Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 57:11

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 57:11. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens — The same sentiments and words which occur in Psalms 57:5. Psalms 57:5.

David was not only in a happy state of mind when he wrote this Psalm, but in what is called a state of triumph. His confidence in God was unbounded; though encompassed by the most ferocious enemies, and having all things against him except God and his innocence. David will seldom be found in a more blessed state than he here describes. Similar faith in God will bring the same blessings to every true Christian in similar circumstances.

ANALYSIS OF THE FIFTY-SEVENTH PSALM

The contents of this Psalm are, -

I. David's petition, Psalms 57:1.

II. The reasons which induced him to offer it, Psalms 57:2-6.

III. His resolution to give God due praise, Psalms 57:5; Psalms 57:7-11.

I. His petition is ardent. The repetition shows this: it is for grace and protection: "Be merciful unto me, be merciful unto me, O God!"

II. He adduces his reasons to persuade the Lord to be merciful.

First reason. The faith and confidence he had in God: "My soul trusteth in thee; and under the shadow of thy wings," as the chicken does under those of the hen, "shall be my refuge until these calamities be overpast."

Second reason. The sufficiency and efficiency of God: "I will call upon God."

l. He is the Most High; then he is sufficient and able to deliver me.

2. He will perform all things for me: therefore he will effect this.

In the following verse he insists on this argument.

"He shall send from heaven." He will do it in a miraculous way, if there be no other way: "He will send from heaven, and save me. He will send forth his mercy and his truth;" he will perform his word, and graciously save me.

The third reason of his petition is the extreme danger he was then in by a cruel and merciless enemy.

1. "My soul is among the lions," a ravenous, strong, and bloody creature.

2. "I lie even among those who are set on fire." Their anger and hatred to me are implacable.

3. Even among those whose "teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword." They wound by calumniating me. A spear wounds near; an arrow, afar off; a sword, at hand: near or far off, they spare not to disgrace me.

He now brings another argument, stronger than all the rest, viz., God's glory. It will be to his glory to be merciful, to save, and to deliver; and therefore he prays: "Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let thy glory," c. That is, Let not the wicked triumph but display thy power, and assert thy glory; which, if thou do, thy glory will be conspicuous above - in the heavens, and below - over all the earth.

He then begins his complaint, describing the practices of his enemies: -

1. "They have prepared a net for my feet." They lay snares as fowlers do.

2. Through which "my soul is bowed down." My life is in extreme danger.

3. "They have digged a pit before me," intending to take me like some wild beast, but, praised be God I foresee the event. "They are fallen into the pit themselves."

III. In confidence of this David gives thanks, which may be considered a fourth argument; for there is no such way to procure a new favour as to be thankful. Our thanksgiving: should consist of two especial points: 1. Commemoration; 2. Declaration.

1. He that will be thankful should treasure up in his heart and memory the kindness that is done to him. This David had done: "My heart is fixed, my heart is fixed."

2. After he remembers it, he should be affected by it, and resolve on it. So does David. My heart is ready, prepared, fixed. I will be thankful. I am determined.

3. It is not enough that a man have a thankful heart; he must declare it, and make publicly known what God has done for him: "I will sing, and give praise."

4. He should use all means in his power to make it known; tongue, psaltery, harp, are all little enough. To these he addresses himself: "Awake, tongue, lute, harp," c.

5. He must not do it carelessly: "Awake! Awake! Myself will awake."

6. He must take the first opportunity, and not delay it: "I will awake EARLY."

7. He should do it in such a way as most tends to God's glory: "I will praise thee among the people - I will sing of thee among the nations."

That all this may be done, David gives a sufficient reason, - God's mercy and truth. His infinite mercy in promising, his truth in performing: "Thy mercy is great unto the heavens thy truth unto the clouds."

And then he concludes with a repetition of the fifth verse: "Be thou exalted above the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds." Let all give thee the glory due to thy name.

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE REFRAIN

"Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let thy glory be above all the earth."

We commented on this in Psalms 57:5, above.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens - See the notes at Psalms 57:5. The sentiment here is repeated as being that on which the mind of the psalmist was intensely fixed; that which he most earnestly desired; that which was the crowning aim and desire of his life.

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

The refrain closes the psalm (cf. Psalms 57:5). God’s glory was David’s greatest concern.

Life sometimes seems similar to a jungle, with wild beasts threatening to devour us and hostile hunters trying to trap us. Nevertheless, the godly can count on supernatural assistance and can rejoice in ultimate salvation. In the meantime, we should live for the glory of God.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens,.... As Christ now is at the Father's right hand, and who is God over all, blessed for ever;

[let] thy glory [be] above all the earth; as it is above all the men on earth and angels in heaven. This is repeated from Psalms 57:5;

Psalms 57:5- :, and shows the vehemency of his desire after these things, and how much his heart was set upon them.

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."