Psalms 59

General context

The speaker asks his God to deliver him from his enemies, defend him from those who rise against him, and save him from workers of iniquity and bloody men. They lie in wait for his soul and the mighty gather against him, not for any transgression or sin of his; they run and prepare themselves without his fault, and he asks the Lord to awake and behold. He calls on the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, to awake to visit all the heathen and not be merciful to any wicked transgressors, Selah. They return at evening, make a noise like a dog and go round the city; they belch out with their mouth, swords are in their lips, and they say, who hears? But the Lord will laugh at them and hold all the heathen in derision. Because of his strength the speaker will wait on God, his defence; the God of his mercy will go before him and let him see his desire on his enemies. He asks God not to slay them, lest his people forget, but to scatter and bring them down, the Lord our shield, and to take them in their pride for the sin of their mouth, their cursing and lying; then to consume them in wrath so that they are not, and know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth, Selah. Let them return at evening, make a noise like a dog, go round the city, wander for meat and grudge if unsatisfied. But he will sing of God's power and sing aloud of his mercy in the morning, for God has been his defence and refuge in the day of trouble; to God his strength he will sing, for God is his defence and the God of his mercy.

Cited passages: Psalms 59:1, Psalms 59:2, Psalms 59:3, Psalms 59:4, Psalms 59:5, Psalms 59:6, Psalms 59:7, Psalms 59:8, Psalms 59:9, Psalms 59:10, Psalms 59:11, Psalms 59:12, Psalms 59:13, Psalms 59:14, Psalms 59:15, Psalms 59:16, Psalms 59:17

Psalms 59 (KJV)

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The text as printed here carries no heading; verse 1 opens with "Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God", so this source names no author, occasion or musical direction. The speaker is a single "I" addressing God, and once speaks of "my people" and "O Lord our shield". The enemies are described in several ways, "workers of iniquity", "bloody men", "the mighty", "all the heathen" and "wicked transgressors", and pictured as dogs circling a city; the city is not named and no siege or battle is narrated. The speaker insists the attack is "not for my transgression, nor for my sin" and "without my fault". Verse 11 asks God not to slay the enemies, so that "my people" will not forget, while verse 13 asks him to "consume them in wrath"; the text sets both requests in the same prayer without reconciling them. God is called "Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel" and is said to rule "in Jacob". "Prevent" in verse 10 is used in the sense of going before. Selah stands after verses 5 and 13.

Cited passages: Psalms 59:1, Psalms 59:11, Psalms 59:2, Psalms 59:5, Psalms 59:3, Psalms 59:4, Psalms 59:13, Psalms 59:10

Literary context

The psalm is organised by a repeated picture and a repeated confession. The dogs appear at verse 6, "they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city", and again word for word at verse 14, now as a wish rather than a report, with verse 15 adding hunger and grudging. The confession of trust appears at verse 9, "for God is my defence", and returns in the last verse, "for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy". Two Selahs close two prayers against the enemies, at verses 5 and 13. Mouths are the enemies' weapon, "swords are in their lips", cursing and lying, and their taunt "who, say they, doth hear?" is answered by a God who laughs. Evening belongs to the dogs and morning to the speaker's song, "I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning". The request "Slay them not" so that a lesson is kept in memory sits beside "consume them", and the poem leaves both standing. The closing verses turn from imperatives to first-person vows, and the word "strength", which appears at verse 9 as "his strength" with the owner unspecified, ends as God's, "O my strength".

Cited passages: Psalms 59:6, Psalms 59:15, Psalms 59:9, Psalms 59:17, Psalms 59:7, Psalms 59:8, Psalms 59:16, Psalms 59:11

Key moments

1. Deliver me from mine enemies (Psalms 59:1). The speaker asks God to deliver and defend him from those who rise against him.
2. Not for my sin (Psalms 59:3). He says the mighty gather against him though he has done no wrong.
3. Dogs around the city (Psalms 59:6). The enemies return at evening, make a noise like dogs and circle the city.
4. The Lord shall laugh (Psalms 59:8). God will laugh at them and hold the heathen in derision.
5. Slay them not (Psalms 59:11). He asks God to scatter rather than kill them, so that his people do not forget.
6. Consume them in wrath (Psalms 59:13). He asks that they be consumed and know that God rules in Jacob, and Selah follows.
7. Song in the morning (Psalms 59:16). He vows to sing of God's power and mercy in the morning.

For reflection

The speaker asks God not to slay his enemies so that his people will remember, and a few lines later asks God to consume them so that they are not; what does the poem want more, the lesson or the end of the threat?

People in this chapter

• Jacob
• David
• Saul (King)