Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 56:2

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 56:2. O thou Most High. — מרום marom. I do not think that this word expresses any attribute of God, or indeed is at all addressed to him. It signifies, literally, from on high, or from a high or elevated place: "For the multitudes fight against me from the high or elevated place;" the place of authority - the court and cabinet of Saul.

Most of the Versions begin the next verse with this word: "From the light of the day, though I fear, yet will I trust in thee." From the time that persecution waxes hot against me, though I often am seized with fear, yet I am enabled to maintain my trust in thee. Dr. Kennicott thinks there is a corruption here, and proposes to read: "I look upwards all the day long."

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

"Be merciful unto me, O God; for man would swallow me up: All the day long he fighting oppresseth me. Mine enemies would swallow me up all the day long; For they are many that fight proudly against me. What time I am afraid, I will put my trust in thee. In God (I will praise his word), In God will I put my trust, I will not be afraid; What can flesh do unto me?"

"They are many that fight proudly against me" See chapter introduction for discussion of the number of David's enemies.

"I am afraid… I will put my trust in thee" All of the worldly circumstances that surrounded David were calculated to project fear into his heart; but he thrust all fear aside by trusting in God. The rebellion of his enemies against the counsel of God was only madness. "The poet has God's favor on his side, therefore he will face those pigmies that behave as though they were giants, possessing the assurance of ultimate victory in the invincible might of God."F. Delitzsch, Vol. V-B, p. 167. In these clauses, "Faith is a deliberate act in defiance of one's emotional state."Derek Kidner, Vol. 1, p. 203.

"In God I put my trust, I will not be afraid" This is a refrain, repeated again and enlarged in Psalms 56:10-11. We find it again in Psalms 118:6, and in the New Testament also (Hebrews 13:6).

"What can flesh do to me?" This is very similar to the confident word of Paul who wrote, "If God be for us, who can be against us" (Romans 8:31).

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Mine enemies - Margin, “mine observers.” The Hebrew word here used means properly to twist, to twist totogether; then, to be firm, hard, tough; then, “to press together,” as a rope that is twisted - and hence, the idea of oppressing, or pressing hard on one, as an enemy. See Psalms 27:11; Psalms 54:5. In the former verse the psalmist spoke of an enemy, or of “one” that would swallow him up (in the singular number), or of “man” as an enemy to him anywhere. Here he uses the plural number, implying that there were “many” who were enlisted against him. He was surrounded by enemies. He met them wherever he went. He had an enemy in Saul; he had enemies in the followers of Saul; he had enemies among the Philistines, and now when he had fled to Achish, king of Gath, and had hoped to find a refuge and a friend there, he found only bitter foes.

Would daily swallow me up - Constantly; their efforts to do it are unceasing. A new day brings no relief to me, but every day I am called to meet some new form of opposition.

For they be many that fight against me - His own followers and friends were few; his foes were many. Saul had numerous followers, and David encountered foes wherever he went. “O thou Most High.” The word used here - מרום mârôm - means properly height, altitude, elevation; then, a high place, especially heaven, Psalms 18:16; Isaiah 24:18, Isaiah 24:21; then it is applied to anything high or inaccessible, as a fortress, Isaiah 26:5. It is supposed by Gesenius (Lexicon), and some others, to mean here “elation of mind, pride,” - implying that his enemies fought against him with elated minds, or proudly. So the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and Luther render it; and so DeWette understands it. Yet it seems most probable that our translators have given the correct rendering, and that the passage is a solemn appeal to God as more exalted than his foes, and as one, therefore, in whom he could put entire confidence. Compare Psalms 92:8; Psalms 93:4,; Micah 6:6.

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

David began this prayer with a call for divine help and an explanation of why he needed it. His enemies were constantly attacking him. As the Lord’s anointed, David had a right to expect God’s assistance.

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.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Mine enemies would daily swallow [me] up,.... For not one man only, but many, were his enemies; who observed and watched him, and were eagerly desirous of his ruin. The believer has many enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, seeking to devour and destroy him, though they cannot;

for [they be] many that fight against me, O thou most High; he appeals to God, who dwells on high, and sees all things, for the truth of this, that he had many enemies both at Gath and in Israel; as well as applies to him for help, he being higher than they. Some render the words, "for [they] be many that fight against me from on high" q, or "highly" r, proudly and haughtily. Aben Ezra gives a very different sense,

"I have many angels on high that fight for me.''

But מרום, "marom", is an epithet of God, as in Psalms 92:8; and so it is interpreted by Jarchi and Kimchi; and also by the Targum, which renders it, O God most High; and adds,

"whose throne is on high;''

which is approved by Gussetius s.

q מרום "a sublimi", Junius Tremellius "ex alto", Cocceius; so Arab vers. and Michaelis. r "Elato animo", Musculus; so some in Vatablus; "superbe", Gejerus. s Ebr. Comment. p. 783.

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?