1 For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David, when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, my God. Set me on high from those who rise up against me. 2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity. Save me from the bloodthirsty men. 3 For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul. The mighty gather themselves together against me, not for my disobedience, nor for my sin, LORD. 4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Rise up, behold, and help me! 5 You, LORD God of Armies, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish the nations. Show no mercy to the wicked traitors. Selah. 6 They return at evening, howling like dogs, and prowl around the city. 7 Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, “For”, they say, “who hears us?” 8 But you, LORD, laugh at them. You scoff at all the nations. 9 Oh, my Strength, I watch for you, for God is my high tower. 10 My God will go before me with his loving kindness. God will let me look at my enemies in triumph. 11 Don’t kill them, or my people may forget. Scatter them by your power, and bring them down, Lord our shield. 12 For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride, for the curses and lies which they utter. 13 Consume them in wrath. Consume them, and they will be no more. Let them know that God rules in Jacob, to the ends of the earth. Selah. 14 At evening let them return. Let them howl like a dog, and go around the city. 15 They shall wander up and down for food, and wait all night if they aren’t satisfied. 16 But I will sing of your strength. Yes, I will sing aloud of your loving kindness in the morning. For you have been my high tower, a refuge in the day of my distress. 17 To you, my strength, I will sing praises. For God is my high tower, the God of my mercy.
Psalms · World English Bible British Edition (with Deuterocanon)
Psalm 59 World English Bible British Edition (with Deuterocanon)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (2)
- Greek and Latin Bibles number most Psalms one lower than Hebrew and English Bibles.
- "World English Bible" is a trademark of eBible.org; the text is shown unaltered.
Cross references (17)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Samuel 19:11–24; Psalm 18:48; Luke 1:74–75; Isaiah 33:16; Psalm 57:1
- 2 Psalm 139:19; Psalm 26:9; Psalm 55:23; Psalm 27:2
- 3 Psalm 56:6; Psalm 69:4; 1 Samuel 24:11; John 15:25; Proverbs 12:6
- 4 Psalm 35:23; Proverbs 1:16; Psalm 5:6; Acts 23:15; 1 Samuel 19:12–24
- 5 Psalm 84:8; Psalm 55:15; Psalm 9:15; Genesis 33:20; Isaiah 1:10
- 6 Psalm 59:14; Psalm 22:16; 1 Samuel 19:11
- 7 Psalm 57:4; Proverbs 15:2; Psalm 10:11; Psalm 73:11; Psalm 10:13
- 8 Proverbs 1:26; Psalm 37:13; Psalm 2:4; Psalm 59:5; Matthew 18:17
- 9 Psalm 9:9; Isaiah 26:3–4; Psalm 62:2; Psalm 27:14; Psalm 59:17
- 10 1 Peter 5:10; Psalm 21:3; Psalm 54:7; Psalm 59:17; Psalm 92:11
- 11 Psalm 3:3; Deuteronomy 28:64; Revelation 9:6; Luke 1:51–52; Deuteronomy 4:27
- 12 Proverbs 12:13; Psalm 10:7; Proverbs 18:7; Hosea 4:2; Matthew 12:36–37
- 13 Psalm 83:18; Psalm 7:9; Ezekiel 39:7; Psalm 59:11; Ezekiel 38:23
- 14 Psalm 22:16; Psalm 59:6
- 15 Job 15:23; Psalm 109:10; Job 30:1–7; Lamentations 5:9; Isaiah 56:11
- 16 Psalm 21:13; Ephesians 3:20; Romans 15:9; Psalm 30:5; Psalm 143:8
- 17 Psalm 46:1; Psalm 59:9–10; Psalm 18:1
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The words which we have sung must be rather hearkened to by us, than proclaimed. For to all men as it were in an assemblage of mankind, the Truth crieth, "If truly indeed justice ye speak, judge right things, ye sons of men" (ver. 1). For to what unjust man is it not an easy thing to speak justice?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
… with fears and sorrows, he may cry, if there be yet soul in him to feel his ills, in the words of the psalm, "My soul is cast down within me," and when chastened, may say," Because of his strength I will wait upon Thee." These and similar allegorical interpretations may be suitably put upon Paradise without giving offence to …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… that He was put in bonds before the gates of the city, thou hast heard before, if thou rememberest the exposition of the Psalm, which has told the time and the place; how they returned at evening, and hungered like dogs, and encompassed the city.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)