, the best of blessings. When David was in the cave, in imminent peril, he here tells us what were the workings of his heart towards God; and happy are those that have such good thoughts as these in their minds when they are in danger!

      I. He supports himself with faith and hope in God, and prayer to him, Psalms 57:1; Psalms 57:2. Seeing himself surrounded with enemies, he looks up to God with that suitable prayer: Be merciful to me, O Lord! which he again repeats, and it is no vain repetition: Be merciful unto me. It was the publican's prayer, Luke 18:13. It is a pity that any should use it slightly and profanely, should cry, God be merciful to us, or, Lord, have mercy upon us, when they mean only to express their wonder, or surprise, or vexation, but God and his mercy are not in all their thoughts. It is with much devout affection that David here prays, "Be merciful unto me, O Lord! look with compassion upon me, and in thy love and pity redeem me." To recommend himself to God's mercy, he here professes,

      1. That all his dependence is upon God: My soul trusteth in thee,Psalms 57:1; Psalms 57:1. He did not only profess to trust in God, but his soul did indeed rely on God only, with a sincere devotion and self-dedication, and an entire complacency and satisfaction. He goes to God, and, at the footstool of the throne of his grace, humbly professes his confidence in him: In the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, as the chickens take shelter under the wings of the hen when the birds of prey are ready to strike at them, until these calamities be over-past. (1.) He was confident his troubles would end well, in due time; these calamities will be over-past; the storm will blow over. Non si male nunc et olim sic erit--Though now distressed, I shall not always be so. Our Lord Jesus comforted himself with this in his sufferings, Luke 22:37. The things concerning me have an end. (2.) He was very easy under the divine protection in the mean time. [1.] He comforted himself in the goodness of God's nature, by which he is inclined to succour and protect his people, as the hen is by instinct to shelter her young ones. God comes upon the wing to the help of his people, which denotes a speedy deliverance (Psalms 18:10); and he takes them under his wing, which denotes warmth and refreshment, even when the calamities are upon them; see Matthew 23:37. [2.] In the promise of his word and the covenant of his grace; for it may refer to the out-stretched wings of the cherubim, between which God is said to dwell (Psalms 80:1) and whence he gave his oracles. "To God, as the God of grace, will I fly, and his promise shall be my refuge, and a sure passport it will be through all these danger." God, by his promise, offers himself to us, to be trusted; we by our faith must accept of him, and put our trust in him.

      2. That all his desire is towards God (Psalms 57:2; Psalms 57:2): "I will cry unto God most high, for succour and relief; to him that is most high will I lift up my soul, and pray earnestly, even unto God that performs all things for me." Note, (1.) In every thing that befalls us we ought to see and own the hand of God; whatever is done is of his performing; in it his counsel is accomplished and the scripture is fulfilled. (2.) Whatever God performs concerning his people, it will appear, in the issue, to have been performed for them and for their benefit. Though God be high, most high, yet he condescends so low as to take care that all things be made to work for good to them. (3.) This is a good reason why we should, in all our straits and difficulties, cry unto him, not only pray, but pray earnestly.

      3. That all his expectation is from God (Psalms 57:3; Psalms 57:3): He shall send from heaven, and save me. Those that make God their only refuge, and fly to him by faith and prayer, may be sure of salvation, in his way and time. Observe here, (1.) Whence he expects the salvation--from heaven. Look which way he will, in this earth, refuge fails, no help appears; but he looks for it from heaven. Those that lift up their hearts to things above may thence expect all good. (2.) What the salvation is that he expects. He trusts that God will save him from the reproach of those that would swallow him up, that aimed to ruin him, and, in the mean time, did all they could to vex him. Some read it, He shall send from heaven and save me, for he has put to shame him that would swallow me up; he has disappointed their designs against me hitherto, and therefore he will perfect my deliverance. (3.) What he will ascribe his salvation to: God shall send forth his mercy and truth. God is good in himself and faithful to every word that he has spoken, and so he makes it appear when he works deliverance for his people. We need no more to make us happy than to have the benefit of the mercy and truth of God, Psalms 25:10.

      II. He represents the power and malice of his enemies (Psalms 57:4; Psalms 57:4): My soul is among lions. So fierce and furious was Saul, and those about him, against David, that he might have been as safe in a den of lions as among such men, who were continually roaring against him and ready to make a prey of him. They are set on fire, and breathe nothing but flame; they set on fire the course of nature, inflaming one another against David, and they were themselves set on fire of hell,James 3:6. They were sons of men, from whom one might have expected something of the reason and compassion of a man; but they were beasts of prey in the shape of men; their teeth, which they gnashed upon him, and with which they hoped to tear him to pieces and to eat him up, were spears and arrows fitted for mischiefs and murders; and their tongue, with which they cursed him and wounded his reputation, was as a sharp sword to cut and kill; see Psalms 42:10. A spiteful tongue is a dangerous weapon, wherewith Satan's instruments fight against God's people. He describes their malicious projects against him (Psalms 57:6; Psalms 57:6) and shows the issue of them: "They have prepared a net for my steps, in which to take me, that I might not again escape out of their hands; they have digged a pit before me, that I might, ere I was aware, run headlong into it." See the policies of the church's enemies; see the pains they take to do mischief. But let us see what comes of it. 1. It is indeed some disturbance to David: My soul is bowed down. It made him droop, and hang the head, to think that there should be those that bore him so much ill-will. But, 2. It was destruction to themselves; they dug a pit for David, into the midst whereof they have fallen. The mischief they designed against David returned upon themselves, and they were embarrassed in their counsels; then when Saul was pursuing David the Philistines were invading him; nay, in the cave, when Saul thought David should fall into his hands, he fell into the hands of David, and lay at his mercy.

      III. He prays to God to glorify himself and his own great name (Psalms 57:5; Psalms 57:5): "Whatever becomes of me and my interest, be thou exalted, O God! above the heavens, be thou praised by the holy angels, those glorious inhabitants of the upper world; and let thy glory be above or over all the earth; let all the inhabitants of this earth be brought to know and praise thee." Thus God's glory should lie hearer our hearts, and we should be more concerned for it, than for any particular interests of our own. When David was in the greatest distress and disgrace he did not pray, Lord, exalt me, but, Lord, exalt thy own name. Thus the Son of David, when his soul was troubled, and he prayed, Father, save me from this hour, immediately withdrew that petition, and presented this in the room of it, For this cause came I to this hour; Father, glorify thy name,John 12:27; John 12:28. Or it may be taken as a plea to enforce his petition for deliverance: "Lord, send from heaven to save me, and thereby thou wilt glorify thyself as the God both of heaven and earth." Our best encouragement in prayer is taken from the glory of God, and to that therefore, more than our own comfort, we should have an eye in all our petitions for particular mercies; for this is made the first petition in the Lord's prayer, as that which regulates and directs all the rest, Father in heaven, hallowed by thy name.