Psalm 56

This article is about Psalm 56 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 56 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 57.

Psalm 56
"Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up"
Psalm 56 in a Portuguese Bible
Other name	Psalm 55 "Miserere mei Deus quoniam conculcavit me homo"
Language	Hebrew (original)

Psalm 56
← Psalm 55 Psalm 57 →
Book	Book of Psalms
Hebrew Bible part	Ketuvim
Order in the Hebrew part	1
Category	Sifrei Emet
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	19

Psalm 56 is the 56th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up". In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 55. In Latin, it is known as "Miserere mei Deus quoniam conculcavit me homo". The psalm is the first of a series of five psalms in this part of the book which are referred to as Miktams. It is attributed to King David and may be considered representative of him or anyone else hiding from an enemy.

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music.

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse	Hebrew	English translation (JPS 1917)
1	לַמְנַצֵּ֤חַ ׀ עַל־י֬וֹנַת אֵ֣לֶם רְ֭חֹקִים לְדָוִ֣ד מִכְתָּ֑ם בֶּאֱחֹ֨ז אוֹת֖וֹ פְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים בְּגַֽת׃‎	For the Leader; upon Jonath-elem-rehokim. [A Psalm] of David; Michtam; when the Philistines took him in Gath. .
2	חׇנֵּ֣נִי אֱ֭לֹהִים כִּֽי־שְׁאָפַ֣נִי אֱנ֑וֹשׁ כׇּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם לֹחֵ֥ם יִלְחָצֵֽנִי׃‎	Be gracious unto me, O God, for man would swallow me up; All the day he fighting oppresseth me.
3	שָׁאֲפ֣וּ שׁ֭וֹרְרַי כׇּל־הַיּ֑וֹם כִּֽי־רַבִּ֨ים לֹחֲמִ֖ים לִ֣י מָרֽוֹם׃‎	They that lie in wait for me would swallow me up all the day; For they are many that fight against me, O Most High,
4	י֥וֹם אִירָ֑א אֲ֝נִ֗י אֵלֶ֥יךָ אֶבְטָֽח׃‎	In the day that I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee.
5	בֵּאלֹהִים֮ אֲהַלֵּ֢ל דְּבָ֫ר֥וֹ בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֭טַחְתִּי לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה בָשָׂ֣ר לִֽי׃‎	In God—I will praise His word— In God do I trust, I will not be afraid; What can flesh do unto me?
6	כׇּל־הַ֭יּוֹם דְּבָרַ֣י יְעַצֵּ֑בוּ עָלַ֖י כׇּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָ֣ם לָרָֽע׃‎	All the day they trouble mine affairs; All their thoughts are against me for evil.
7	יָג֤וּרוּ ׀ (יצפינו) [יִצְפּ֗וֹנוּ] הֵ֭מָּה עֲקֵבַ֣י יִשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כַּ֝אֲשֶׁ֗ר קִוּ֥וּ נַפְשִֽׁי׃‎	They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, They mark my steps; According as they have waited for my soul.
8	עַל־אָ֥וֶן פַּלֶּט־לָ֑מוֹ בְּ֝אַ֗ף עַמִּ֤ים ׀ הוֹרֵ֬ד אֱלֹהִֽים׃‎	Because of iniquity cast them out; In anger bring down the peoples, O God.
9	נֹדִי֮ סָפַ֢רְתָּ֫ה אָ֥תָּה שִׂ֣ימָה דִמְעָתִ֣י בְנֹאדֶ֑ךָ הֲ֝לֹ֗א בְּסִפְרָתֶֽךָ׃‎	Thou has counted my wanderings; Put Thou my tears into Thy bottle; Are they not in Thy book?
10	אָ֨ז יָ֘שׁ֤וּבוּ אוֹיְבַ֣י אָ֭חוֹר בְּי֣וֹם אֶקְרָ֑א זֶה־יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים לִֽי׃‎	Then shall mine enemies turn back in the day that I call; This I know, that God is for me.
11	בֵּ֭אלֹהִים אֲהַלֵּ֣ל דָּבָ֑ר בַּ֝יהֹוָ֗ה אֲהַלֵּ֥ל דָּבָֽר׃‎	In God—I will praise His word— In the LORD—I will praise His word—
12	בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֭טַחְתִּי לֹּ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה אָדָ֣ם לִֽי׃‎	In God do I trust, I will not be afraid; What can man do unto me?
13	עָלַ֣י אֱלֹהִ֣ים נְדָרֶ֑יךָ אֲשַׁלֵּ֖ם תּוֹדֹ֣ת לָֽךְ׃‎	Thy vows are upon me, O God; I will render thank-offerings unto Thee.
14	כִּ֤י הִצַּ֪לְתָּ נַפְשִׁ֡י מִמָּוֶת֮ הֲלֹ֥א רַגְלַ֗י מִ֫דֶּ֥חִי לְ֭הִֽתְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּ֝א֗וֹר הַחַיִּֽים׃‎	For thou hast delivered my soul from death; Hast Thou not delivered my feet from stumbling? That I may walk before God in the light of the living?

King James Version

The following is the full English text of the Psalm from the King James Bible.

To the chief Musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.

1. Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
2. Mine enemies 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?

Heading

In the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 56:1 comprises the designation

To the chief Musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath. (KJV)

rendered in the New King James Version as "Set to 'The Silent Dove in Distant Lands'." From then on verses 1–13 in English versions correspond to verses 2–14 in the Hebrew text. The heading in the Septuagint reads "for the people far off from the holy places (or holy people)", while the Targum has "concerning the congregation of Israel, which is compared to a silent dove at the time when they were far from their cities, and turned again and praised the Lord of the world'".

Commentary

The historical setting of this Psalm, as given in its title, is David's flight to Gath, which is recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10–15. It is a prayer for help against enemies, ascribed to royal rites, as indicated by the interpretation of the 'peoples' in verse 7 as foreign enemies, the references to national war in verses 1–2, 9, as well as the vows and thank-offerings (verse 12) which are particularly suitable for a king, and the references to 'death' and the 'light of life' (verse 13) are also linked to royal imagery.

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the 11th day of the month.

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of a paraphrase of Psalm 40 in German, "Herr Gott, erzeig mir Hülf und Gnad", SWV 153, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628. Mendelssohn used a verse in German for the text of the third movement from his Lobgesang. Alan Hovhaness set text from this Psalm, as well as Psalms 54 and 55, in his 1966 work Make a Joyful Noise.

External links

• Pieces with text from Psalm 56: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Psalm 56: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Psalm 56 in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre
• Text of Psalm 56 according to the 1928 Psalter
• For the director. According to Yonath elem rehoqim. A miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him at Gath. / Have mercy on me, God, for I am treated harshly text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Psalm 56:1 introduction and text, biblestudytools.com
• Psalm 56 – Faith in the Midst of Fear enduringword.com
• Psalm 56 / Refrain: In God I trust, and will not fear. Church of England
• Psalm 56 at biblegateway.com
• Hymns for Psalm 56 hymnary.org