For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 2 a prayer 3 of David, written when Saul sent men to surround his house and murder him. 4
59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, my God!
Protect me 5 from those who attack me! 6
59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; 7
powerful men stalk 8 me,
but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. 9
59:4 Though I have done nothing wrong, 10 they are anxious to attack. 11
Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me! 12
59:6 They return in the evening;
they growl 13 like a dog
and prowl around outside 14 the city.
59:15 They wander around looking for something to eat;
they refuse to sleep until they are full. 15
59:16 As for me, I will sing about your strength;
I will praise your loyal love in the morning.
For you are my refuge 16
and my place of shelter when I face trouble. 17
1 sn Psalm 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.
2 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the superscription to Pss 57-58, 75.
3 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56-58, 60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
4 tn Heb “when Saul sent and they watched his house in order to kill him.”
5 tn Or “make me secure”; Heb “set me on high.”
6 tn Heb “from those who raise themselves up [against] me.”
7 tn Heb “my life.”
8 tn The Hebrew verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 56:8.
9 sn The point is that the psalmist’s enemies have no justifiable reason for attacking him. He has neither rebelled or sinned against the
10 tn Heb “without sin.”
11 tn Heb “they run and they are determined.”
12 tn Heb “arise to meet me and see.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to meet; to encounter”) here carries the nuance of “to help.”
13 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
14 tn Heb “go around.”
15 tn Heb “if they are not full, they stay through the night.”
16 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
17 tn Heb “and my shelter in the day of my distress.”