Psalm 56
Evangelical Heritage Version
Psalm 56
When I Am Afraid
Heading
For the choir director. “A Dove on Distant Oaks.”[a]
By David. A miktam.[b]
When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.[c]
The Enemies
1 Be merciful to me, O God, for a man pants as he pursues me.[d]
All day long an attacker presses against me.
2 Those who spy on me pant as they pursue me all day long.
Yes, many are attacking me boldly.[e]
David’s Trust
3 On the day when I am afraid, I will trust in you.
4 In God I praise his word.
In God I trust. I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?
The Enemies
5 All day long they hurt my cause.[f]
All their thoughts against me are evil.
6 They gather together. They hide.
They try to trip me by grabbing my heels
while they wait to take my life.
David’s Trust
7 Because of their wickedness do not let them escape.[g]
In your anger bring down the peoples, O God.
8 You keep a record of my tossing and turning.[h]
Keep my tears in your bottle.
Aren’t they all listed in your book?
9 Then my enemies will turn back on the day when I call.
This is how I will know that God is for me.
10 In God I praise a word.[i]
In the Lord I praise a word.
11 In God I trust. I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
David’s Promise
12 My vows to you are binding, O God.
I will complete my thank offerings to you,
13 because you have delivered my life from death.
Have you not delivered my feet from stumbling
so I can walk before God in the light of life?
Footnotes
- Psalm 56:1 This may be the name of the tune. The translation reads the Hebrew word alm as a word which means oaks or terebinths. The standard Hebrew text reads it as a word for silent. This would result in the translation silent dove, distant ones.
- Psalm 56:1 A miktam is a type of song. The meaning is uncertain. It may mean a golden psalm or a choice piece or a psalm inscribed on a tablet. Miktams include Psalms 57–60.
- Psalm 56:1 See 1 Samuel 21.
- Psalm 56:1 Or hotly pursues me. Or the verb may be a homonym that means tramples me.
- Psalm 56:2 Some take the word translated boldly as a name of God that means Exalted One. If this is correct, the word may belong with the next verse.
- Psalm 56:5 Or they twist my words
- Psalm 56:7 The Hebrew reads because of wickedness, deliverance to them. This does not make sense in the context. The translation assumes there was an accidental omission of a negative. Another way to handle the problem is to make the phrase a question: because of their wickedness, will they escape?
- Psalm 56:8 Or wandering
- Psalm 56:10 This cryptic expression is a literal translation.
Psalm 56
King James Version
56 Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
10 In God will I praise his word: in the Lord will I praise his word.
11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.