Psalms 56:1

_BE MERCIFUL UNTO ME, O GOD: FOR MAN WOULD SWALLOW ME UP; HE FIGHTING DAILY OPPRESSETH ME._ Psalms 56:1.-David entreats for deliverance from his many and virulent enemies (Psalms 56:1); his trust amidst fears (Psalms 56:3); his foes' evil thoughts and wresting of his words (Psalms 56:5); God cannot let them escape, for He cares for His child's tears (Psalms 56:7); his overflowing joy at the assurance of being heard (Psalms 56:9); he promises thanksgiving ...

1_Be merciful unto me, O God! for man swallows me up _(330) It would be difficult to determine whether he speaks here of foreign or domestic enemies. When brought to King Achish he was as a sheep between two bands of wolves, an object of deadly hatred to the Philistines on the one hand, and exposed to equal persecutions from his own fellow-countrymen. He uses the indefinite term _man _in this verse, though in the next he speaks of having many enemies, the more forcibly to express the truth that the whole world was combined against him, that he experienced no humanity amongst men, and stood in the last necessity of divine help. The term _daily _would suggest that he refers more immediately to Saul and his faction. But in general, he deplores the wretchedness of his fate in being beset with adversaries so numerous and so barbarous. Some translate שאף, shaaph, to r

1-7 Be merciful unto me, O God. This petition includes all the good for which we come to throne of grace. If we obtain mercy there, we need no more to make us happy. It implies likewise our best plea, not our merit, but God's mercy, his free, rich mercy. We may flee to, and trust the mercy of God, when surrounded on all sides by difficulties and dangers. His enemies were too hard for him, if God did not help him. He resolves to make God's promises the matter of his praises, and so we have reason to make them. As we must not trust an arm of flesh when engaged for us, so we must not be afraid of an arm of flesh when stretched out against us. The sin of sinners will never be their security. Who knows the power of God's anger; how high it can reach, how forcibly it can strike?...

PSALM LVI _David prays for support against his enemies, whose wickedness_ _he describes_, 1-6; _and foretells their destruction_, 7; _expresses his confidence in God's mercy, expects deliverance,_ _and promises thanksgiving and obedience_, 8-13. NOTES ON PSALM LVI The _title_ of this Psalm is very long: "To the conqueror, concerning the dumb dove in foreign places: golden Psalm of David." The _Vulgate_ translates the original thus: "to the end. For the people who were afar off from holy things." "This inscription David placed here for a title when the Philistines-took him in Gath;" so the _Septuagint_ and _AEthiopic_. The Chaldee

BE MERCIFUL UNTO ME, O GOD - See the notes at Psalms 51:1. FOR MAN WOULD SWALLOW ME UP - The word used here means properly to breathe hard; to pant; to blow hard; and then, to pant after, to yawn after with open mouth. The idea is, that people came upon him everywhere with open mouth, as if they would swallow him down whole. He found no friend in man - in any man. Everywhere his life was sought. There was no “man,” wherever he might go, on whom he could rely, or whom he could trust; and his only refuge, therefore, was in God. HE FIGHTING DAILY - Constantly; without intermission. That is, all people seemed to be at war with him, and to pursue him always. OPPRESSETH ME - Presses hard upon me; so presses on me as always to endanger my lif

EXPOSITION THIS and the following have been called "twin psalms." They begin with the same words, are nearly of the same length, and have each a refrain which divides them into two portions. Formally, the chief difference between the two is that Psalms 56:1. has an epilogue, or appendix (Psalms 56:12, Psalms 56:13), after the second refrain, to which there is nothing correspondent in Psalms 57:1. Both psalms were written under circumstances of great distress, and the tone of thought in them is very similar. Each begins with complaint, and earnest prayer for deliverance, while each ends with praise and triu

BE MERCIFUL UNTO ME, O GOD,.... For David could expect no mercy at the hands of men, among whom he was, whose tender mercies were cruel; he being at Gath, the city of Goliath, whom he had slain, and whose sword he had now with him; and among his brethren and friends, who he might justly fear would revenge his death upon him: wherefore he betakes himself to God, and pleads not any merit or righteousness of his own, but implores the grace and mercy of God; and he might expect to find grace and mercy in this his time of need, since there is mercy with the Lord; he is plenteous in it, distributes it freely, delights in so doing, and does it constantly; his mercy endures for ever, it is from everlasting to everlasting on them that fear him; FOR MAN WOULD SWALLOW ME UP; the Targum renders it "isbi", a wicked man: it may be understood of some one man, some great man, as Achish king of Gath; or...

Psalms 56:1. _Be merciful unto me, O God for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me._ «Man has no mercy upon me, but, O God, be thou merciful unto me! If thy justice doth for a while let loose mine enemies upon me, let thy mercy diminish their power over me, for they are very cruel. They would make a complete end of me if they could, devouring me utterly.» Psalms 56:2. _Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee._ In God I will praise his word, David means, «Through his grace, I will praise his word,» for we cannot rightly praise God unless he gives us the grace to do it. To receive from God, is more easy for us; but to return gratitude to Go

JONATH-ELEM-RECHOKIM Meaning, "the cry of the dove of distant terebinth trees." MICHTAM Michtam, a prayer....

Psalms 56 The Faithfulness of God, the Comfort of His People _ 1. Trust and Comfort (Psalms 56:1)_ 2. Praise for anticipated deliverance (Psalms 56:10) These five Psalms which are grouped together are Michtam Psalms. This one was written by David when the Philistines took him at Gath. The inscription Jonathelem-rechokim has been rendered by the Septuagint translators as “upon the people driven afar from the holy place,” the literal rendering is, “The dove of silence in far off places.” On account of the great tribulation, the abomination in Jerusalem, seen in the previous Psalm, the godly have left the city and here we have the expressions of their trust in the faithfulness of their God. Whatever th