Psalms 56

Psalms 56:1-13

“ What Can Man Do unto Me?” Psalms 56:1-13 This psalm was composed under the same circumstances as Psalms 34:1-22. See 1 Samuel 21:1-15. What a strange medley is here shown-David feigning madness and composing psalms! Commenting on Psalms 56:3, one says that Isaiah’ s resolve is still better: “ I will trust and not be afraid,” Isaiah 12:2. Note, the magnificent refrain at the close of each of the first two strophes, Psalms 56:4; Psalms 56:10. The psalmist asks: “ What can flesh do?” “ Nothing,” is the Apostle Paul’ s emphatic answer. Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers can hurt a man who makes God his stronghold, Romans 8:31. Let us use the last verse for our life-prayer. Live as one on whom God’ s vows rest. Thank Him that by His Cross and Passion He has delivered thy soul from death. Could He have done so much at such cost, and then fail? Surely He must deliver our feet from falling, Psalms 116:8, or all the past will have been in vain. Whenever the shadows gather, and past sins threaten, and the enemies of your soul seek to overthrow, plead this prayer: Thou hast… wilt not Thou?

Put my tears in thy bottle! This Psalm was composed under the same circumstances as Psalms 34:1-22. Pursued by Saul, almost in despair, David crossed the frontier and took refuge in the city of Goliath. He was soon recognized and restored to the subterfuge of feigning himself mad (1 Samuel 21:1-15). All the time he was acting thus, his soul seems to have been directing its eyes towards God. His faith was not strong enough to keep him from an unworthy disguise, but still faith was there. What a strange medley are we all at the best!–feigning madness in terror and compiling Psalms in heroic trust.

The Psalm falls into three strophes: Psalms 56:1-4; Psalms 4:1-8; Psalms 5:1-12; Psalms 6:1-10; Psalms 7:1-17; Psalms 8:1-9; Psalms 9:1-20; Psalms 10:1-18; Psalms 11:1-7; and Psalms 56:12-13. The earlier part of each of the two former describes the writer’s danger; and the latter part in each case closes with a similar refrain (Psalms 56:4; Psalms 10:1-18; Psalms 11:1-7).

The title is very touching, as the margin (R.V.) puts it. Perhaps there is a reference to Psalms 55:6. Psalms 56:3. I will trust We are reminded of 1 Samuel 21:12. It is better to say with Isaiah, “I will trust, and not be afraid” (Isaiah 12:2). See also 4 and 11.

Psalms 56:4. I will not fear Here for a moment the writer seems to have climbed out of the shadowed valley of fear to a mountain summit, sunlit. But in them the next verse he is hurled back again.

Oh to live, outside one’s own experiences, in the unchanging Person and work of Christ! All praise and trust must be in Him.

Psalms 56:8. Put my tears into Thy bottle! No tear of the child of God falls unnoticed and forgotten. Remember how the sinner’s tears were precious to the Master whose feet they laved (Luke 7:38; Luke 7:44). As rainbows are made of drops of water, so does God keep our tears to transmute into songs. You will meet your tears again in rainbows (Isaiah 61:7; Revelation 7:17; Revelation 21:4).

Psalms 56:12. Thy vows are upon me, O God! Vows had an important place in the Old Testament economy (Deuteronomy 23:21-23; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5). The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:33-35) seems to exclude them from the ethics of the new dispensation. Though vows are twice mentioned in the (Acts 18:18; Acts 21:23), both cases are probably in connection with Nazarite consecration.

Psalms 56:13 My feet from falling! Here is a plea for those who have been saved from the penalty of sin, that their feet may be kept from falling. Oh to walk before God so as to please Him! (Genesis 17:1-8; Psalms 36:9).