Psalms 59

1 God, save me from my enemies. Protect me from those who come against me.

2 Save me from those who do evil and from murderers.

3 Look, men are waiting to ambush me. Cruel men attack me, but I have not sinned or done wrong, Lord.

4 I have done nothing wrong, but they are ready to attack me. Wake up to help me, and look.

5 You are the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel. Arise and punish those people. Do not give those traitors any mercy. Selah

6 They come back at night. Like dogs they growl and roam around the city.

7 Notice what comes from their mouths. Insults come from their lips, because they say, "Who's listening?"

8 But, Lord, you laugh at them; you make fun of all of them.

9 God, my strength, I am looking to you, because God is my defender.

10 My God loves me, and he goes in front of me. He will help me defeat my enemies.

11 Lord, our protector, do not kill them, or my people will forget. With your power scatter them and defeat them.

12 They sin by what they say; they sin with their words. They curse and tell lies, so let their pride trap them.

13 Destroy them in your anger; destroy them completely! Then they will know that God rules over Israel and to the ends of the earth.Selah

14 They come back at night. Like dogs they growl and roam around the city.

15 They wander about looking for food, and they howl if they do not find enough.

16 But I will sing about your strength. In the morning I will sing about your love. You are my defender, my place of safety in times of trouble.

17 God, my strength, I will sing praises to you. God, my defender, you are the God who loves me.

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Psalms 59 Commentary

Chapter 59

David prays for deliverance from his enemies. (1-7) He foresees their destruction. (8-17)

Verses 1-7 In these words we hear the voice of David when a prisoner in his own house; the voice of Christ when surrounded by his merciless enemies; the voice of the church when under bondage in the world; and the voice of the Christian when under temptation, affliction, and persecution. And thus earnestly should we pray daily, to be defended and delivered from our spiritual enemies, the temptations of Satan, and the corruptions of our own hearts. We should fear suffering as evil-doers, but not be ashamed of the hatred of workers of iniquity. It is not strange, if those regard not what they themselves say, who have made themselves believe that God regards not what they say. And where there is no fear of God, there is nothing to secure proper regard to man.

Verses 8-17 It is our wisdom and duty, in times of danger and difficulty, to wait upon God; for he is our defence, in whom we shall be safe. It is very comfortable to us, in prayer, to look to God as the God of our mercy, the Author of all good in us, and the Giver of all good to us. The wicked can never be satisfied, which is the greatest misery in a poor condition. A contented man, if he has not what he would have, yet he does not quarrel with Providence, nor fret within himself. It is not poverty, but discontent that makes a man unhappy. David would praise God because he had many times, and all along, found Him his refuge in the day of trouble. He that is all this to us, is certainly worthy of our best affections, praises, and services. The trials of his people will end in joy and praise. When the night of affliction is over, they will sing of the Lord's power and mercy in the morning. Let believers now, in assured faith and hope, praise Him for those mercies, for which they will rejoice and praise him for ever.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Chapter Summary

To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. The history of Saul's sending messengers to watch the house of David, and to kill him when he rose in the morning, is in 1 Samuel 19:11; which was the occasion of his writing this psalm; though the title of the Syriac version of it is, "David said or composed this, when he heard that the priests were slain by Saul:" and in the same is added, "but unto us it declares the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith, and the rejection of the Jews." And which perhaps is designed in Psalm 59:5; and some interpreters are of opinion that the whole psalm is to be understood of Christ, of whom David was a type, especially in his sufferings; and there are some things in it which better agree with him than with David, as particularly his being without sin, Psalm 59:3.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible