Psalms 57
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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 me 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.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 57:1-11
Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.
1Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
2I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
4My soul is in the midst of lions;
I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
6They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
7My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
8Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
9I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 57:1-11
Psalm 57
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.
1Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.
2I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.
3He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me—
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.
4I am in the midst of lions;
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
6They spread a net for my feet—
I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.
7My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.
8Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
9I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
The title of Psalm 57 “Prayer for Safety” fits chronologically after Psalm 56 asking God for mercy. 1 Samuel 22:1 states, “David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam.” That’s when all “those who were in distress or in debt or discontent gathered around him, and he became their leader.” (22:2) But in his heart he was alone with his fears and doubts and confusion over how God’s call for him to be king would ever be fulfilled. To all appearances, Saul was in charge of his destiny—Saul on the throne, and David a fugitive hiding in a cave.
While in the cave he wrote this Psalm and regained his courage with an amazingly positive tone of confidence and praise. He declares, “I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed.” And while waiting for things to change in his favour, he says, “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfils [his purpose] for me.”
As Ellen White says, “If there was much more praising the Lord, and far less doleful recitation of discouragements, many more victories would be achieved.” (Evangelism, p.499).
Garth Bainbridge
Australia
