Psalms 56

Trusting God's Word When Fear and Enemies Press In

Psalm 56 moves from plea under relentless pursuit, to fear disciplined by trust in God's word, to exposure of twisted speech and hidden plots, to assurance that God records tears, to repeated confidence that mortal humanity is not ultimate, and finally to vows of thanksgiving for deliverance from death.

World English Bible, Public Domain

1 Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.

2 My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me.

3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

4 In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

5 All day long they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They conspire and lurk, watching my steps. They are eager to take my life.

7 Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, God.

8 You count my wanderings. You put my tears into your container. Aren’t they in your book?

9 Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call. I know this: that God is for me.

10 In God, I will praise his word. In Yahweh, I will praise his word.

11 I have put my trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

12 Your vows are on me, God. I will give thank offerings to you.

13 For you have delivered my soul from death, and prevented my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

Key Terms

חָנַן ḥānan H2603
שָׁאַף šāʾap H7602
אוֹיֵב ʾōyēb H341
לָחַם lāḥam H3898
יָרֵא yārēʾ H3372
בָּטַח bāṭaḥ H982
אֱלֹהִים ʾĕlōhîm H430
יְהוָה YHWH H3068
דָּבָר dābār H1697
הָלַל hālal H1984
בָּשָׂר bāśār H1320
אָדָם ʾādām H120

World English Bible (WEB): Public Domain Scripture text · License details