Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close NET

Psalm 59
New English Translation

Psalm 59[a]

For the music director, according to the al-tashcheth style;[b] a prayer[c] of David, written when Saul sent men to surround his house and murder him.[d]

59 Deliver me from my enemies, my God.
Protect me[e] from those who attack me.[f]
2 Deliver me from evildoers.[g]
Rescue me from violent men.[h]
3 For look, they wait to ambush me;[i]
powerful men stalk[j] me,
but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord.[k]
4 Though I have done nothing wrong,[l] they are anxious to attack.[m]
Spring into action and help me. Take notice of me.[n]
5 You, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,[o] the God of Israel,
rouse yourself and punish[p] all the nations.
Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers. (Selah)
6 They return in the evening;
they growl[q] like dogs
and prowl around outside[r] the city.
7 Look, they hurl insults at me
and openly threaten to kill me,[s]
for they say,[t]
“Who hears?”
8 But you, O Lord, laugh in disgust at them;[u]
you taunt[v] all the nations.
9 You are my source of strength. I will wait for you.[w]
For God is my refuge.[x]
10 The God who loves me will help me;[y]
God will enable me to triumph over[z] my enemies.[aa]
11 Do not strike them dead suddenly,
because then my people might forget the lesson.[ab]
Use your power to make them homeless vagabonds and then bring them down,
O Lord who shields us.[ac]
12 They speak sinful words.[ad]
So let them be trapped by their own pride
and by the curses and lies they speak.
13 Angrily wipe them out. Wipe them out so they vanish.
Let them know that God rules
over Jacob and to the ends of the earth. (Selah)
14 They return in the evening;
they growl[ae] like dogs
and prowl around outside[af] the city.
15 They wander around looking for something to eat;
they refuse to sleep until they are full.[ag]
16 As for me, I will sing about your strength;
I will praise your loyal love in the morning.
For you are my refuge[ah]
and my place of shelter when I face trouble.[ai]
17 You are my source of strength. I will sing praises to you.[aj]
For God is my refuge,[ak] the God who loves me.[al]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 59:1 sn Psalm 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.
  2. Psalm 59:1 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.
  3. Psalm 59:1 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.”
  4. Psalm 59:1 tn Heb “when Saul sent and they watched his house in order to kill him.”sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm on the occasion when Saul sent assassins to surround David’s house and kill him in the morning (see 1 Sam 19:11). However, the psalm itself mentions foreign enemies (vv. 5, 8). Perhaps these references reflect a later adaptation of an original Davidic psalm.
  5. Psalm 59:1 tn Or “make me secure”; Heb “set me on high.”
  6. Psalm 59:1 tn Heb “from those who raise themselves up [against] me.”
  7. Psalm 59:2 tn Heb “from the workers of wickedness.”
  8. Psalm 59:2 tn Heb “from men of bloodshed.”
  9. Psalm 59:3 tn Heb “my life.”
  10. Psalm 59:3 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.
  11. Psalm 59:3 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.
  12. Psalm 59:4 tn Heb “without sin.”
  13. Psalm 59:4 tn Heb “they run and they are determined.”
  14. Psalm 59:4 tn Heb “arise to meet me and see.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qaraʾ, “to meet; to encounter”) here carries the nuance of “to help.”
  15. Psalm 59:5 tn Heb “Lord, God, Hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי (ʾelohe) before צְבָאוֹת (tsevaʾot, “hosts”). See Ps 89:9, but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ʾelohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (tsevaʾot) in Pss 80:4, 19; 84:8 as well.
  16. Psalm 59:5 tn Heb “wake up to punish” (see Pss 35:23; 44:23).
  17. Psalm 59:6 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
  18. Psalm 59:6 tn Heb “go around.”
  19. Psalm 59:7 tn Heb “look, they gush forth with their mouth, swords [are] in their lips.”
  20. Psalm 59:7 tn The words “for they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The following question (“Who hears?”) is spoken by the psalmist’s enemies, who are confident that no one else can hear their threats against the psalmist. They are aggressive because they feel the psalmist is vulnerable and has no one to help him.
  21. Psalm 59:8 sn Laugh in disgust. See Pss 2:4; 37:13.
  22. Psalm 59:8 tn Or “scoff at”; or “deride”; or “mock” (see Ps 2:4).
  23. Psalm 59:9 tc Heb “his strength, for you I will watch.” “His strength” should be emended to “my strength” (see v. 17). Some also emend אֶשְׁמֹרָה (ʾeshmorah, “I will watch”) to אֱזַמֵּרָה (ʾezammerah, “I will sing praises [to you]”) See v. 17.
  24. Psalm 59:9 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
  25. Psalm 59:10 tn Heb “the God of my [Qere (marginal reading); the Kethib (consonantal text) has “his”] loyal love will meet me.”
  26. Psalm 59:10 tn Heb “will cause me to look upon.”
  27. Psalm 59:10 tn Heb “those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 56:2.
  28. Psalm 59:11 tn Heb “do not kill them, lest my people forget.”sn My people might forget the lesson. Swift, sudden destruction might be quickly forgotten. The psalmist wants God’s judgment to be prolonged so that it might be a continual reminder of divine justice.
  29. Psalm 59:11 tn Heb “make them roam around by your strength and bring them down, O our shield, the Lord.”
  30. Psalm 59:12 tn Heb “the sin of their mouth [is] the word of their lips.”
  31. Psalm 59:14 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
  32. Psalm 59:14 tn Heb “go around.”
  33. Psalm 59:15 tn Heb “if they are not full, they stay through the night.”
  34. Psalm 59:16 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
  35. Psalm 59:16 tn Heb “and my shelter in the day of my distress.”
  36. Psalm 59:17 tn Heb “my strength, to you I will sing praises.”
  37. Psalm 59:17 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
  38. Psalm 59:17 tn Heb “the God of my loyal love.”
Listen to Psalm 59
Close NIV

Psalm 59
New International Version

Psalm 59[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house(A) in order to kill him.

1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(B)
    be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(C)
2 Deliver me from evildoers(D)
    and save me from those who are after my blood.(E)

3 See how they lie in wait for me!
    Fierce men conspire(F) against me
    for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
4 I have done no wrong,(G) yet they are ready to attack me.(H)
    Arise to help me; look on my plight!(I)
5 You, Lord God Almighty,
    you who are the God of Israel,(J)
rouse yourself(K) to punish all the nations;(L)
    show no mercy to wicked traitors.[c](M)

6 They return at evening,
    snarling like dogs,(N)
    and prowl about the city.
7 See what they spew from their mouths(O)—
    the words from their lips are sharp as swords,(P)
    and they think, “Who can hear us?”(Q)
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;(R)
    you scoff at all those nations.(S)

9 You are my strength,(T) I watch for you;
    you, God, are my fortress,(U)
10     my God on whom I can rely.

God will go before me
    and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield,[d](V)
    or my people will forget.(W)
In your might uproot them
    and bring them down.(X)
12 For the sins of their mouths,(Y)
    for the words of their lips,(Z)
    let them be caught in their pride.(AA)
For the curses and lies they utter,
13     consume them in your wrath,
    consume them till they are no more.(AB)
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
    that God rules over Jacob.(AC)

14 They return at evening,
    snarling like dogs,
    and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food(AD)
    and howl if not satisfied.
16 But I will sing(AE) of your strength,(AF)
    in the morning(AG) I will sing of your love;(AH)
for you are my fortress,(AI)
    my refuge in times of trouble.(AJ)

17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
    you, God, are my fortress,
    my God on whom I can rely.(AK)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 59:1 In Hebrew texts 59:1-17 is numbered 59:2-18.
  2. Psalm 59:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 59:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 13.
  4. Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign
Next
Psalm 58
Psalm 60
Next
dropdown
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV