Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 56:5

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 56:5. Every day they wrest my words — They have been spies on my conduct continually; they collected all my sayings, and wrested my words out of their proper sense and meaning, to make them, by inuendos, speak treason against Saul. They are full of evil purposes against me.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 56:1-11 David escapes from Saul

Both these psalms belong to the time when David fled from Saul, first to the city of Gath, then to the cave of Adullam. (For the historical background see introductory notes to Psalms 34:0.)

David is in great distress in Gath, as he learns that certain people in the city are planning to kill him (56:1-2). The increased danger he faces drives him to an increased dependence on God (3-4). Enemies watch his every move, plotting how they can best attack him (5-7). He is so tense with fear that he cannot sleep at night. He knows God takes notice of his distress, and this reassures him that God will protect him (8-11). In fact, his confidence in God is so secure that he considers his prayer as already answered. He pictures himself fulfilling his vows by offering sacrifices of thanksgiving to God for his deliverance (12-13).
Having escaped from Gath, David now takes refuge in a cave. More importantly, he takes refuge in the Most High God (57:1-3). As a lion hunts down its prey, so Saul’s men hunt down David. They are like those who hunt innocent animals by laying traps for them. But they themselves are the ones who will suffer (4-6). David is so confident of God’s deliverance that he pictures singers and musicians joining in praise to the God of love and faithfulness who has saved him (7-11).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“All the day long they wrest my words: All their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, They mark my steps, Even as they have waited for my soul. Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God. Thou numberest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle; Are they not in thy book? Then shall mine enemies turn back in the day that I call: This I know that God is for me. In God (I will praise his word), In Jehovah (I will praise his word), In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid; What can man do unto me?”

“They wrest my words” The KJV here has `twist my words.’

“Their thoughts are against me” The purpose of the Philistines was continually that of destroying David.

“Gather themselves together… hide themselves… mark my steps” This means they convened counsels on how to destroy David; they concealed themselves in order to spy upon him, and they watched his every move. Yes, those wicked men watched David’s every step; but God also was watching over his own (Psalms 56:8), “numbering all of his wanderings, and even counting his tears.”

Delitzsch paraphrased these words regarding the activity of David’s enemies. “David affirmed his loyalty to Saul, but they forced upon his words false meanings; they banded themselves together, they placed men in ambush.”F. Delitzsch, Vol. V-B, p. 168.

“Shall they escape by iniquity?” Mistreatment of David by the Philistines mentioned here was doubtless the root of his determination, after he became king, to utterly subdue them. He would become God’s instrument in granting the answer to David’s prayer for their destruction (2 Samuel 5:17; 2 Samuel 8:1).

“In anger cast down the peoples, O God” The word `peoples’ here is the same as `Gentiles,’ or `nations.’ Indicating that all nations of the whole world were affected in some manner by what happened to David. Of course, this is profoundly true, because the Davidic kingdom was the type and forerunner of the “Kingdom of God.” Addis missed this profound truth altogether, writing that, “Nations were not concerned in the petty espionage which the Psalm describes.”W. E. Addis, p. 382.

“My wanderings… my tears” Is it really true that God has such detailed interest in his servants? Kidner pointed out that it is even so, adding that, “Our Lord had equally striking terms for God’s attention to detail. He said, `The very hairs of your head are all numbered.’ (Matthew 10:29).”Derek Kidner, Vol. 1, p. 204.

“Are they not in thy book?” Rhodes observed that both `bottle’ and `book’ here are metaphorical references to the `records’ of God; and this seems to be correct. God, of course would need neither a record book nor a bottle. As DeHoff noted, “The figure of speech here is similar to that of Revelation 5:8 where the prayers of the saints are represented as being preserved in `golden vials.’“George DeHoff’s Commentary, Vol. H, p. 152.

“This I know that God is for me” David’s absolute confidence in the truth and dependability of what God had told him through the prophet Nathan sustained him throughout his lifetime, no matter how difficult the circumstances of many heartbreaking situations which he confronted.

“In God (I will praise his word)” This picks up the refrain from Psalms 56:4, emphasizes its first line by repeating it almost verbatim, which Kidner tells us was a favorite method of emphasis by the psalmist.Derek Kidner, Vol. 1, p. 205.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Every day they wrest my words - The word here rendered “wrest,” means literally to give pain, to grieve, to afflict; and it is used here in the sense of “wresting,” as if force were applied to words; that is, they are “tortured,” twisted, perverted. We have the same use of the word “torture” in our language. This they did by affixing a meaning to his words which he never intended, so as to injure him.

All their thoughts are against me for evil - All their plans, devices, purposes. They never seek my good, but always seek to do me harm.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

5Every day my words vex me The first part of this verse has been variously rendered. Some understand my words to be the nominative in the sentence, and with these I agree in opinion. Others suppose a reference to the enemies of David, and translate, they calumniate my words, or, they cause me grief on account of my words. Again, יעצבו, yeatsebu, has been taken in the neuter sense, and translated, my words are troublesome. But עצב ⁽³³²⁾, atsab, commonly signifies to afflict with grief, and in Pihel is always taken transitively; nor does there seem any reason in this place to depart from the general rule of the language. And the passage flows more naturally when rendered, my words affect me with grief, or vex me, than by supposing that he refers to his enemies. According to this translation, the verse contains a double complaint, that, on the one hand, he was himself unsuccessful in everything which he attempted, his plans having still issued in vexatious failure; while, on the other hand, his enemies were devising every means for his destruction. It may appear at first sight rather inconsistent to suppose that he should immediately before have disclaimed being under the influence of fear, and now acknowledge that he was not only distressed, but in some measure the author of his own discomfort. I have already observed, however, that he is not to be considered as having been absolutely divested of anxiety and fear, although enabled to look down with contempt upon his enemies from the eminence of faith. Here he speaks of the circumstances which tried him, which his faith certainly overcame, but at the same time could not altogether remove out of the way. He confesses his own lack of wisdom and foresight, shown in the abortive issue of every plan which he devised. It aggravated the evil, that his enemies were employing their united counsels to plot his ruin. He adds, that they gathered themselves together; and this made his case the more calamitous, matched as he was, a single individual, against this numerous host. In mentioning that theyhide themselves, he adverts to the subtile devices which they framed for surprising him into destruction. The verb יצפינו, yitsponu, by grammatical rule ought to have the letter ו, vau, in the middle; from which the general opinion is, that the י yod, is as it were the mark of Hiphil, denoting that the enemies of David came to the determination of employing an ambush, with the view of surrounding him. He tells us that they pressed upon him in every direction, and as it were trod upon his heels, so that he had no respite. And he points at their implacable hatred as the cause of their eager pursuit of him; for nothing, he informs us, would satisfy them but his death.

(332) Horsley observes, that the primary meaning of the verb עצב, atsab, is “perhaps to do a thing with great labor, to take pains about it; if, indeed, its primary meaning be not to distort Hence it may signify to affect the mind with any unpleasing passion or sensation, grief, vexation, anger; for every perturbation is a sort of distortion of the mind. רברי יעצבו עלי — ‘torquent contra me verba mea,’ — ‘torquent, i e. , labouriose fingunt in mentem alienam et sensum alienum.’ — Pagninus after Aben Ezra and R.D.”—Horsley Hammond, after stating that עזב, atsab, signifies primarily to grieve, or be in pain, and that by metonomy it is used for the laborious framing or forming of any thing, says, “Here, being applied to another’s words or speeches, it seems to denote the depraving them, laboring and using great art and diligence to put them into such a form as may be most for the disadvantage of the speaker, turning and winding them to his hurt, in putting some odious gloss upon them, and so, according to sense, may most fully be rendered depraving. ”

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 56:1-13

Psalms 56:1-13 . This is the prayer of David when he heard a mourning dove. That is, a mourning: m-o-u-r-n-i-n-g dove, out in the distant terebinth trees. He no doubt heard these doves cooing off in the distance. There is sort of something soulful and mournful about those doves when they are crying. He said,

Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. My enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou Most High. But what time I am afraid, I will trust in thee ( Psalms 56:1-3 ).

What a good thing to learn. Whatever time that you might be afraid, just put your trust in the Lord.

In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh shall do unto me. Every day they wrest my words: all of their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. Shall they escape by iniquity? In thine anger cast down the people, O God. For you tell my wanderings: put my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? ( Psalms 56:4-8 )

Now the Bible does teach that there is a Book of Remembrances that God keeps. The Bible tells us that at the great Judgment Day, the books will be opened and people will be judged out of the things that are written in the books. Now, man is able to preserve many interesting records today. A lot of you have preserved a lot of interesting records of your past; you've got movies of them. And every once in awhile you get out the movie projector when the family is over, and you look at the pictures when they were just kids, and you have an interesting evening of remembrance, you know, as you are looking at these films. Now, I do believe that if man is able to develop such recording devises, that surely God, no doubt, is able to produce any scene that ever took place in your life at any time. So, if you want to try to deny before God some accusation that is brought against you, God probably has a giant screen up there, and suddenly, you can watch yourself doing the thing. Along with all of heaven. And as they shut it off, you say, "Okay, I confess. I am guilty. Turn it off!" In the Book of Remembrances, God's book. There is the Book of Life in heaven in which your name has been recorded, you who have received Jesus Christ.

When I cry unto thee, [David said,] then shall my enemies turn back: this I know; for God is with me ( Psalms 56:9 ).

Or, "God is for me," actually. I think that that is one of the most important concepts of God that we need to remember. God is for us. So many times we picture God as being against us. We see God as just waiting for us to do something wrong, in order that He might smite us with His swift hand of justice. We think of God so often as being against us, opposed to us. But in reality, God is for us. And if God be for us, who can be against us? So important that we have the right concepts of God.

In God [he said,] will I praise his word ( Psalms 56:10 ):

Because I know that God is for me, praise fills my heart.

in the LORD will I praise his word. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death: will not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? ( Psalms 56:10-13 ) "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. The opposition of ungodly enemies 56:1-7

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 56

David wrote this psalm of individual lament when the Philistines seized him in Gath (1 Samuel 21:10; cf. Psalms 34). He composed it for singing to the tune of "A Dove on Distant Oaks." This melody was evidently common in David’s day.

The content of this psalm is similar to that of Psalms 54, 55, , 57. Again David determined to continue trusting in the Lord even though his enemies sought to destroy him.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

David further described the wickedness of his oppressors. They continually twisted his words, dogged his steps, and plotted his downfall.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Every day they wrest my words,.... Form, fashion, and shape them at their pleasure; construe them, and put what sense upon them they think fit. The word u is used of the formation of the human body, in Job 10:8; They put his words upon the rack, and made them speak what he never intended; as some men wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction, 2 Peter 3:16; and as the Jews wrested the words of Christ, John 2:19. The word has also the sense of causing vexation and grief, Isaiah 63:10; and so it may be rendered here, "my words cause grief" w; to his enemies; because he had said, in the preceding verses, that he would trust in the Lord, and praise his word, and not be afraid of men; just as the Sadducees were grieved at the apostles preaching, through Jesus, the resurrection of the dead, Acts 4:1. Or they caused grief to himself; for because of these his enemies reproached him, cursed him, and distressed him. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin render it, "they cursed my words"; or despised them, as the Ethiopic and Arabic versions:

all their thoughts [are] against me for evil; their counsels, schemes, and contrivances, were all formed to do him all the hurt and mischief they could.

u יעצבו "fingunt mea verba", Cocceius, Gusset. p. 628. "They painfully form and frame my words", Ainsworth. w "Dolore afficient", Montanus, Gejerus, Vatablus.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

To the chief musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim,

Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.

      1 Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.   2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.   3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.   4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.   5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.   6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.   7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.

      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 Samuel 21:10; 1 Samuel 21:11. Upon that occasion he changed his behaviour, but with so little ruffle to his temper that then he penned both this psalm and Psalms 34:1-22. 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 (Psalms 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,

      I. He complains to God of the malice and wickedness of his enemies, to show what reason he had to fear them, and what cause, what need, there was that God should appear against them (Psalms 56:1; Psalms 56:1): Be merciful unto me, O God! That petition includes all the good we come to the throne of grace for; if we obtain mercy there, we obtain all we can desire, and need no more to make us happy. It implies likewise our best plea, not our merit, but God's mercy, his free rich mercy. He prays that he might find mercy with God, for with men he could find no mercy. When he fled from the cruel hands of Saul he fell into the cruel hands of the Philistines. "Lord" (says he), "be thou merciful to me now, or I am undone." The mercy of God is what we may flee to and trust to, and in faith pray for, when we are surrounded on all sides with difficulties and dangers. He complains, 1. That his enemies were very numerous (Psalms 56:2; Psalms 56:2): "They are many that fight against me, and think to overpower me with numbers; take notice of this, O thou Most High! and make it to appear that wherein they deal proudly thou art above them." It is a point of honour to come in to the help of one against many. And, if God be on our side, how many soever they are that fight against us, we may, upon good grounds, boast that there are more with us; for (as that great general said) "How many do we reckon him for?" 2. That they were very barbarous: they would swallow him up,Psalms 56:1; Psalms 56:1 and again Psalms 56:2; Psalms 56:2. They sought to devour him; no less would serve; they came upon him with the utmost fury, like beasts of prey, to eat up his flesh, Psalms 27:2. Man would swallow him up, those of his own kind, from whom he might have expected humanity. The ravenous beasts prey not upon those of their own species; yet a bad man would devour a good man if he could. "They are men, weak and frail; make them to know that they are so," Psalms 9:20. 3. That they were very unanimous (Psalms 56:6; Psalms 56:6): They gather themselves together; though they were many, and of different interests among themselves, yet they united and combined against David, as Herod and Pilate against the Son of David. 4. That they were very powerful, quite too hard for him if God did not help him: "They fight against me (Psalms 56:2; Psalms 56:2); they oppress me,Psalms 56:1; Psalms 56:1. I am almost overcome and borne down by them, and reduced to the last extremity." 5. That they were very subtle and crafty (Psalms 56:6; Psalms 56:6): "They hide themselves; they industriously cover their designs, that they may the more effectually prosecute and pursue them. They hide themselves as a lion in his den, that they may mark my steps;" that is, "they observe every thing I say and do with a critical eye, that they may have something to accuse me of" (thus Christ's enemies watched him, Luke 20:20), or "they have an eye upon all my motions, that they may gain an opportunity to do me a mischief, and may lay their snares for me." 6. That they were very spiteful and malicious. They put invidious constructions upon every thing he said, though ever so honestly meant and prudently expressed (Psalms 56:5; Psalms 56:5): "They wrest my words, put them upon the rack, to extort that out of them which was never in them;" and so they made him an offender for a word (Isaiah 29:21), misrepresenting it to Saul, and aggravating it, to incense him yet more against him. They made it their whole business to ruin David; all their thoughts were against him for evil, which put evil interpretations upon all his words. 7. That they were very restless and unwearied. They continually waited for his soul; it was the life, the precious life, they hunted for; it was his death they longed for, Psalms 56:6; Psalms 56:6. They fought daily against him (Psalms 56:1; Psalms 56:1), and would daily swallow him up (Psalms 56:2; Psalms 56:2), and every day they wrested his words, Psalms 56:5; Psalms 56:5. Their malice would not admit the least cessation of arms, or the acts of hostility, but they were continually pushing at him. Such as this is the enmity of Satan and his agents against the kingdom of Christ and the interests of his holy religion, which if we cordially espouse, we must not think it strange to meet with such treatment as this, as though some strange thing happened to us. Our betters have been thus used. So persecuted they the prophets.

      II. He encourages himself in God, and in his promises, power, and providence, Psalms 56:3; Psalms 56:4 In the midst of his complaints, and before he has said what he has to say of his enemies, he triumphs in the divine protection. 1. He resolves to make God his confidence, then when dangers were most threatening and all other confidences failed: "What time I am afraid, in the day of my fear, when I am most terrified from without and most timorous within, then I will trust in thee, and thereby my fears shall be silenced." Note, There are some times which are, in a special manner, times of fear with God's people; in these times it is their duty and interest to trust in God as their God, and to know whom they have trusted. This will fix the heart and keep it in peace. 2. He resolves to make God's promises the matter of his praises, and so we have reason to make them (Psalms 56:4; Psalms 56:4): "In God I will praise, not only his work which he has done, but his word which he has spoken; I will give him thanks for a promise, though not yet performed. In God (in his strength and by his assistance) I will both glory in his word and give him the glory of it." Some understand by his word his providences, every event that he orders and appoints: "When I speak well of God I will with him speak well of every thing that he does." 3. Thus supported, he will bid defiance to all adverse powers: "When in God I have put my trust, I am safe, I am easy, and I will not fear what flesh can do unto me; it is but flesh, and cannot do much; nay, it can do nothing but by divine permission." As we must not trust to an arm of flesh when it is engaged for us, so we must not be afraid of an arm of flesh when it is stretched out against us.

      III. He foresees and foretels the fall of those that fought against him, and of all others that think to establish themselves in and by any wicked practices (Psalms 56:7; Psalms 56:7): Shall they escape by iniquity? They hope to escape God's judgments, as they escape men's, by violence and fraud, and the arts of injustice and treachery; but shall they escape? No, certainly they shall not. The sin of sinners will never be their security, nor will either their impudence or their hypocrisy bring them off at God's bar; God will in his anger cast down and cast out such people, Romans 2:3. None are raised so high, or settled so firmly, but that the justice of God can bring them down, both from their dignities and from their confidences. Who knows the power of God's anger, how high it can reach, and how forcibly it can strike?