Psalms 55:6

55:6 I say, ¹  “I wish I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and settle in a safe place!

Psalms 68:13

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 

Psalms 56:1

Psalm 56 ⁵ 

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 

[55:6]  ¹ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the verbs in v. 5.

[68:13]  ² tn Or “if.”

[68:13]  ³ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “sheepfolds” is uncertain. There may be an echo of Judg 5:16 here.

[68:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “and her pinions with the yellow of gold.”

[56:1]  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.

[56:1]  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.

[56:1]  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.”

[56:1]  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).

[56:1]  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.”

[56:1]  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.

[56:1]  ⁹ tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the continuing nature of the enemies’ attacks.