Psalm LVII
I’o the chief Musician. Al-taschith. Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul In the cave.
1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in
thee. Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for
me.
PSALM Lvii. — Jehovah’s glory in deliverance. 175
3 He shall send from heaven, and save me
From the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire. Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their
tongue a sharp sword. 6 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: They have digged a pit before me,
Into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among
the nations.
10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all
the earth.
We spoke of the title of last Psalm as peculiar, and as suitable The title. to the theme handled. We may say the same of the title of this Psalm, “Al-tascJiith,” i. e., destroy not; for it is suitable, whether taken as a musical term or as indicating the spirit breathed throughout. We do not, however, think that it is taken from Deut. ix. 26, nor yet from 1 Sam. xxvi. 9* where the sentiment occurs, addressed in the one case to God, in the other to man. We suspect it is a musical term of some sort, perhaps connected with the lofty ideas entertained regarding the harp and its accompaniments, — the “jEre pereniiius,” the “indestructible,” common to all nations as an epithet of poetic and musical compositions.
Christ is the chief Speaker, entering into his own difficulties <“ii’i’ t and and those of his Church. The tone is such as we find in John xii. 27, 28, “Father, save me! Father, glorify thy name!” But his people can use every word of it also. Perhaps the publican’s prayer was drawn from the 1st verse, “0 God, he merciful to me.” (John v, 1.) The calamities, or rather the “mischiefs” (DS^^t) of a malicious world and a malicious hell are spoken of, but spoken of in order to fix our attention on the means of victory. The means of victory is (verse 2) “God Most High,” God “who accomplishes all things,” in spite
* This is the view of several writers, and they suggest that it is an abbreviation siiDilar to “Dc prufnndis,” or “Miserere!”
176 PSALM LVIT. — JfJHOVAH’s GLORY IN DELIVERANCE.
of foes ;* it is God, too, doing this with “mercy and truth,” — the attributes that are prominent in redemption, kindness to the guilty in consistency with his adherence to everything his mouth has uttered. “Selah,” verse 3, gives peculiar force to the words, “The devourer snoits at me! Selah.” Stop, my soul, and ponder; for, lo! God sends help. As for men, they are as lions, in violence; or if you refer to their secret ways, they are equally to be distrusted; for their tongue scoffs at all that is holy. (Verses 4, 6.) They have fallen into their own pit — and another “Selah” calls us to ponder. But God, God in his glory, let me ever be in his hands (verses 5, 7)! My heart is fixed, my glory (i.e., iny sold) bursts into song, “I awake the morning dawn” to sing his praises. For full is He of tender mercy that reaches above the heavens, as well as of truth that stretches unto the clouds, — such mercy and truth as was prayed for in verse 3, and which shine bright in all his redemption -acts. The issue must be glory to himself, infinite glory, glory above the heavens, glory above all the earth. A flood of glory is to cover this earth above its highest mountains, nay, to cover heaven, too, above its loftiest pinnacles. The eye of the Psalmist is gazing on the ages to come in the New Heavens and New Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. David “in the cave,” in the very presence of Saul, was taught by the Holy Spirit thus to sing for his own use, and the use of the Church, and the use of the Son of Man in the days of his flesh. The Righteous One connecting his deliverance with Jehovah’s glory.