Psalms 56 (WEB)

Psalm 56

For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A poem by David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

1 Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up.

All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.

2 My enemies want to swallow me up all day long,

for they are many who fight proudly against me.

3 When I am afraid,

I will put my trust in you.

4 In God, I praise his word.

In God, I put my trust.

I will not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?

5 All day long they twist my words.

All their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They conspire and lurk,

watching my steps, they are eager to take my life.

7 Shall they escape by iniquity?

In anger cast down the peoples, God.

8 You count my wanderings.

You put my tears into your bottle.

Aren’t they in your book?

9 Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call.

I know this, that God is for me.

10 In God, I will praise his word.

In Yahweh, I will praise his word.

11 I have put my trust in God.

I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

12 Your vows are on me, God.

I will give thank offerings to you.

13 For you have delivered my soul from death,

and prevented my feet from falling,

that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

+1:2“Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.+2:2The word “Anointed” is the same as the word for “Messiah” or “Christ”+2:4The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”+2:12or, Kiss the son+3:2The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).+6:5Sheol is the place of the dead.+7:14“Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.+8:5Hebrew: Elohim. The word Elohim, used here, usually means “God”, but can also mean “gods”, “princes”, or “angels”. The Septuagint reads “angels” here.+9:17Sheol is the place of the dead.+16:10Sheol is the place of the dead.+18:5Sheol is the place of the dead.+18:50or, seed+22:16So Dead Sea Scrolls. Masoretic Text reads, “Like a lion, they pin my hands and feet.”+25:13or, seed+30:3Sheol is the place of the dead.+31:17Sheol is the place of the dead.+34:1Psalm 34 is an acrostic poem, with each verse starting with a letter of the alphabet (ordered from Alef to Tav).+37:26or, seed+42:1The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).+42:8“Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.+44:23The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”+45:17Alamoth is a musical term.+49:14Sheol is the place of the dead.+49:14Sheol is the place of the dead.+49:15Sheol is the place of the dead.+55:15Sheol is the place of the dead.