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PSALMS 59

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STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB NKJV NRSV TEV NJB
Prayer for the Deliverance From Enemies
MT
Intro
For the choir director; set to Al-tashheth,
when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill
him.		 The Assured Judgment of the Wicked Prayer for Deliverance From Enemies A Prayer for Safety Against the Wicked
59:1-8 59:1-2 59:1-2 59:1-2 59:1-2
  59:3-4 59:3-4 59:3-4 59:3-4b
        59:4c-5
  59:5 59:5 59:5  
  59:6-7 59:6-7 59:6-7 59:6
        59:7
  59:8-9 59:8-10 59:8-10 59:8-9a
59:9-15       59:9b-10
  59:10      
  59:11-13 59:11-13 59:11-13 59:11
        59:12
        59:13
  59:14-15 59:14-15 59:14-15 59:14
        59:15
59:16-17 59:16-17 59:16-17 59:16-17 59:16
        59:17

READING CYCLE THREE (see
“Bible
Interpretation Seminar”)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR’S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which
means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the
light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not
relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare
your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is
the key to following the original author’s intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every
paragraph has one and only one subject.

  1. First paragraph
  2. Second paragraph
  3. Third paragraph, etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

  1. Again the question of who are the “enemies” recurs. In this Psalm it seems
    to refer to Gentile invaders (cf. Ps. 59:5,6,7,8,11,13,14,15). Psalm 59:8 reminds one
    of Psalm 2:4.

     

  2. The psalmist states clearly that he is attacked, but not because of anything he has done
    (cf. Ps. 59:3c, 4a). The attack seems to come because he/they are YHWH’s people.

     

  3. Notice the titles for the Covenant Deity.
    1. O my God, Ps. 59:1 – probably Elohim, like verse 8 with final letter
      in the next word
    2. O YHWH, Ps. 59:3,5,8 – BDB 217
    3. God of hosts (Elohim Sabaoth), Ps. 59:5 – BDB 43 and 838; military
      connotations
    4. God of Israel, Ps. 59:5 – BDB 43 CONSTRUCT BDB 975
    5. O my strength – BDB 738
    6. God is my fortress/stronghold, Ps. 59:9 – BDB 43 and BDB 960 I
    7. God is my lovingkindness, Ps. 59:10,17 – BDB 43 and BDB 338
    8. O Lord, our shield or Adon is our shield,
      Ps. 59:11 – BDB 10 and BDB 171
    9. God (Elohim), Ps. 59:13 – BDB 43 (Elohim)
    10. O my strength, Ps. 59:16 – BDB 738
    11. O God my fortress, Ps. 59:17 – same as #5

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 59:1-8
 1Deliver
me from my enemies, O my God;
 Set
me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
 2Deliver me from those
who do iniquity
 And save
me from men of bloodshed.
 3For
behold, they have set an ambush for my life;
 Fierce men launch an attack against
me,
 Not for my
transgression nor for my sin, O Lord,
 4For no guilt of mine,
they run and set themselves against me.
 Arouse
Yourself to help me, and see!
 5You,
O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
 Awake to punish all the nations;
 Do not be gracious to any who are
treacherous in iniquity.  Selah.
 6They
return at evening, they howl like a dog,
 And
go around the city.
 7Behold,
they belch forth with their mouth;
 Swords
are in their lips,
 For, they
say, ” Who hears?”
 8But
You, O Lord, laugh at them;
 You scoff at all the nations.

59:1-2 Notice the Psalm starts with three IMPERATIVES (prayer requests for
deliverance from enemies).

  1. deliver, Ps. 59:1 – BDB 664, KB 717, Hiphil IMPERATIVE
  2. deliver, Ps. 59:2 – same as #1
  3. save – BDB 446, KB 448, Hiphil IMPERATIVE, cf. Ps. 28:9; 31:16;
    71:2; 86:2,16

Both are used in Ps. 7:1; 22:20-21; 31:2-3,15-16; 33:16-17; 34:17-18, etc. It is a
recurrent prayer for help!

Notice how the enemies are characterized.

  1. those who rise up against me
  2. those who do iniquity
  3. men of bloodshed

The enemies in this Psalm seem to be foreign invaders.

  1. punish all the nations, Ps. 59:5
  2. go around the city (i.e., siege), Ps. 59:6
  3. belch forth. . .swords, Ps. 59:7
  4. YHWH scoffs at all the nations, Ps. 59:8
  5. do not slay them lest my people forget, Ps. 59:11
  6. God rules in Jacob, to the ends of the earth, Ps. 59:13
  7. go around the city, Ps. 59:14 (see #2)
  8. Ps. 59:15 is imagery of a siege

59:3-4a In these verses the SINGULAR “me” refers to a/the leader of
Israel. An attack on him is an attack on the covenant people. One wonders if the foreign invaders
had inside help.

Notice the author defends his own righteousness by asserting that he is attacked for
no reason (cf. Ps. 59:3c, 4a). The enemies attack because of how he is related to the God of Israel
(cf. Psalm 2).

59:4b-5 These two verses are linked by the three IMPERATIVES calling on Deity to
act in deliverance.

  1. arouse Yourself, Ps. 59:4b – BDB 734, KB 802, Qal IMPERATIVE,
    cf. Ps. 7:6; 35:23; 44:23; 57:8 (thrice); 73:20; 80:2; 108:2
  2. see, Ps. 59:4b – BDB 906, KB1157, Qal IMPERATIVE, cf. Ps. 9:13;
    25:18,19; 80:14; 84:9; 119:153,159; 139:24
  3. awake, Ps. 59:5 – BDB 884, KB 1098, Hiphil IMPERATIVE, cf Ps. 35:23;
    44:23

▣ “help me” This is literally “meet me.” This personal aspect is
repeated in verse 10a.

▣ “O Lord, God of hosts” See
SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES
FOR DEITY.

▣ “Do not be gracious” This negated VERB (BDB 335, KB 334, Qal
imperfect used in a jussive sense) is used often in Psalms (cf. Ps. 4:1;
6:2; 9:13; 25:16; 26:11; 27:7; 30:10; 41:4,10; 51:1; 56:1; 57:1, etc.). Here the psalmist asks God
not to show mercy to his enemies because they are treacherous in iniquity (cf. Ps. 109:14; Isa. 2:9;
Jer. 18:23).

59:6-7 There are several modern English translations that have Ps. 59:6-7 as a strophe and begin
a new strophe at 59:8-10. It is hard to know how to divide this Psalm into its logical divisions.

Psalm 59:6-7 describes the enemies as

  1. howling dogs
  2. dogs that go around
    1. a siege metaphor (cf. Ps. 59:14-15)
    2. a metaphor for their constant search for food (Ps. 59:15)
  3. belch. . .swords, cf. Ps. 59:7
  4. no fear of God (i.e., they say, “Who hears?” cf. Job 22:13; Ps. 10:4,11,13; 64:5;
    73:11; 94:7; Isa. 29:15; Ezek. 8:12). They are either

     

    1. Israelite practical atheists
    2. pagans/idolaters

59:8 Psalm 59:8 reminds me of

  1. Psalm 2:4
  2. Psalm 37:13

This verse seems to demand the enemies are Gentile, pagan invaders
(cf. Ps. 59:5,6,7,8,11,13,14,15).

The VERBS in Ps. 59:8 are both Qal IMPERFECTS that
speak of ongoing action (i.e., YHWH laughs. . .scoffs at the nations in their disbelief and arrogant
assaults on His people).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 59:9-15
 9Because
of his strength I will watch for You,
 For God is my stronghold.
 10My God in His
lovingkindness will meet me;
 God
will let me look triumphantly upon my foes.
 11Do not slay them, or my
people will forget;
 Scatter
them by Your power, and bring them down,
 O
Lord, our shield.
 12On
account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
 Let them even be caught in their
pride,
 And on account of
curses and lies which they utter.
 13Destroy
them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more;
 That men may know that God
rules in Jacob
 To the ends
of the earth.  Selah.
 14They
return at evening, they howl like a dog,
 And
go around the city.
 15They
wander about for food
 And
growl if they are not satisfied.

59:9-13 There are several titles of Deity. See Contextual Insights, C.

59:9
NASB   ”his strength”
NKJV   ”his Strength”
NRSV, NJB, JPSOA   ”my strength”
TEV   ”your strength”

The UBS Text Project (p. 271) gives “my strength” a “D” rating
(highly doubtful). This is probably based on the same words in verse 17. It is a title for Deity.

▣
NASB   ”Because of his strength”
NKJV   ”O You his Strength”
NRSV, JPSOA   ”O my strength”
NJB, REB   ”My strength”
LXX   ”O my might”

I think this is another title for Deity (cf. Ps. 21:1; 28:7,8; 59:17; 81:1; 118:14). It
parallels “God is my stronghold.”

▣ “I will watch for You” This VERB (BDB 1036, KB 1581) is a
Qal COHORTATIVE, cf. Ps. 130:6. The psalmist longed to see God and be with him!

59:10 This is another title for God (i.e., “God of my lovingkindness”), NKJV has
“My merciful God” and JPSOA has “My faithful God.”

▣ “will let me look triumphantly upon my foes” This is another cultural
idiom of victory (cf. Ps. 23:5; 54:7; 91:8; 92:11; 112:8; 118:7).

59:11 This verse is surprising to me. It reminds me of how YHWH dwelt with the Hebrew tribes
after the conquest of the walled cities by Joshua. Each tribe had to militarily conquer its own
territory from the Canaanite tribes. God did not do it for them. They had to act in faith. He left
some opposition so that they could grow in faith, in Him, and in themselves.

The VERB forms are

  1. do not slay, Ps. 59:11 – BDB 246, KB 255, Qal IMPERFECT used in
    a JUSSIVE sense
  2. scatter them, Ps. 59:11 – BDB 631, KB 681, Hiphil IMPERATIVE
  3. bring them down, Ps. 59:11 – BDB 432, KB 434, Hiphil IMPERATIVE
  4. destroy them, Ps. 59:13 – BDB 477, KB 476, Piel IMPERATIVE (twice)
  5. Same as #4
  6. that they may be no more – BDB 34 II (no VERB)

These commands must be modified by Ps. 59:11a. It is possible that there is confusion
between “no” (אל — BDB 39) and “El” (אל, general
name for Deity in the ANE – BDB 42 II). The consonants are the same, but different vowels.  This
is the suggestion of AB (p. 71).

▣ “or my people will forget” The VERB (BDB 1013, KB 1489,
Qal IMPERFECT) also occurs in Deut. 8:11-20, where YHWH admonishes His people
not to think that their prosperity or victory is because of themselves!

▣ “our shield” This imagery goes back to YHWH’s initial encounters with Abraham
and the promises He made him and his descendants (cf. Gen. 15:1; Deut. 33:29). It is recurrent in the
Psalms (cf. Ps. 3:3; 5:12; 28:7; 115:9-11). It denotes God as protector!

59:12 “Let them even be caught in their pride” BDB 539, KB 530, Niphal
IMPERFECY used in a JUSSIVE sense. Human pride and arrogance are

  1. the essence of the Fall
  2. abhorrent to YHWH

He will not tolerate it (cf. Isa. 2:11-12; 5:15; 10:33; Zeph. 3:11). As a biblical example
of human pride, note the SPECIAL
TOPIC: BOASTING.

59:13 “That men may know that God rules in Jacob,

To the ends of the earth” This universal element is crucial in
understanding what God is doing in our world (cf. Ps. 2:8; 58:11; 67:7; 72:8,17; 96:13; 98:9; Isa. 45:22;
49:6; 52:10; Jer. 16:19; Micah 5:4; Matt. 25:32).

SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH’S ETERNAL
REDEMPTIVE PLAN

▣ “Selah” See note at Ps. 3:2 and Intro. to Psalms, VII.

59:14-15 These link back to Ps. 59:6-7. Psalm 59:6 and 14 are duplicate refrains. Psalm 59:7
and 15 are both descriptive phrases about the enemies. They are vicious predators!

59:14
NASB, NRSV, JPSOA   ”howl”
NKJV   ”growl”

This root (BDB 534 II) can mean

  1. spend the night – BDB 533 I (this is the MT pointing, cf. Ps. 55:7)
  2. growl – BDB 534 II

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 59:16-17
 16But
as for me, I shall sing of Your strength;
 Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your
lovingkindness in the morning,
 For
You have been my stronghold 
 And
a refuge in the day of my distress.
 17O
my strength, I will sing praises to You;
 For
God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.

59:16-17 The psalmist contrasts (i.e., “but as for me”) his lifestyle and motives with them.

  1. I shall sing of Your strength, Ps. 59:16
  2. I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness, Ps. 59:16
  3. I will sing praises to You, Ps. 59:17

The reason for these songs of praise is YHWH

  1. has been his stronghold (BDB 960 I)
  2. is his refuge (BDB 631) in the day of distress, cf. Jer. 16:19
  3. is his stronghold (BDB 960 I), cf. Ps. 9:9; 59:9; 62:2,6
  4. has shown him lovingkindness (BDB 338)

Several of the key theological terms describing YHWH are repeated in this close.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own
interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation.
You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

 

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of
the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

  1. Who are the enemies? Why does it seem there are two groups?
  2. Is the psalmist claiming sinlessness in Ps. 59:3c, 4a?
  3. What is the imagery behind “arouse” and “awake”?
  4. List the universal elements in this Psalm. What do they imply?
  5. Psalm 59:11 seems confusing. Why?

 

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Lessons International

 

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