For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 2 a prayer 3 of David, written when he fled from Saul into the cave. 4
57:1 Have mercy on me, O God! Have mercy on me!
For in you I have taken shelter. 5
In the shadow of your wings 6 I take shelter
until trouble passes.
69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! 7
O God, because of your great loyal love,
answer me with your faithful deliverance! 8
69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! 9
Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!
1 sn Psalm 57. The psalmist asks for God’s protection and expresses his confidence that his ferocious enemies will be destroyed by their own schemes.
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 heading to Pss 58-59, 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 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm on the occasion when he fled from Saul and hid in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3.
5 tn Heb “my life has taken shelter.” The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
6 sn In the shadow of your wings. The metaphor likens God to a protective mother bird (see also Pss 17:8; 36:7).
7 tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O
8 tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”
9 tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”