Bible Commentaries
Psalms 57

Introduction

BOOK II.— PSS. XLII.– LXXII.

Psalms 42-83 are Elohistic, i.e. they use the word God (Elohim) and avoid the proper name Yahweh, probably from motives of reverence. Here and there, however, the name Yahweh has crept into the text by a natural slip of the scribes.

Verses 1-11

LVII. Here two Pss. are united: A containing Psalms 57:1-6, B, Psalms 57:7-11.

Psalms 57:1-6 . The Ps. is closely allied to the preceding, also a “ michtam” Ps. (p. 373). The author flees to God’ s protection against his foes and is confident in his own safety and their overthrow.

Psalms 57:1 . will I take refuge: read, “ I will hide.”

Psalms 57:2 . performeth all things for me: read, “ will requite me.”

Psalms 57:3 . save me . . . reproacheth: read, perhaps, “ and save my life from the hand of him that would swallow me up.”

Psalms 57:4 . Read, “ I dwell among them that greedily devour the sons of men.”

Psalms 57:5 . Quite out of place here; finds its proper position in Psalms 57:11.

Psalms 57:6 . My soul is bowed down: this cannot be right. The idea of the verse is that the wicked are caught in their own trap. Read b, “ In the net they have set for my feet their own hand was caught.”

LVII. B. A Morning Hymn.— Found also in Psalms 108:2-6 with variants.

Psalms 57:7 . Translate, “ ready,” i.e. to sing and play.

Psalms 57:8 . awake up my glory: in Psalms 108 we have “ also my glory,” which is meaningless but probably presupposes the original reading, “ Thou art my glory.”— Translate “ I will awake the dawn” ( mg.) . This is a natural personification. The dawn has eyelids ( Job 3:9 *, Job 41:18) and wings ( Psalms 139:9).

Psalms 57:9 . among the peoples: i.e. wherever the exiled Jews found a home.