Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 59 (MT) / Psalm 58 (LXX) is a Davidic miktam from — per the superscription — the time when Saul sent men to watch David's house and kill him (1 Sam 19:11). The psalm contains two refrain-couplets framing its petition-accusation-confidence movement: 'O my strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress' (vv. 9, 17). Its distinctive 'each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city' (vv. 6, 14) renders the enemies as scavenging-dogs patrolling the city at night.
Notable Variants
59:9, 17 'you O God are my fortress' refrain framing the psalm; 59:6, 14 'howling like dogs' doubled-image; the Saul's-men-watching-the-house superscription tying the psalm to 1 Sam 19.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 59 = LXX Ps 58. 18 verses (MT/LXX), 17 verses (English).
For the director of music. "Do Not Destroy." A miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch the house in order to kill him.
Superscription tracks MT.
Deliver me from my enemies, my God; set me safely on high, away from those who rise against me.
'Deliver me from my enemies, O my God' tracks MT. The 'deliver me' opening-formula — rhysai me — the same opening-word of the Lord's Prayer's final-petition (Matt 6:13 'deliver us from evil,' rhysai hēmas apo tou ponērou).
Deliver me from workers of wickedness, and save me from men of blood.
'Deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men' tracks MT.
For look — they lie in ambush for my life; fierce men gather against me. Not for my rebellion, not for my sin, LORD!
'For behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men stir up strife against me' tracks MT. The lying-in-wait — the Saul's-men-stationed-outside-the-house scenario.
Without guilt on my part they rush and take position. Wake up to meet me — and see!
'For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD' tracks MT. INNOCENCE-CLAIM — David asserts innocence, making this psalm available for Christological-reading (the ultimate Innocent-sufferer).
And you — LORD God of Armies, God of Israel — rouse yourself to punish all the nations! Show no mercy to any treacherous evildoer. Selah.
'For no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Awake, come to meet me, and see!' tracks MT.
They return at evening, snarling like dogs, prowling around the city.
'You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel' tracks MT.
Look what pours from their mouths — swords on their lips! For they say, "Who is listening?"
'Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city' tracks MT — FIRST HOWLING-DOGS image (repeats at v. 15). Dogs in ancient-Near-Eastern cities: unclean-scavengers; imagery-of-disorder.
But you, LORD — you laugh at them; you scoff at all the nations.
'There they are, bellowing with their mouths with swords in their lips' tracks MT.
My strength — I watch for you, for God is my fortress.
'But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision' tracks MT. Divine-laughter at enemies — Ps 2:4 pattern. 'All the nations' — universalizing the enemy-category.
My God of faithful love will come to meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
'O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress' tracks MT — FIRST REFRAIN (// v. 18).
Do not kill them, or my people will forget. Scatter them by your power and bring them low, Lord, our shield.
'My God in his steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies' tracks MT. 'My God in his CHESED will meet me' (eleous autou prophthasei me) — the prevenient-chesed theology.
The sin of their mouths, the words of their lips — let them be caught in their pride! For the cursing and lies they speak,
'Kill them not, lest my people forget' tracks MT. 'KILL THEM NOT' — the paradoxical petition: ongoing-enemy-preservation as educational-memorial. The enemies-as-lesson theology anticipates Paul's pedagogy-of-wrath in Romans 9:22.
Consume them in wrath — consume them until they are no more! Let them know that God rules in Jacob, to the ends of the earth. Selah.
'For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride' tracks MT.
They return at evening, snarling like dogs, prowling around the city.
'Consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more' tracks MT.
They wander about for food; if they are not satisfied, they howl through the night.
'Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city' tracks MT — SECOND HOWLING-DOGS (// v. 8).
But I will sing of your strength; I will shout for joy at morning of your faithful love. For you have been my fortress, a refuge in the day of my distress.
'They wander about for food and growl if they do not get their fill' tracks MT. Scavenger-hunger-violence imagery.
My strength — to you I will sing, for God is my fortress, my God of faithful love.
'But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning' tracks MT. The morning-singing deliverance — paralleling Ps 30:5's 'joy comes with the morning.'
'O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love' tracks MT — SECOND REFRAIN (// v. 11).