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Psalm 59[a]

Complaint Against Bloodthirsty Enemies

For the director. Do not destroy.[b] A miktam of David, when Saul sent people to watch his house and kill him.(A)

I

Rescue me from my enemies, my God;
    lift me out of reach of my foes.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 59 A lament in two parts (Ps 59:2–9, 11b–17), each ending in a refrain (Ps 59:10, 18). Both parts alternate prayer for vindication (Ps 59:2–3, 4b–5, 11b–14) with vivid depictions of the psalmist’s enemies (Ps 59:4–5a, 7–8, 15–16). The near curse in Ps 59:12–13 is not a crude desire for revenge but a wish that God’s just rule over human affairs be recognized now.
  2. 59:1 Do not destroy: probably the title of the melody to which the Psalm was to be sung.