Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 56 (MT) / Psalm 55 (LXX) is a Davidic miktam — a technical genre-term (perhaps 'inscription' or 'engraving') — composed, per the superscription, when the Philistines seized David at Gath (1 Sam 21:10–15). The psalm pairs petition with a twice-repeated refrain ('in God I trust; I shall not be afraid; what can flesh do to me?' vv. 4, 10–11) that anticipates Hebrews 13:6's 'the Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?' (citing Ps 118:6 LXX). The 'you have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle' (v. 8) is one of the Psalter's most tender images of divine-attentiveness to human-sorrow.
Notable Variants
56:4, 10–11 'what can flesh/man do to me' refrain → Heb 13:6 confidence-tradition; 56:8 'put my tears in your bottle' as divine-sorrow-attentiveness image; the miktam genre-term appearing at superscriptions of Pss 56–60 and 16.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 56 = LXX Ps 55. 13 verses (MT/LXX), 13 verses (English).
For the director of music. According to "The Silent Dove of Distant Places." A miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
Superscription tracks MT. 'To the choirmaster; according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.' The 'dove on far-off terebinths' (yonat elem rechokim) is a musical-tune designation; miktam (perhaps 'inscription') opens Pss 16, 56–60.
Be gracious to me, God, for people trample me; all day long an attacker presses me.
'Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me' tracks MT.
My enemies trample me all day long, for many are fighting against me, O Most High.
'My enemies trample on me all day long' tracks MT.
On the day I am afraid, I will trust in you.
'When I am afraid, I put my trust in you' tracks MT. The fear-transformed-to-trust pastoral pattern. John 14:1 ('let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me') parallels the consolation-structure.
In God — I praise his word. In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
'In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?' tracks MT — FIRST REFRAIN. The 'in God I trust' (en tō theō elpisa) confidence with the 'what can flesh do to me?' rhetorical-question frames the whole psalm's argument. Hebrews 13:6 ('the Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?' — citing Ps 118:6 LXX) joins this psalm's refrain-tradition.
All day long they twist my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
'All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil' tracks MT.
They band together, they lurk, they watch my steps, as they wait for my life.
'They stir up strife, they lurk' tracks MT.
For their wickedness — will they escape? In anger, God, bring down the peoples!
'You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?' tracks MT. TEARS-IN-YOUR-BOTTLE imagery. The image of God collecting tears in a wineskin-bottle (nod / askon) — possibly the most tender image of divine-attentiveness to human-sorrow in the Psalter. Revelation 7:17 and 21:4 ('God will wipe away every tear from their eyes') Christologically complete the divine-tear-ministry. The 'book' in which tears are recorded — the book-of-remembrance tradition (Mal 3:16, Rev 20:12).
You have counted my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle — are they not in your record?
'Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call' tracks MT.
Then my enemies will turn back on the day I call. This I know: God is for me.
'This I know, that God is for me' tracks MT. 'GOD IS FOR ME' (theos mou estin) — Pauline confession-echo at Romans 8:31 ('if God is for us, who can be against us?' — ei ho theos hyper hēmōn, tis kath' hēmōn). The psalm's personal-confidence becomes Paul's ecclesial-confidence.
In God — I praise his word. In the LORD — I praise his word.
'In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise' tracks MT — VARIANT REFRAIN.
In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can a mere human do to me?
'In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?' tracks MT — SECOND REFRAIN, slightly varied from v. 4 (anthrōpos/man instead of sarx/flesh). The flesh/man variation frames the human-threat under both anthropological terms.
Upon me, God, are my vows to you; I will fulfill thank offerings to you.
'I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you' tracks MT.
For you have delivered my life from death, my feet from stumbling, so that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
'For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life' tracks MT. LIGHT-OF-LIFE (phōs tōn zōntōn / 'light of the living'). John 8:12 — 'I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the LIGHT OF LIFE (to phōs tēs zōēs)' — Christologically identifies Christ with the light-of-life the psalm invokes.