55:6 I say, 1 “I wish I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and settle in a safe place!
68:13 When 2 you lie down among the sheepfolds, 3
the wings of the dove are covered with silver
and with glittering gold. 4
For the music director; according to the yonath-elem-rechovim style; 6 a prayer 7 of David, written when the Philistines captured him in Gath. 8
56:1 Have mercy on me, O God, for men are attacking me! 9
All day long hostile enemies 10 are tormenting me. 11
1 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the verbs in v. 5.
2 tn Or “if.”
3 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “sheepfolds” is uncertain. There may be an echo of Judg 5:16 here.
4 tn Heb “and her pinions with the yellow of gold.”
3 sn Psalm 56. Despite the threats of his enemies, the psalmist is confident the Lord will keep his promise to protect and deliver him.
4 tn The literal meaning of this phrase is “silent dove, distant ones.” Perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a type of musical instrument.
5 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16 and 57-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
6 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm when the Philistines seized him and took him to King Achish of Gath (see 1 Sam 21:11-15).
7 tn According to BDB 983 s.v. II שָׁאַף, the verb is derived from שָׁאַף (sha’af, “to trample, crush”) rather than the homonymic verb “pant after.”
8 tn Heb “a fighter.” The singular is collective for his enemies (see vv. 5-6). The Qal of לָחַם (lakham, “fight”) also occurs in Ps 35:1.
9 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the continuing nature of the enemies’ attacks.