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NOTES for Psa 57

Printable version
1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
3 He shall send from heaven, and save from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.
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Once again the enemies press in; once again, surrounded by them, he cries out to God, placing his hope in Him. He believes that all the enemies' schemes are futile, and not only because the Lord will scatter all their efforts. By mentioning that the enemies fell into the pit dug for him, the psalmist testifies that sooner or later evil will turn against those who instigate it and strike them down. Significantly, even while his adversaries still overpower him, he speaks of their disgrace in the present tense, for in the perspective he sees they have already been defeated.

Mercy and truth, which come from the Lord, are mentioned twice in this psalm, and each time they are mentioned together. In human life they are divided, but in the Lord they are one; in prophetic insight the psalmist sees their inseparable triumph both on earth and above it, reaching to the very heavens—the throne of the Lord.

Other notes

 
For Psa 57:1-11
1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
3 He shall send from heaven, and save from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.
Hide
The reproaches addressed to unjust judges are severe. Of course, they apply not only to judges who hand down sentences as part of their office, but also to all of us who are quick to pass judgment...  Read more

The reproaches addressed to unjust judges are severe. Of course, they apply not only to judges who hand down sentences as part of their office, but also to all of us who are quick to pass judgment. Although we often recall the famous words, “And who are the judges?”, they do not apply here. The character in “Woe from Wit” asks whether particular people have the right to judge; the psalmist, without making it personal, speaks about the problem of unjust judgment itself.

The psalmist is driven by hope that justice will be done. But here once again we encounter a difficult passage: the thirst for justice appears as a desire for vengeance, in dreams of bathing in the blood of enemies. This is difficult to reconcile with the Gospel commands of love and forgiveness; today many people are more likely to be repelled by such dreams.

That is true. But the path to the Good News has not yet been completed; only the foundation for receiving it is being laid. People of that era were far more accustomed to witnessing the bloody triumph of injustice. Therefore, hope in the triumph of justice, even when expressed so militantly, strengthened confidence in evil’s inevitable defeat.

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