Psalms 57

David prays from the darkness of a cave, hunted by enemies, yet he ends in bold praise. The psalm moves from desperate cries for mercy, through the picture of lions and traps, to a steady heart that wakes the dawn with song. Its refrain asks God to be exalted over all the earth.

Psalms 57:1

David begins with a doubled plea for mercy, because he has nowhere else to run. He hides under God’s wings like a chick under its mother. He does not say the trouble is gone, only that he will stay in that shelter until it passes.

BSA: shadow (“protection and care”): The shadow stands for close, covering care, the safety of being right beside God. wings (“like a mother bird’s wings”): The picture is of tender, protective love, not distant power.

Hebrew: חָסָה (chasah, H2620) — “to take refuge, to run for shelter.” It is the word for fleeing to a safe place. It appears twice in the verse, so the soul runs to God as its hiding place.

See also: Psalm 91:4; Ruth 2:12.

Psalms 57:2

David cries out to God Most High, the One above every power that threatens him. He is sure that God will carry out His purpose for him. His trouble is real, but it does not decide how his life ends. God does.

BSA: fulfills (“accomplishes, brings to pass”): God does not merely plan; He brings His plan through to completion.

See also: Philippians 1:6; Psalm 138:8.

Psalms 57:3

God answers from heaven by reaching down to rescue David and by silencing those who trample him. He sends out two companions, His loving devotion and His truth, like messengers. God’s help comes in the form of His own character.

BSA: loving devotion (“mercy, kindness, lovingkindness”): This is God’s steadfast, covenant-keeping love, which does not give up on His people. truth (“faithfulness, reliability”): God can be counted on to do what He has said.

Hebrew: חֶסֶד (chesed, H2617) — “loyal, covenant love.” It describes love that stays faithful to a promise, which is why it is so often paired with God’s truth.

Psalms 57:4

David describes his enemies as lions and devouring beasts. Their words wound like spears, arrows and swords. Slander and threats can hurt as much as weapons. David names the danger honestly, and so we may bring our own fears to God just as plainly.

BSA: tongues (“cutting words, harsh criticisms”): Words can do real damage, and David feels the cut of them.

See also: Psalm 64:3; Proverbs 12:18.

Psalms 57:5

In the middle of danger, David lifts his eyes. He asks that God be raised high above the heavens and that His glory fill the whole earth. His own rescue matters, but God’s honor matters more. This verse is the refrain of the psalm.

BSA: exalted (“lifted up, elevated”): David asks that God be seen and honored as high above every threat. glory (“divine presence, honor”): God’s glory is His weighty, shining presence, which David wants to reach everywhere.

See also: Psalm 108:5; Habakkuk 2:14.

Psalms 57:6

The enemies set a net and dig a pit, and David’s spirit sinks under the pressure. Yet the trap turns on those who set it, and they fall into their own pit. Evil schemes often end up catching the schemers.

BSA: despondent (“deeply distressed, bent down”): His soul was bowed low, like a person weighed down by a heavy load. pit (“a deep hole, a trap”): It was a hidden snare meant to bring him down.

See also: Psalm 7:15; Proverbs 26:27.

Psalms 57:7

After the fear comes firmness. David’s heart is settled and fixed on God, and he says so twice. He has not yet been delivered, but he is already ready to sing. Praise here comes from trust, not from changed circumstances.

BSA: steadfast (“fixed, established”): His heart is set firmly in place, no longer tossed about by fear.

Hebrew: נָכוֹן (nakhon, H3559) — “firm, fixed, established.” It describes something set on a solid base. David’s heart is anchored in God rather than blown about by circumstance.

See also: Psalm 112:7.

Psalms 57:8

David calls his own soul and his instruments to wake up. He will not wait for morning to rouse him. He will rouse the morning with music. Worship becomes the first work of the day, even after a night in a cave.

BSA: glory (“my heart, my soul”): Here David’s glory is his own inner self, the best part of him, called to wake and praise. dawn (“early morning, daybreak”): He rises before the sun to begin with praise.

Hebrew: אָעִירָה שָׁחַר (aʿirah shachar, H5782) — “I will awaken the dawn.” The bold picture is of the singer waking the sunrise rather than the sunrise waking him.

Psalms 57:9

David’s praise will not stay private. He will give thanks among the nations and the peoples. A man hunted in a cave dreams of all peoples hearing about God. His deliverance becomes a witness to the whole world.

BSA: nations (“Gentile peoples, non-Jewish countries”): David sees God’s goodness as news meant for outsiders as well as Israel.

See also: Psalm 96:3; Romans 15:9.

Psalms 57:10

The reason for praise is the size of God’s character. His love and faithfulness are so great that they reach the heavens and the clouds. Whatever David’s trouble looked like on the ground, God’s goodness is higher than all of it.

BSA: faithfulness (“truth, trustworthiness”): God is completely reliable, and His reliability fills the sky.

See also: Psalm 36:5; Psalm 108:4.

Psalms 57:11

The refrain returns as the psalm’s close. David began with a cry for mercy and ends with a wish for God to be honored above everything. His own story fades, and God’s glory becomes the whole point.

BSA: cover (“encompass, overshadow”): He asks that God’s glory spread over the whole earth like a covering.

See also: Numbers 14:21; Psalm 72:19.