Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, July 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Bible Commentaries
Kingcomments on the Whole Bible Kingcomments
Copyright Statement
Kingcomments on the Whole Bible © 2021 Author: G. de Koning. All rights reserved. Used with the permission of the author
No part of the publications may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author.
Kingcomments on the Whole Bible © 2021 Author: G. de Koning. All rights reserved. Used with the permission of the author
No part of the publications may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author.
Bibliographical Information
de Koning, Ger. Commentaar op Psalms 57". "Kingcomments on the Whole Bible". https://studylight.org/commentaries/eng/kng/psalms-57.html. 'Stichting Titus' / 'Stichting Uitgeverij Daniël', Zwolle, Nederland. 2021.
de Koning, Ger. Commentaar op Psalms 57". "Kingcomments on the Whole Bible". https://studylight.org/
Whole Bible (42)Old Testament (1)Individual Books (5)
Verses 1-3
Prayer for Grace
For âfor the choir directorâ (Psalms 57:1) see Psalm 4:1.
The phrase â[set to] Al-tashhethâ, literally âDo not destroyâ, has the form of a prayer (cf. Deuteronomy 9:26) and seems to be a musical term. This term appears in three more psalms (Psalms 58:1; Psalms 59:1Psalms 75:1). It links Psalms 57, 58 and 59 together. These three psalms prophetically deal with the time of the great tribulation being wrought by the antichrist. The tribulation is so severe that no man would be saved if those days had not been cut short for the sake of the elect (Matthew 24:22). Psalm 75 has this same expression in the heading. There we see Godâs response to the problems in these three psalms.
For âa Mikhtam of Davidâ see at Psalm 56:1.
Also in this psalm, the heading gives the reason for its writing. David writes this psalm âwhen he fled from Saul in the caveâ (cf. Psalms 142:1). Because it does not speak of âa caveâ but of âthe caveâ, it is plausible that âthe cave of Adullamâ is meant. That is where David fled from Saul and where others joined him (1 Samuel 22:1-Exodus :).
In this psalm we look at a dark night in Davidâs life. In Psalms 57:4 we see David lying down to sleep, and in Psalms 57:8 we see David waking up in the early morning.
David makes no claim to deliverance, but makes a penetrating appeal to the grace of God (Psalms 57:1). Twice he asks God âbe gracious to meâ, exclaiming âO Godâ in between. This illustrates how great the need is. Also, the appeal to grace shows that David realizes that he has no right to claim help. If God helps, it is by grace alone.
In Psalm 56, David begins by asking once âbe gracious to me, O Godâ. Here, in Psalm 57, he places additional emphasis on this request by uttering this question twice. In Psalm 56, the danger comes primarily from the foreign enemy, the Philistines. In Psalm 57, the danger comes from his own people led by King Saul.
As he sits in the darkness of the cave, he expresses that his soul has taken refuge in God. Just as he asks God twice to be gracious to him, so he speaks twice about taking refuge in God. The first time it is an act in the present, he takes refuge in God at this time. The second time it is future tense, âI will take refugeâ, indicating that he takes refuge continuously, until the danger has passed.
After all, he cannot take refuge in anyone else. Not the cave is his refuge, but God (cf. Isaiah 25:4). He has taken refuge âunder the shadowâ of Godâs âwingsâ. Wings symbolize security and warmth (cf. Ruth 2:12; Psalms 36:7; Psalms 61:4Psalms 63:7; Psalms 91:4; Matthew 23:37). In that security David wants to remain âuntil destruction passes byâ. In doing so, he expresses his trust in God that He will bring an end to his threatening situation.
From that safe place David cries âto God Most Highâ (Psalms 57:2). Whatever happens, happens under His watch, it is under His authority and control. This crying to God, as well as his taking refuge in God, is an expression of his trust in God. God is infinitely superior to all enemies and their plans to harm Him.
That God, so David says, will âaccomplish [all things] for meâ. By this he is saying that nothing or no one can prevent God from accomplishing His purpose with the lives of His own (cf. Philippians 1:6; Ruth 3:18). The same applies to the whole world event. Everything that God has planned, He will complete (Revelation 21:5-Joshua :).
Therefore, David knows, God will âsend from heaven and saveâ him (Psalms 57:3). This is the confidence that the remnant will also express when they are in the great tribulation. God will deliver them by sending them the Messiah from heaven. At His coming, He will put the enemies to shame by destroying them. For the believer, His coming means that God is sending in Him âHis lovingkindness and His truthâ.
God uses the very presence of His peopleâs enemies to show His lovingkindness and His truth. âHis lovingkindnessâ is the basis of His action. He acts in accordance with the promises and blessings of the covenant. He shows this in the redemption of His own. His faithfulness He shows in the fulfillment of His promises.
Verses 4-6
Complaint
David compares his opponents to tearing lions (Psalms 57:4; cf. Psalms 10:9). He is in the midst of them; he is surrounded by them. They are people âwho breathe forth fireâ. Their hatred glows like a fire within them and they want to scorch him. Their words come from the fire of hell (James 3:6). He lies between them, unable to change anything about his position. At the same time, âI must lieâ indicates a certain rest. He can lie down and sleep (cf. Psalms 3:5-Joshua :).
The âsons of menâ who are around him have teeth like âspears and arrowsâ. They want to devour him with their words (Psalms 52:4). Their tongue he compares to âa sharp swordâ (cf. Psalms 52:2). They express the murderousness and hatred that fills them in words that have a deadly effect. They completely tear David down by spreading the worst slander about him (1 Samuel 24:10; 1 Samuel 26:19).
In the face of such threatening circumstances, David asks God to exalt Himself above the heavens, the firmament, and make His glory visible above all the earth (Psalms 57:5). In doing so, he asks that God execute judgment on iniquity. It can no longer go on like this. David is concerned with Godâs glory. That has to become visible whereas now there is nothing to see of it.
It is necessary for God to exalt Himself and show Himself, because his enemies are in control. They have âprepared a netâ for his steps to catch him (Psalms 57:6). That net, which is camouflaged with twigs and leaves, lies over âa pitâ which they have dug for him to catch him in it as a wild animal is caught (cf. Psalms 35:7).
They want to trap him. His soul is bowed down by them, so much so that he is cornered by his many adversaries. But in faith David sees that their ambushes will fail and that his enemies will suffer the fate they had in mind for him (cf. Psalms 7:15; Esther 9:25; Daniel 6:25).
Verses 7-11
The Glory of God
In the evening (Psalms 57:1-Numbers :) David prayed for deliverance. In the morning (Psalms 57:7-1 Kings :) he praises God for the assurance of salvation (cf. Psalms 108:1-Deuteronomy :). Confident in Godâs salvation, he intends in his heart to sing praises to God (Psalms 57:7). His heart is âsteadfastâ, prepared or at rest, he says twice. It is, as it were, the echo of the prayer he twice utters to God to be gracious to him (Psalms 57:1). There is no longer any fear in his heart, but a firm conviction of Godâs lovingkindness and faithfulness.
The fact that he says twice that his heart is steadfast is not a meaningless repetition. It is a testimony to a rising enthusiasm. This is also echoed in âI will sing, yes, I will sing praisesâ. Here again we hear a repetition, this time of singing, with the second time given to singing a further clarification.
David says to his âgloryâ that it must awaken (Psalms 57:8). He also tells his âharp and lyreâ to awake. Musical instruments are part of a celebration. His âgloryâ is paralleled by âharp and lyreâ in connection with the giving thanks to the Lord. It is his âgloryâ that Godâs greatness is manifested in his life through Godâs salvation and by his praise.
When his glory and his musical instruments are awakened, he can âawaken the dawnâ. The metaphor is that a night of suffering, is followed by a joyful shout of salvation in the morning (cf. Psalms 30:5). He sees himself set at the beginning of a new day or a new period. It is still dark. Everything is still asleep. But it will not be long before the dawn breaks. With his singing accompanied by musical instruments he wants to speed up the dawn, he wants to awaken the dawn.
The dawning of the new day not only promises blessing for his own life. The dawning of the day â and this prophetically means the realm of peace â will be noticed among the peoples, that is his own people, and among the peoples, that is the nations (Psalms 57:9). This happens through the giving thanks to the Lord, Adonai, a thanksgiving he will make heard âamong the peoplesâ. The same is true of the praises he will sing to Godâs glory. He will do so âamong the nationsâ.
The occasion, which is represented by the word âforâ, is the lovingkindness and truth of God (Psalms 57:10). In Psalms 57:3, David has asked that God send His salvation trusting that God will send His lovingkindness and His faithfulness. Here he testifies among the nations that all of creation is full of Godâs lovingkindness and faithfulness. It is an abundant reason to glorify God.
He calls Godâs lovingkindness âgreatâ. He connects that great lovingkindness with heaven and says it reaches up to there. Heaven is the place from which all blessing comes (Psalms 57:3). Godâs faithfulness or truth he connects with the clouds and says that His faithfulness or truth reaches up to there. By the clouds we can think of His government moving above and over the earth, untouchable by men. Both of these features of God are above the earth, but are known and enjoyed on earth (Psalms 36:6).
David concludes his psalm by again asking God to exalt Himself above the heavens (Psalms 57:11). Yet there is a different sound connected to it than in Psalms 57:5. There the question is asked against the background of the enemies surrounding him. If God exalts Himself and brings them down, His glory will be seen over all the earth. At this point, salvation is a fact for faith. Therefore, God can show His glory âabove all the earthâ and it can be enjoyed everywhere.
May our desire be that our tribulations or trials will lead to the glorification of God in our whole live.