Embrace the Word for Wednesday, May 6, 2026
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Psalm 59 expresses the experience of being under the constant pressure of a threat. The superscription provides the historical context: “To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.” While Psalm 59 shares the common superscription statements of Psalms 56-60, as well as themes surrounding David’s difficulties and distresses, there are details added which gave further insight about this particular situation. Psalm 59 locates the setting of this Psalm with the parallel details from 1 Samuel 19:11-17. Saul, filled with a jealous hatred toward David dispatched spies to keep an eye on David as Saul made plans to kill him. Key words from 1 Samuel 19:11 are used throughout Psalm 59. The historical account from 1 Samuel as well as Psalm 59 each reference David being watched (See 1 Samuel 19:11; Psalm 59:9), as well as the watch being during the evening (See 1 Samuel 19:11; Psalm 59:16), with acknowledgment of what might unfold in the morning (See 1 Samuel 19:11; Psalm 59:6,14). Psalm 59 appears to be divided into two parallel sections (59:1-10; 59:11-17). Each section contains a prayer (59:1-5; 11-13), a refrain (59:6-7; 14-15), and a statement of confidence (59:8-10; 16-17).
Psalm 59 begins with a strong and urgent plea for deliverance: “Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men” (59:1-2). What David asks is for the LORD to “deliver,” “protect,” “deliver,” and “save.” David realizes he is in immediate grave danger from the hands of his enemies, whom he identifies as evil, bloodthirsty men who have risen up against him. David states that these men sent by Saul are intent on seeing the evil of murder carried out: “For behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men stir up strife against me” (59:3a).
David continues expressing the sense of urgency as he adds a statement about his innocence: “For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready” (59:3b-4a). Saul’s attempts to harm David is a clear injustice. Saul is seeking to use the sword of government beyond what God has ordained government to do: “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain” (See Romans 13:3-4). David is not a wicked enemy of the state. Therefore, Saul’s orders are evil; he is not having a wicked man tracked. Saul is a wicked man. Thus, David has to appeal directly to the LORD: “Awake, come to meet me, and see! You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel. Rouse yourself to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah” (59:4b-5). When kings and leaders like Saul turn evil and violate that for which government has been ordained, the LORD will be the defender of His people. David calls upon the LORD to wake up and come to his defense. While the LORD actually never sleeps or slumbers (See Psalm 121), it can sometimes appear to us as God’s people that He is inattentively dozing off. David appeals to the LORD as the God who has the power and authority of a massive army that is invincible. David appeals to the LORD to not leave any evil behind.
David further describes those sent by Saul to spy on him through the night: “Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. There they are, bellowing with their mouths with swords in their lips—for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?” (59:6-7). David likens the killer spies who are lying in wait for him as howling, prowling dogs. David is not describing domesticated, loyal animals, but wild, loathsome creatures who threaten with their snarling, scary shrieks as they stalk stealthily seeking out their prey. Their intent is terror, and they assume that God is unable to locate them. But they are terribly wrong, for the LORD does hear them, and He issues a response to what He sees: “But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision” (59:8). Reminiscent of Psalm 2:4, the LORD God of hosts finds those spying on David as laughable fools. Only a fool would think that they could overtake the LORD and take hold of one who is protected by Him.
David is filled with fresh confidence: “O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress. My God in his steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies” (59:9-10). As David is aware of the spies around his house each night who are filled with murderous intent, David is also aware of the truth that the LORD is His protector who is safely guarding the house. David’s protector is the God who loves him dearly and deeply, durably and devotedly. Thus, David is confident that he will triumph over his enemies. Perhaps even better said—David is confident that he will see the LORD triumph over his enemies. Therefore, while the spies have their eyes on David, David has turned his eyes to the LORD. It is such a focus that David experiences the LORD’s strength while he dwells under the constant pressure of threat.
The second section of Psalm 58 suggests that while David is filled with fresh confidence through his focus on the LORD, David has not yet been delivered from those who lurk around seeking to harm him. So David continues his appeal for protection: “Kill them not, lest my people forget; make them totter by your power and bring them down, O Lord, our shield!” (59:11). Whereas David seemed to have prayed for the swift and total destruction of his enemies in verse 9, here in verse 11 David seems to ask not for their immediate disappearance but their instability. David is asking for their demise, but just not all at once. Perhaps a slower demise of his enemies would serve to provide an ongoing reminder that the LORD is a shield for His people. One of the chief struggles in the lives of God’s people is how immediately God’s mighty acts are forgotten. Perhaps David is indicating that there is a certain gracious kindness when God sustains and protects His people in their troubles rather than quickly removing His people from their troubles. David’s concern guiding his request for a slower deliverance is “lest my people forget.”
But David adds clarity as to what he prays would be done with his enemies: “For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies that they utter, consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more, that they may know that God rules over Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah” (59:12-13). David does want the guilty to be brought to justice. Twice David prays “consume them,” and he asks that it be done as an expression of God’s wrath and that it be total. David prays for this to be done so that they would know that there is a God who judges the wicked justly.
Once again, David describes those sent by Saul to spy on him through the night: “Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. They wander about for food and growl if they do not get their fill” (59:14-15). The refrain from verses 6-7 is repeated, with a little bit of modification, which suggests that the threat has continued, but David is seeing everything from a very different perspective. Whereas in verse 7 the howling, prowling “dogs” assumed God was not on to them, now here in verse 15 their desperation is underscored as they can find no food. In other words, the spies will only end up frustrated as they will never experience the satisfaction of seeing harm come to David. This assurance stirs David to sing: “But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love” (59:16-17). David does not merely sing—he sings “aloud” and sings “praises.” There is a full-throated expression as to the manner of his song and there is a fixed focus to his song. David gladly sings of the strength that the LORD has supplied to him, the durable love that the LORD has shown to him, the stout protection that the LORD has surrounded him with, and a safe haven that the LORD has placed him in. When we see that the LORD does not simply do these kind of things for His people in general, but that He has done these things specifically for us—we too will sing.
As we reflect on Psalm 59 we can consider the strength as well as protection that believers are afforded in our Lord Jesus Christ. David acknowledged that the LORD was his strength, his fortress, his refuge. What David attributed to the LORD, the New Testament attributes to the Lord Jesus Christ (I don’t mean to the exclusion of the Father and the Spirit, but with special focus on Jesus). Believers are inseparably joined to the Lord Jesus Christ: “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (See Colossians 3:3-4). This union that we share with Christ through faith is full of many implications for our lives. First, being in Christ is the source of our protection. We are “hidden with Christ in God.” What they means is that before our enemies and/or our enemy (the Enemy) successfully attacks us, they or he would have to mount an attack against Christ. We are as safe as the Lord Himself is safe. That’s absolutely safe. The Lord Jesus is our fortress and our refuge—everyday and all our days. Our Protector will get each of His children safely home: “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (See Jude 24). Not only is Jesus our Protector who gets us safely home, He is also our present strength. Until we get home, believers are sustained by the strength that Christ supplies: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (See Ephesians 6:10). The strength that He supplies is His own strength: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (See 2 Corinthians 12:9a). There is not a work of service, a season of suffering, nor a struggle against temptation that Jesus does not supply us with His own strength. Now doesn’t that make you think about singing?
That’s all for Embrace the Word for Wednesday, May 6, 2026. I look forward to being back with you for the Friday, May 8, 2026 episode of Embrace the Word as we take a look at Psalm 60.