Psalms 51 - 59
Psalm 51 A psalm for the director of music (chief musician), when the prophet Nathan came to David after He had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Said to: address being guilty, penitent/sorry; provide forgiveness. Texted in grape is the passage (v. 4b) that is quoted in the N.T. (see Psalms 12 - 18 Psalm 15 2. N.T. Quotes from Psalms B.):
Have mercy on Me, O GOD, according to YOUR Unfailing Love; according to YOUR Great Compassion blot out My transgressions. Wash away all My iniquity & cleanse Me from My sin. For I know My transgressions, & My sin is always before Me. Against YOU, YOU only, have I sinned & done what is evil in YOUR Sight, so that YOU are proved right when YOU speak & justified (prevail, per Roma 3:4b) when YOU judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time My mother conceived Me. Surely YOU desire (desired) truth in the inner parts; YOU teach (taught) Me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse Me with hyssop, & I will be clean; wash Me, & I will be whiter than snow. Let Me hear joy & gladness; let the bones YOU have crushed rejoice. Hide YOUR Face from My sins & blot out all My iniquity. Create in Me a pure heart, O GOD, & renew a steadfast (constant) spirit within Me. Do not cast Me from YOUR Presence or take YOUR joyful Holy Spirit from (off of-- of course he was not in him yet) Me.
Restore to Me the joy of YOUR Salvation & grant Me a willing spirit, to sustain Me. This was David asking God to restore the joy of his temporary salvation (which he had lost with Bathsheba). This is in stark contrast to his prophetic prayer of Psalm 69 - 72 Psalm 69, in which he prayed concerning Jesus the source of eternal salvation-- the joy of which can also be lost.
Then I will teach transgressors YOUR Ways, & sinners will turn back to YOU. Save Me from bloodguilt, O GOD, the GOD who saves Me, & My tongue will sing of YOUR Righteousness. O LORD, open My lips, & My mouth will declare YOUR Praise.
YOU do not delight in sacrifice, O LORD, or I would bring it; YOU do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The horse before the cart: The Sacrifices of GOD are (My sacrifice, O GOD, is) a broken spirit; a broken & contrite heart, O GOD, YOU will not despise. In YOUR Good Pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight YOU; then bulls will be offered on YOUR Altar.
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Psalm 52 A maskil (giving of instructions) for the director of music, when Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul & told Him, 'David has gone to the house of Ahimelech’ (1stSa 22:9). Said to deal with atheists & evil people:
Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace to GOD? Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit. You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. Selah
You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue! Surely GOD will bring (beat) you down to everlasting ruin; HE will snatch you up & tear you from your tent. HE will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
The righteous will see & fear; They will laugh at him, saying, 'Here now is the man who did not make GOD his stronghold but trusted in his wealth & grew strong by destroying others!' But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the House of GOD; I trust in GOD'S Unfailing Love for ever & ever.
I will praise YOU forever for what YOU have done; in YOUR Name will I hope, for YOUR Name is good. I will praise YOU in the presence of YOUR Saints.
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Psalm 53 A maskil for the director of music; mahalath (as a mournful chant)-- that it is a maskil to be done mahalath is virtually the only differences between Psa 14 & Psa 53 (there are a few scattered words that are rendered differently, & Psa 14 has 2 verses-- vv. 5 & 6 --that differ substantially from Psa 53:5). Said to deal with atheists; texted in grape is the passage (vv. 2b-3) that is quoted in the N.T. (see Psalms 12 - 18 Psalm 15 2. N.T. Quotes from Psalms B.):The fool says in his heart, 'There is no GOD.' They are corrupt, & their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. GOD looks down from Heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek GOD. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt (stinking-- worthless, per Roma 3:12a); there is no one who does good, not even one.
Will the evildoers never learn-- those who devour MY People as men eat bread & who do not call on GOD? There They were, overcome with dread, when there was nothing to dread.
GOD scattered the bones of those who attacked You; You put them to shame, for GOD despised them. Oh, that eternal salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When GOD restores the fortunes of HIS People, let Jacob rejoice & Israel be glad!
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Psalm 54 A maskil for the director of music; neginoth (for instruction, on strings/stringed instruments); when the Ziphites had gone to Saul & said, 'Is not David hiding among us?' Said to deal with discrimination:
Save Me , O GOD, by YOUR Name; vindicate Me by YOUR Might. Hear My prayer, O GOD; listen to the words of My mouth. Strangers are attacking Me; ruthless men seek My life-- men without regard for GOD. Selah
Surely GOD is My help; the LORD is the ONE who sustains Me. Let evil recoil on those who slander Me; in YOUR Faithfulness destroy them. I will sacrifice a free will offering to YOU; I will praise YOUR Name, O LORD, for it is good.
For HE has delivered Me from all My troubles, & My eyes have looked in triumph on My foes.
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Psalm 55 A maskil for the director of music; neginoth. Said to deal with troubles:
Listen to My prayer, O GOD, do not ignore My plea; hear Me & answer Me. My thoughts trouble Me & I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon Me & revile Me in their anger. My heart is in anguish within Me; the terrors of death assail Me. Fear & trembling have beset Me; horror has overwhelmed Me. I said, 'Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away & be at rest-- I would flee far away & stay in the desert; Selah I would hurry to the place of My shelter, far from the tempest & storm.
Confuse (Swallow up) the wicked, O LORD, confound their speech for I see violence & strife in the city. Day & night they prowl about on its walls; malice & abuse are within it. Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats & lies never leave its streets. If an enemy were insulting Me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against Me, I could hide from him. But it is You, a man like myself (according to My rank), with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship, as We walked with the throng at the House of GOD. Let death take My enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave (Sheol), for evil finds lodging among them.
But I call to GOD, & the LORD saves Me. Evening, morning & noon I cry out in distress, & HE hears My voice. HE ransoms Me unharmed from the battle waged against Me, even though many oppose Me. GOD, who is enthroned forever, will hear them & afflict them-- Selah men who never change their ways & have no Fear of GOD. My companion attacks His friends; He violates (profaned) His own covenant. His speech is as smooth as butter, yet war is in His heart; His words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords. Cast Your cares on the LORD & HE will sustain You; HE will never let the righteous fall.
But YOU, O GOD, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption; bloodthirsty & deceitful men will not live out half their days. But as for Me, I trust in YOU-- & when the shoe fits, help My unbelief.
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Psalm 56 A miktam (golden psalm) for the director of music; jonau-elam-rechokim (to the tune of 'A Dove on Distant Oaks'). While in the captivity of the Philistines in Gath, David had been taken by king Achish's servants to Achish, after which he escaped by pretending to be insane (see 1stSa 21:10-14). Said to: address being afraid; deal with criticism, enemies & persecution:
Be merciful to Me, O GOD, for men hotly pursue Me; all day long they press their attack. My slanderers pursue Me all day long; many are attacking Me in their pride. When I am afraid, I will trust in YOU.
In GOD, whose word I praise, in GOD I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to Me? All day long they twist My words; they are always plotting to harm Me. They conspire, they lurk, they watch My steps, eager to take My life.
On no account let them escape; in YOUR Anger, O GOD, bring down the nations. Record My lament; list My tears on YOUR Scroll (I put My tears in YOUR Wineskin)-- are they not in YOUR Record? Then My enemies will turn back when I call for help.
By this I will know that GOD is for Me, In GOD, whose Word I praise, in the LORD, whose Word I praise-- in GOD I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to Me?
I am under vows to YOU, O GOD; I will present My thank offerings to YOU. For YOU have delivered Me (My soul) from death & My feet from stumbling, that I may walk before GOD in the light of life (land of the living).
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Psalm 57 A miktam for the director of music; al-taschith (a memorial melody, to the tune of 'Do Not Destroy'-- as was Psalms 58-59 & 75); after David had fled from Saul into the cave, after he had escaped from Gath by pretending to be insane (see 1stSa 22:1):
Have mercy on Me, O GOD, have mercy on Me, for in YOU My soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of YOUR Wings until the disaster has passed.
I cry out to GOD Most High, to GOD who fulfills HIS Purpose for Me. HE sends from Heaven & saves Me, rebuking those who hotly pursue Me; Selah GOD sends HIS Love & HIS Faithfulness. I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts-- men whose teeth are spears & arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
Be exalted, O GOD, above the heavens; let YOUR Glory be over all the earth. They spread a net for My feet-- I (My soul) was bowed down in distress. These last 4 words together are 1 Hebrew word that is used only 5 times in the O.T., including Mic 6:6 where Micah asked the question, 'With what shall I come before the LORD & bow down in distress before the exalted GOD?', & finds the answer in v. 8: 'HE has shown You, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of You? To act justly & to love mercy & to walk humbly with Your GOD.' They dug a pit in My path, but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
My heart is steadfast (prepared), O GOD, My heart is steadfast; I will sing & make music. Awake, My soul! Awake, harp & lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise YOU, O LORD, among the nations. I will sing of YOU among the peoples. For great is YOUR Love, reaching to the heavens; YOUR Faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O GOD, above the heavens; let YOUR Glory be over all the earth.
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Psalm 58 A miktam for the director of music; al-taschith. This psalm is sandwiched between 2 others to the same tune, but it likely was written after both of these, prob. while he was king-- the lyrics are much less emotional, & do not ask for God's immediate/abrupt meting of justice. Said to provide justice:
Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men? No, in your heart you devise injustice, & your hands mete out violence on the earth. Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward & speak lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter might be.
Break the teeth in their mouths, O GOD; tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions! Let them vanish like the water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let there arrows be blunted. Like a slug melting away as it moves away, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun.
Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns-- whether they be green or dry --the wicked will be swept away. The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when They bathe Their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then men will say, 'Surely the righteous still are rewarded (there is fruit of the righteous); surely there is a GOD who judges the earth.'
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Psalm 59 A miktam for the director of music; al-taschith; when Saul had sent men to watch David's house-- after the Goliath incident, but before David began fleeing; after Saul's son Jonathan warned David of his father (see 1stSa 19:11). Said to deal with enemies:Deliver Me from My enemies, O GOD; protect Me (set Me on high) from those who rise up against Me. Deliver Me from evildoers & save Me from bloodthirsty men. See how they lie in wait for Me! Fierce men conspire against Me for no offense or sin of Mine, O LORD. I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack Me. Arise to help Me; look on My plight! O LORD GOD Almighty, the GOD of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors. Selah
They return at evening, snarling like dogs, & prowl about the city. See what they spew from their mouths-- they spew out swords from their lips, & they say, 'Who can hear us.' But YOU, O LORD, laugh at them; YOU scoff at all those nations. O My strength, I watch for YOU; YOU, O GOD, are My fortress (high place), My Loving GOD. GOD will go before Me & will let Me gloat over those who slander Me. But do not kill them, O LORD Our shield (sovereign), or My people will forget. In YOUR Might make them wander about, & bring them down. For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses & lies that they utter, consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more.
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that GOD rules over Jacob. Selah They will, as before, return at evening, snarling like dogs, & prowl about the City. They will then wander about for food & howl (stay all night) if not satisfied. But I will still sing of YOUR Strength, in the morning I will sing of YOUR Love; for YOU are My fortress, My refuge in times of trouble. O My strength, I sing praise to YOU; YOU, O GOD, are My fortress, My Loving GOD.
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