Psalm 57

December 4, 2015

Thanksgiving for God’s steadfast love (Ps 108:1-108:4)

A song, a psalm of David

“My heart is steadfast!

O God!

My heart is steadfast!

I will sing!

I will make melody!

Awake!

My soul!

Awake!

O harp and lyre!

I will awake the dawn!

I will give thanks to you

Among the peoples!

Yahweh!

I will sing praises to you among the nations.

Your steadfast love is higher than the heavens.

Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.”

Psalm 108 seems to be compilation of 2 other psalms, Psalm 57 and Psalm 60. The title is simply a song or psalm of David. This first section is almost word for word from Psalm 57. David was steadfast in his love, just as God had shown his steadfast love to him. He was ready to sing and make melody on the harp and lyre. He wanted his soul to wake up. He was going to wake the morning dawn. He was going to give thanks to Yahweh among all the people. He would sing his praises among the nations because God’s love was as high as the heavens. His faithfulness extended beyond the clouds. David loved Yahweh as Yahweh loved David.

October 30, 2015

Thanksgiving (Ps 75:1-75:1)

To the choirmaster leader, according to Do Not Destroy, a psalm of Asaph, a song

“We give thanks to you!

O God!

We give thanks!

Your name is near!

People tell of your wondrous deeds.”

Psalm 75 is psalm of thanksgiving set to the tune of “Do Not Destroy,” the same as Psalm 57,58, and 59. Like the preceding and following psalm it is a song of Asaph, the Temple Singer. Here there is also a mention of a choirmaster leader. Clearly this is a thanksgiving to God because his name is near. This could be a reference to the Temple. People spoke about the wonderful things that he has done.

October 11, 2015

Bad judges (Ps 58:1-58:2)

To the choirmaster leader, according to Do Not Destroy, a Miktam of David

“Do you indeed

Decree what is right?

You gods!

Do you indeed

Judge people fairly?

No!

In your hearts

You devise wrongs.

Your hands

Deal out violence

On earth.”

Like Psalm 57, Psalm 58 has the melody “Do Not Destroy” to this choral song Miktam of David. However, there is no indication of a particular event in the life of David. David seems to be lamenting against the bad judges on earth. Somehow these judges were acting like mini-gods. They were not decreeing what was right. They were not judging people fairly. In their hearts, they knew that they were wrong. Their hands dealt out violence here on earth.

October 10, 2015

David’s steadfast love of Yahweh (Ps 57:7-57:10)

“My heart is steadfast!

O God!

My heart is steadfast!

I will sing!

I will make melody!

Awake!

My soul!

Awake!

O harp and lyre!

I will awake the dawn!

I will give thanks to you

Among the peoples.

Yahweh!

I will sing praises to you

Among the nations.

Your steadfast love is

As high as the heavens.

Your faithfulness

Extends to the clouds.”

David was steadfast in his love, just as God had shown his steadfast love to him. He was ready to sing and make melody on the harp and lyre. He wanted his soul to wake up. He was going to wake the morning dawn. He was going to give thanks to Yahweh among all the people. He would sing his praises among the nations because God’s love was as high as the heavens. His faithfulness extended beyond the clouds. David loved Yahweh as Yahweh loved David.

October 10, 2015

The attempt to trap David (Ps 57:6-57:6)

“They set a net for my steps.

My soul was bowed down.

They dug a pit in my path.

However, they have fallen into it themselves.”

Selah

These enemies or lions have set a net to catch David. His soul was bowed down. After his enemies built a pit to trap him on his path, they and not David fell into the pit that they had built for him. This then has a musical interlude meditative pause at this point in the psalm, Selah..

October 10, 2015

David and the lions (Ps 57:3-57:5)

“God will send forth his steadfast love!

God will send forth his faithfulness!

I lie down among lions.

They greedily devour human prey.

Their teeth are spears and arrows.

Their tongues are sharp swords.

Be exalted!

O God!

Above the heavens!

Let your glory

Be over all the earth!”

Sandwiched in between 2 praises of God is David with the lions. There was no specific mention of this in any of the stories of David. This might be a metaphor for his enemies and foes. David lies down among the lions that were looking for human prey. The lion’s teeth were like spears and arrows, while their tongue was like a sharp sword. David was sure the God would show him his steadfast love and faithfulness. In response, David was going to give glory to God all over the earth.

October 10, 2015

David asks for mercy (Ps 57:1-57:3)

To the choirmaster leader, according to Do Not Destroy, a Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave

“Be merciful to me!

O God!

Be merciful to me!

In you

My soul takes refuge.

In the shadow of your wings,

I will take refuge

Until the destroying storms pass by.

I cry to God,

Most High,

To God who fulfils his purpose for me.

He will send from heaven.

He will save me.

He will put to shame

Those who trample on me.”

Selah

Following up the theme from the preceding psalm, this Psalm 57 has David escaping from King Saul in a cave that can be found in 1 Samuel, chapter 24. There was a slight reconciliation between David and King Saul in the cave. This psalm is set to the tune of “Do not Destroy,” whose melody we do not know. There are 3 other psalms with this melody heading, including the next 2, Psalms 58 and 59. It may also be a reference to the idea that David never liked to see his enemies die, especially King Saul and his son Absalom. David wanted God’s mercy. He was taking refuge under the wings of God during terrible storms. He knew that God would save him. God would put to shame those who tried to trample him. This section ends with the musical interlude meditative pause, Selah.