Psalms 59:1
To the chief Musician, Al–taschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.
Psalms 59:1 in other translations
| BSB | For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise against me. |
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| WEB | For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David, when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, my God. Set me on high from those who rise up against me. |
| ASV | For the Chief Musician; set to Al-tashheth. A Psalm of David. Michtam; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: Set me on high from them that rise up against me. |
| YLT | To the Overseer. --‘Destroy not,' by David. --A secret treasure, in Saul's sending, and they watch the house to put him to death. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God, From my withstanders set me on high. |
| DARBY | To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God; secure me on high from them that rise up against me. |
| BBE | Take me out of the hands of the cruel ones, O my God; keep me safe from those who come up against me. |
| Webster | To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. |
What does Psalms 59:1 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Psa 59:1-17. See on Psa 57:1, title, and for history, 1Sa 19:11, &c. The scope is very similar to that of the fifty-seventh: prayer in view of malicious and violent foes, and joy in prospect of relief.
1. defend me--(Compare Margin). rise up ... me--(Compare Psa 17:7).Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Introduction
The psalmist prays for deliverance from his enemies, whose desperate wickedness he describes, Psa 59:1-7; professes strong confidence in God, Psa 59:8-10; speaks of the destruction of his enemies, Psa 59:11-15; praises God for benefits already received; and determines to trust in him, Psa 59:16, Psa 59:17. The title, "To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David," has already occurred: and perhaps means no more than that the present Psalm is to be sung as Psa 57:1-11, the first which bears this title. But there is here added the supposed occasion on which David made this Psalm: it was, "when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him." When the reader considers the whole of this Psalm carefully, he will be convinced that the title does not correspond to the contents. There is scarcely any thing in it that can apply to the circumstances of Saul's sending his guards by night to keep the avenues to the house of David, that when the morning came they might seize and slay him; and of his being saved through the information given him by his wife Michal, in consequence of which he was let down through a window, and so escaped. See 1Sam 19:10, 1Sam 19:11. There is not in the whole Psalm any positive allusion to this history; and there are many things in it which show it to be utterly inconsistent with the facts of that history. The Psalm most evidently agrees to the time of Nehemiah, when he was endeavoring to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, when the enterprise was first mocked; then opposed by Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, who watched day and night that they might cause the work to cease; and laid ambuscades for the life of Nehemiah himself. Every part of the Psalm agrees to this: and I am therefore of Calmet's opinion, that the Psalm was composed in that time, and probably by Nehemiah, or by Esdras. Verse 1 Deliver me from mine enernies, O my God - A very proper prayer in the mouth of Nehemiah, when resisted in his attempts to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem by Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, who opposed the work, and endeavored to take away the life of the person whom God had raised up to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. I conceive the Psalm to have been made on this occasion; and on this hypothesis alone I think it capable of consistent explanation.Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 59:1-7
Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain
Psalms 59:1 in the original Hebrew
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Psalms 59:1
- 1 Samuel 19:11-24
Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain. So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. …
- Psalms 18:48
He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
- Luke 1:74-75
That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
- Isaiah 33:16
He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
- Psalms 57:1
To the chief Musician, Al–taschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. 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.
- Psalms 7:1-2
Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite. O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
- 2 Corinthians 11:32-33
In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
- Psalms 143:9
Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
- Psalms 71:4
Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
- 2 Timothy 4:17-18
Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- Psalms 20:1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
- Judges 16:2-3
And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6 He complains of their cruelty.
8 He trusts in God.
11 He prays against them.
16 He praises God.
A.M. 2942. B.C. 1062. (Title.) {Al-tas-chith.} or,destroy not. A golden Psalm.
57:1; 58:1; *titles
Michtam.The seven poems of the celebrated Arabian poets who flourished before the time of Mohammed, called {Moâllakat,} from being suspended on the walls of the temple of Mecca, were also called {Modhabat,} "golden," because they were written in letters of gold on the papyrus; and probably this is another reason why the six poems of David were called golden.
when.
Jud 16:2,3; 1Sa 19:11-24; 2Co 11:32,33
Deliver.
7:1,2; 18:48; 71:4; 143:12; Lu 1:74,75; 2Ti 4:17,18
defend me. Heb. set me on high.
12:5; 91:14; Isa 33:16
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Psalms 59:1
To the chief Musician, Al–taschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.
- Psalms 59:2
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.
Psalms 59:1 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Al Músico principal: sobre No destruyas: Michtam de David, cuando envió Saúl, y guardaron la casa para matarlo. LÍBRAME de mis enemigos, oh Dios mío: ponme en salvo de los que contra mí se levantan. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Au chef de musique. Al-Tashkheth. De David. Mictam; quand Saül envoya, et qu’on surveilla sa maison, afin de le faire mourir. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Befreie mich von meinen Feinden, o mein Gott! setze mich in Sicherheit vor denen, die sich wider mich erheben! |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | In finem, pro his qui immutabuntur, in tituli inscriptionem ipsi David, in doctrinam, |