Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 57:7

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 57:7. My heart is fixed — My heart is prepared to do and suffer thy will. It is fixed - it has made the firmest purpose through his strength by which I can do all things.

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down: They have digged a pit before me; They are fallen into the midst thereof themselves. (Selah) My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. I will sing, yea, I will sing praises. Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake quite early. I will give thanks unto the Lord, among the peoples: I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy lovingkindness is great unto the heavens, And thy truth unto the skies.”

“They… prepared… a net… and digged a pit. They are fallen into the midst thereof” The sight so commonly witnessed in history was granted to the psalmist. The wickedness of the enemies fell back upon themselves; they fell into the pit of their own making, a common Biblical thought.H. C. Leupold, p. 433.

It may be remembered that Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he had constructed for the purpose of hanging Mordecai (Esther 7:9).

“Awake… awake… I will awake right early.” The meaning here is that, “I will awaken the Dawn (personified) instead of letting the Dawn wake me.”The Layman’s Bible Commentary, p. 639.

“Among the peoples… among the nations” What a wonderful vision was that of David! Here he was hiding from enemies in a cave; but his mind encompasses the entire world; and he promises to sing the praises of God among the `nations,’ that is, `the Gentiles,’ or `the peoples’ of the whole world. And indeed, is it not true? Has it not come to pass? These Psalms of David are surely sung all over the inhabited earth; and this has been true for centuries and millenniums of time! (See our comment on Psalms 56:7).

“Great unto the heavens… unto the skies” That the lovingkindness and truth of God should extend to the heavens, or the skies, “Is only an earthly conception of their infinity.”F. Delitzsch, Vol. V-B, p. 178.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

My heart is fixed, O God - Margin, as in Hebrew, “prepared.” Compare the notes at Psalms 51:10. The word “suited” or “prepared” accurately expresses the sense of the Hebrew, and it is so rendered in the Septuagint, (ἑτοίμη hetoimē); in the Vulgate, “paratum;” and by Luther, “bereit.” The word is used, however, in the sense of “standing erect,” Psalms 9:7; to “establish” or “strengthen,” Psalms 89:4; Psalms 10:17; and hence, to be erect; to be firm, steady, constant, fixed. This seems to be the meaning here, as it is expressed in our common version. His heart was firm and decided. He did not waver in his purpose, or lean now to one side and then to the other; he was not “swayed” or “moved” by the events that had occurred. He felt conscious of standing firm in the midst of all his troubles. He confided in God. He did not doubt his justice, his goodness, his mercy; and, even in his trials, he was ready to praise him, and was “resolved” to praise him. The repetition of the word “fixed” gives emphasis and intensity to the expression, and is designed to show in the strongest manner that his heart, his purpose, his confidence in God, did not waver in the slightest degree.

I will sing and give praise - My heart shall confide in thee; my lips shall utter the language of praise. In all his troubles God was his refuge; in all, he found occasion for praise. So it should be the fixed and settled purpose of our hearts that we will at all times confide in God, and that in every situation in life we will render him praise.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

7.My heart is prepared, O God! ⁽³⁴⁴⁾ Some read fixed, or confirmed, and the Hebrew word נכון,nacon, bears that signification as well as the other. If we adopt it, we must understand David as saying that he had well and duly meditated upon the praises which he was about to offer; that he did not rush into a hurried and perfunctory discharge of this service, as too many are apt to do, but addressed himself to it with steadfast purpose of heart. I prefer, however, the other translation, which bears that he was ready to enter upon the service with all cheerfulness and cordiality. And although, wherever this spirit is really felt, it will lead to steadfastness of religious exercise, it is not without importance that the reader should be apprised of the force of the word which is here employed in the Hebrew. The ready heart is here opposed by David to the mere lip-service of the hypocrite, on the one hand, and to dead or sluggish service, on the other. He addressed himself to this voluntary sacrifice with a sincere fervor of spirit, casting aside sloth, and whatever might prove a hinderance in the duty.

(344) This psalm consists of two parts. The preceding verses, which contain the first part, express deep distress and extreme danger, and are of a plaintive and imploring strain. But here, where the second part commences, there is an elegant transition suddenly made to the language of exultation and triumph, which continues to the close of the psalm.

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

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."

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. The psalmist’s confidence that God would help 57:6-11

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

In anticipation of his deliverance, David promised to praise God (cf. Psalms 108:1-5). He returned to previous references to the Lord’s loyal love and truth (Psalms 57:10; cf. Psalms 57:3).

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

My heart is fixed, O God,.... Firm and sure, trusting in the Lord, believing that he should be saved by him out of his troubles; see

Psalms 101:1. So, in a spiritual sense, a heart fixed and established, or that is firm and sure, is one that is assured of its salvation by Christ, rooted and grounded in the love of God, firmly built on the foundation, Christ, and has its affections set on him; and is unmoved, from the hope of the Gospel, and the doctrines of it, by whatsoever it meets with in the world. It may be rendered, "my heart is prepared", or "ready" r; that is, according to some, to receive good or evil, prosperity or adversity, at the hand of God; to which sense is Jarchi's note,

"my heart is faithful with thee in the measure of judgment, and it is faithful with thee in the measure of mercy.''

That is, whether I am chastised with judgments, or followed with mercies, my heart is firm and true to God. The Targum is,

"my heart is prepared for thy law, O Lord; my heart is prepared for thy fear;''

that is, it is prepared for the worship and service of God; it is ready to every good work; it is prepared to pray unto him, and to wait for an answer, which are both from the Lord, Proverbs 16:1; and particularly to sing praise unto him, as follows;

my heart is fixed; this is repeated, to show the vehemency of his spirit, and the certainty of the thing;

I will sing and give praise; for the salvation wrought for him, and which he was sure of; and before he had finished this psalm, or while he had composed it, did enjoy it.

r נכון "paratum", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, &c.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.   8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.   9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.   10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.   11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.

      How strangely is the tune altered here! David's prayers and complaints, by the lively actings of faith, are here, all of a sudden, turned into praises and thanksgivings; his sackcloth is loosed, he is girded with gladness, and his hallelujahs are as fervent as his hosannas. This should make us in love with prayer, that, sooner or later, it will be swallowed up in praise. Observe,

      I. How he prepares himself for the duty of praise (Psalms 57:7; Psalms 57:7): My heart is fixed, O God! my heart is fixed. My heart is erect, or lifted up (so some), which was bowed down, Psalms 57:6; Psalms 57:6. My heart is fixed, 1. With reference to God's providences; it is prepared for every event, being stayed upon God,Psalms 112:7; Isaiah 26:3. My heart is fixed, and then none of these things move me,Acts 20:24 If by the grace of God we be brought into this even composed frame of spirit, we have great reason to be thankful. 2. With reference to the worship of God: My heart is fixed to sing and give praise. It is implied that the heart is the main thing required in all acts of devotion; nothing is done to purpose, in religion, further than it is done with the heart. The heart must be fixed, fixed for the duty, fitted and put in frame for it, fixed in the duty by a close application, attending on the Lord without distraction.

      II. How he excites himself to the duty of praise (Psalms 57:8; Psalms 57:8): Awake up my glory, that is, my tongue (our tongue is our glory, and never more so than when it is employed in praising God), or my soul, that must be first awakened; dull and sleepy devotions will never be acceptable to God. We must stir up ourselves, and all that is within us, to praise God; with a holy fire must that sacrifice be kindled, and ascend in a holy flame. David's tongue will lead, and his psaltery and harp will follow, in these hymns of praise. I myself will awake, not only, "I will not be dead, and drowsy, and careless, in this work," but, "I will be in the most lively frame, as one newly awakened out of a refreshing sleep." He will awake early to this work, early in the morning, to begin the day with God, early in the beginnings of a mercy. When God is coming towards us with his favours we must go forth to meet him with our praises.

      III. How he pleases himself, and (as I may say) even prides himself, in the work of praise; so far is he from being ashamed to own his obligations to God, and dependence upon him, that he resolves to praise him among the people and to sing unto him among the nations,Psalms 57:9; Psalms 57:9. This intimates, 1. That his own heart was much affected and enlarged in praising God; he would even make the earth ring with his sacred songs, that all might take notice how much he thought himself indebted to the goodness of God. 2. That he desired to bring others in to join with him in praising God. He will publish God's praises among the people, that the knowledge, and fear, and love of God might be propagated, and the ends of the earth might see his salvation. When David was driven out into heathen lands he would not only not worship their gods, but he would openly avow his veneration for the God of Israel, would take his religion along with him wherever he went, would endeavour to bring others in love with it, and leave the sweet savour of it behind him. David, in his psalms, which fill the universal church, and will to the end of time, may be said to be still praising God among the people and singing to him among the nations; for all good people make use of his words in praising God. Thus St. John, in his writings, is said to prophesy again before many peoples and nations,Revelation 10:11.

      IV. How he furnishes himself with matter for praise, Psalms 57:10; Psalms 57:10. That which was the matter of his hope and comfort (God shall send forth his mercy and his truth,Psalms 57:3; Psalms 57:3) is here the matter of his thanksgiving: Thy mercy is great unto the heavens, great beyond conception and expression; and thy truth unto the clouds, great beyond discovery, for what eye can reach that which is wrapped up in the clouds? God's mercy and truth reach to the heavens, for they will bring all such to heaven as lay up their treasure in them and build their hopes upon them. God's mercy and truth are praised even to the heavens, that is, by all the bright and blessed inhabitants of the upper world, who are continually exalting God's praises to the highest, while David, on earth, is endeavouring to spread his praises to the furthest, Psalms 57:9; Psalms 57:9.

      V. How he leaves it at last to God to glorify his own name (Psalms 57:11; Psalms 57:11): Be thou exalted, O God! The same words which he had used (Psalms 57:5; Psalms 57:5) to sum up his prayers in he here uses again (and no vain repetition) to sum up his praises in: "Lord, I desire to exalt thy name, and that all the creatures may exalt it; but what can the best of us do towards it? Lord, take the work into thy own hands; do it thyself: Be thou exalted, O God! In the praises of the church triumphant thou art exalted to the heavens, and in the praises of the church militant thy glory is throughout all the earth; but thou art above all the blessing and praise of both (Nehemiah 9:5), and therefore, Lord, exalt thyself above the heavens and above all the earth. Father, glorify thy own name. Thou hast glorified it, glorify it yet again."