Psalms 59:1-4

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 

59:2 Deliver me from evildoers! ⁷ 

Rescue me from violent men! ⁸ 

59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; ⁹ 

powerful men stalk ¹⁰  me,

but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. ¹¹ 

59:4 Though I have done nothing wrong, ¹²  they are anxious to attack. ¹³ 

Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me! ¹⁴ 

[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.”

[59:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “from the workers of wickedness.”

[59:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “from men of bloodshed.”

[59:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “my life.”

[59:3]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Heb “without sin.”

[59:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “they run and they are determined.”

[59:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “arise to meet me and see.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to meet; to encounter”) here carries the nuance of “to help.”