Psalms 59:1

Psalm 59 ¹ 

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 

Psalms 59:3-4

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 

Psalms 59:6

59:6 They return in the evening;

they growl ¹³  like a dog

and prowl around outside ¹⁴  the city.

Psalms 59:15-16

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 

[59:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.

[59:1]  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.

[59:1]  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.”

[59:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “when Saul sent and they watched his house in order to kill him.”

[59:1]  ⁵ tn Or “make me secure”; Heb “set me on high.”

[59:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “from those who raise themselves up [against] me.”

[59:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “my life.”

[59:3]  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.

[59:3]  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 Lord.

[59:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “without sin.”

[59:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “they run and they are determined.”

[59:4]  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.”

[59:6]  ¹³ tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”

[59:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “go around.”

[59:15]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “if they are not full, they stay through the night.”

[59:16]  ¹⁶ tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

[59:16]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and my shelter in the day of my distress.”