Title.—(RV) 'For the Chief Musician; set to Jonath elem rehokim. A Psalm of David: Michtam: when the Philistines took him in Gath.' For Michtam see on Psalms 16. Jonath elem rehokim ('the dove of the distant terebinths') indicates the song to the melody of whicb the Ps. was to be sung. As in the case of Psalms 34 the title hardly describes accurately the occasion which it mentions (1 Samuel 21:10), and consequently too much weight must not be attached to it. The Psalmist, with many enemies around him, casts himself on God's mercy, and his confidence utters itself in a twice-repeated refrain (Psalms 56:4; Psalms 56:10).
Psalms 56:1-13
1 Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
2 Mine enemiesa would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
10 In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?