Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 57:9

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 57:9. Among the people — The Israelites.

Among the nations. — The Gentiles at large. A prophecy either relating to the Gospel times, Christ being considered as the Speaker: or a prediction that these Divine compositions should be sung, both in synagogues and in Christian churches, in all the nations of the earth. And it is so: wherever the name of Christ is known, there is David's known also.

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down: They have digged a pit before me; They are fallen into the midst thereof themselves. (Selah) My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. I will sing, yea, I will sing praises. Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake quite early. I will give thanks unto the Lord, among the peoples: I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy lovingkindness is great unto the heavens, And thy truth unto the skies."

"They… prepared… a net… and digged a pit. They are fallen into the midst thereof" The sight so commonly witnessed in history was granted to the psalmist. The wickedness of the enemies fell back upon themselves; they fell into the pit of their own making, a common Biblical thought.H. C. Leupold, p. 433.

It may be remembered that Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he had constructed for the purpose of hanging Mordecai (Esther 7:9).

"Awake… awake… I will awake right early." The meaning here is that, "I will awaken the Dawn (personified) instead of letting the Dawn wake me."The Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 639.

"Among the peoples… among the nations" What a wonderful vision was that of David! Here he was hiding from enemies in a cave; but his mind encompasses the entire world; and he promises to sing the praises of God among the `nations,' that is, `the Gentiles,' or `the peoples' of the whole world. And indeed, is it not true? Has it not come to pass? These Psalms of David are surely sung all over the inhabited earth; and this has been true for centuries and millenniums of time! (See our comment on Psalms 56:7).

"Great unto the heavens… unto the skies" That the lovingkindness and truth of God should extend to the heavens, or the skies, "Is only an earthly conception of their infinity."F. Delitzsch, Vol. V-B, p. 178.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people - So great a deliverance as he here hoped for, would make it proper that he should celebrate the praise of God in the most public manner; that he should make his goodness known as far as possible among the nations. See the notes at Psalms 18:49.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

9.I will praise thee, O Lord! among the peoples. As the nations and peoples are here said to be auditors of the praise which he offered, we must infer that David, in the sufferings spoken of throughout the psalm, represented Christ. This it is important to observe, as it proves that our own state and character are set before us in this psalm as in a glass. That the words have reference to Christ’s kingdom, we have the authority of Paul for concluding, (Romans 15:9,) and, indeed, might sufficiently infer in the exercise of an enlightened judgment upon the passage. To proclaim the praises of God to such as are deaf, would be an absurdity much greater than singing them to the rocks and stones; it is therefore evident that the Gentiles are supposed to be brought to the knowledge of God when this declaration of his name is addressed to them. He touches briefly upon what he designed as the sum of his song of praise, when he adds, that the whole world is full of the goodness and truth of God. I have already had occasion to observe, that the order in which these divine perfections are generally mentioned is worthy of attention. It is of his mere goodness that God is induced to promise so readily and so liberally. On the other hand, his faithfulness is commended to our notice, to convince us that he is as constant in fulfilling his promises as he is ready and willing to make them. The Psalmist concludes with a prayer that God would arise, and not suffer his glory to be obscured, or the audacity of the wicked to become intolerable by conniving longer at their impiety. The words, however, may be understood in another sense, as a prayer that God would hasten the calling of the Gentiles, of which he had already spoken in the language of prediction, and illustrate his power by executing not only an occasional judgment in Judea for the deliverance of distressed innocence, but his mighty judgments over the whole world for the subjection of the nations.

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

In anticipation of his deliverance, David promised to praise God (cf. Psalms 108:1-5). He returned to previous references to the Lord’s loyal love and truth (Psalms 57:10; cf. Psalms 57:3).

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people,.... Either among the people of Israel, as Aben Ezra, when each of the tribes meet together; and so it denotes the public manner in which he would praise God for his salvation: or among the Gentiles, as the following clause shows;

I will sing unto thee among the nations: the Apostle Paul seems to have reference to this passage in Romans 15:9; which he produces as a proof of the Gentiles glorifying God for his mercy in sending the Gospel among them, and calling them by his grace; by which they appeared to be his chosen and redeemed ones; and in forming them into Gospel churches, among whom his praise was sung: for this supposes something to be done among the Gentiles, which should occasion praise; and here the psalmist represents the Messiah, who in his ministers and members praise God for his wonderful mercy to the Gentile world, as follows.

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."