Psalms 57:4

My soul [is] among lions,.... Not literally understood; though such there might be in the wildernesses where he sometimes was; but figuratively, men comparable to lions, for their stoutness, courage,

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.

I live in the midst of a generation of fierce and bloody men; which both in Scripture and other authors are oft called lions. I lie, I have my abode and conversation, even among (which particle is easily borrowed out of the foregoing clause) them that are set on fire, to wit, of or from hell, as is fully expressed, ; who are mere fire-brands and incendiaries, that are continually breathing out their wrath and threatenings, and incensing Saul against me. The sons of men; whereby he explains what he meant by lions, and tells us they were beasts in the shape of men. Teeth; which may be considered, either, 1. As instruments of destruction, as they are in lions. Or rather, 2. As instruments of speech, as they are in men; for it here follows by way of explication, as the manner is, and their tongue. And both seem to signify their wicked and pernicious calumnies, of which he every where complains, and particularly in the history to which this Psalm seems to relate, , and by which they designed to promote his destruction. Are spears and arrows, i.e. they grievously wound my name, and are devised to do me mischief.

Psalms 57:4 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.Ver. 4. My soul is among lions] And so is a lively picture of the Church in all ages. Would any man take the Church’ s picture, saith Luther? then let him paint a silly poor maid sitting in a wood or wilderness, compassed about with hungry lions, wolves, boars, and bears, &c. Talis est ecclesia in hac vita, sicut et in historia Danielis pingitur. And I lie even among them that are set on fire] sc. With rage and hellish hatred. Others expound it actively, of those Ardeliones aulici, those court incendiaries, who enraged Saul and the nobles against David, as a traitor and pest. See 1 Samuel 24:10. Even the sons of men] i.e. Carnal men, that, being in their pure naturals, have no goodness at all in them. Whose teeth are spears and arrows] Such was Doeg, that dead dog, and others void of the Spirit, which is neque mendax, neque mordax.

(4) Them that are set on fire.—Rather, greedy ones (literally, lickers) in apposition to lions. The verse expresses the insecurity of the poet, who, his dwelling being in the midst of foes, must go to sleep every night with the sense of danger all round him. (See LXX.) How grandly the refrain in Psalms 57:8 rises from such a situation.

Verse 4. My soul is among lions] לבאם bethoch lebaim. I agree with Dr. Kennicott that this should be translated, "My soul dwells in parched places," from לאב laab, he thirsted. And thus the Chaldee seems to have understood the place, though it be not explicit. I lie even among them that are set on fire] I seem to be among coals. It is no ordinary rage and malice by which I am pursued: each of my enemies seems determined to have my life.

4. A difficult verse, the text of which is perhaps corrupt. Adhering to the punctuation (in the modern sense) of the Massoretic accents, we may render with R.V., My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, Even the sons of men, &c. i.e. virtually, as the marg., I must lie, an expression of despondent resignation. But the note of despair is out of harmony with the generally courageous and confident tone of the Psalm; and it is more in accordance with the usual force of the Heb. tense (the ‘cohortative’ or ‘voluntative’) to take I will lie down as expressive of strong resolution: My soul is among lions; I will lie down to rest among fiery foes, Even the sons of men, &c. Though my life is in momentary danger from savage enemies, I will lie down to rest (cp. Psalms 4:8) among these fiery foes, secure under God’s protection. The Psalm is an evening hymn, for the Psalmist contemplates ‘waking the dawn’ with his praises (Psalms 57:8). He lies down in danger, he awakes in safety: the night of trouble ends in the dawn of deliverance. Delitzsch, rightly understanding the words as an expression of confidence, thinks that actual wild beasts are meant, among which he feels more secure than among his deadly foes; but this is scarcely probable. Neglecting the accents we may render somewhat differently, With my life in my hands (so the idiomatic apposition ‘my soul, I’ may be paraphrased) I must lie down (or, I will lie down) among lions: fiery are the sons of men &c.; but the sense will be substantially the same. For lions as a metaphor for fierce and dangerous enemies cp. Psalms 7:2 : Psalms 10:9; Psalms 17:12. whose teeth] The language is suggested by the comparison of his enemies to lions. their tongue &c.] The reference may be not so much to slander, as to the blasphemy of which he speaks in Psalms 57:3, which pierces him to the heart. Cp. Psalms 42:10. See also Psalms 52:2 note; Psalms 58:6; Psalms 64:3; Proverbs 30:14.

My soul is among lions - That is, among people who resemble lions; men, fierce, savage, ferocious.

4. Among lions— “Saul and his courtiers are here ‘lions’ to David, as were the kings of Asshur and Babel afterwards to Israel, (Jeremiah 1:17,) the Roman emperor to Paul, (2 Timothy 4:17,) and all