In God I Trust

“Out of the frying pan and into the fire” succinctly describes what is taking place in the background to Psalm 56. Saul has made it clear to both David and Jonathan that he won’t rest until David is dead. This causes David to literally run for his life, and one of the places he decides to go is the last place on earth anyone would think he would go—Gath of the Philistines. This may have been a tactical move, thinking this would be the last place Saul would look for him and he could hide undetected by the Philistines. But it turns out to be just as dangerous as he recognized as the Philistine slayer. David senses the danger and turns to God in an epic poem of trust in the face of fear. Let’s unpack this psalm with these notes from the ESV Expository Commentary.   

Section Overview

Psalm 56 illustrates the limitations of a too-rigid classification for the Psalms. We may see it as an individual lament (as most seem to do), but we can also see it as a song of (anticipated) thanksgiving. In the latter case, the description of troubles and prayer is taken up into gratitude that God has heard and will act (as he has done in the past).

The title links the psalm with David’s experience of danger at the hands of the Philistines, when he fled from Saul for refuge in Gath (1 Sam. 21:10–15)—as with Psalm 34. It was Saul’s persecution as much as it was the Philistines’ suspicion and oppression that put David at risk. This particular psalm seems to focus primarily on the Philistine threat, in light of the mention of “peoples” (56:7). More generally, the song is for a case in which troubles arise from people who aim to hurt the pious singer (as is common with lament psalms).

The first seven verses begin and end with a prayer for God’s help (“be gracious . . . cast down”). In between these we find a vivid portrayal of enemies who “trample” and “attack” (twice each in 56:1, 2), who plot and “watch my steps” (vv. 5–6) and do so “all day long” (vv. 1, 5). We may therefore treat verses 1–7 as one stanza; however, the enemies’ activities receive slightly different descriptions in verses 1–2 and 5–6. Further, verses 3–4 move to an expression of faith (which finds an echo in vv. 10–11), perhaps matched by the rhetorical question of verse 7 (“For their crime will they escape?” implies an emphatic no in reply). Hence we can break verses 1–7 into two stanzas, with each describing the deadly threat of the enemies and then bringing the song to an expression of dependence on God. Then verses 8–11 explains that trust is the proper response because of God’s faithful love, which he has promised and has displayed in the past; verses 10–11 restate verse 4 (with variations). The final stanza (vv. 12–13) looks forward to the deliverance.

Section Outline

I. Man Tramples on Me (56:1–4)

II. They Have Waited for My Life (56:5–7)

III. God Is for Me (56:8–11)

IV. You Have Delivered My Soul from Death (56:12–13)

Comment

I. Man Tramples on Me (56:1–4)

The singer prays in the midst of his circumstances and sets his mind on the right response. The words “trample” and “attack” are both repeated (vv. 1–2), portraying the circumstances as having an aggressor and a victim (the singer). In such a case, anyone would of course “be afraid” (v. 3), but the psalm directs the attention of the faithful to respond in “trust” (twice in vv. 3–4) even so.

Verse 4 rehearses the right stance toward God, with an implicit reminder of why this stance is so right, so rational. The faithful “praise” God’s “word,” the revelation that served Israel as its foundation. This God is greater than all “flesh.”

This enables those who sing the psalm to set their own hearts on the right response: when they are “afraid,” this is the antidote.

II. They Have Waited for My Life (56:5–7)

This stanza provides another description of the enemies’ activities, now under the image of scheming and waiting in ambush; in fact, “they stir up strife,” enlisting others to do their evil work.

Like the first stanza, this one moves from depicting the threats to encouraging faith. The question that begins verse 7 (“For their crime will they escape?”) is a rhetorical question; that is, a faithful Israelite would know that the answer to the question is “Surely not!” The question’s form allows the singers to put their fear into words and then to see what must certainly be the right response. This leads to the request, “In wrath cast down the peoples!”

In referring to “peoples,” the words of the song tie into the incident in the title; they also show the kinds of analogous situations for which the psalm is suited.

III. God Is for Me (56:8–11)

These verses fill out the picture of trust: God keeps account of the “tossings” and “tears” of his faithful ones—the psalm uses the images of storing them in a bottle and recording them in a book or scroll (cf. Mal. 3:16).

The image of God’s careful remembering should bring back his own past deeds that show his trustworthiness, which leads to the confidence for the current crisis: “My enemies will turn back.” Each person reviews his or her faith, recognizing that “God is for” those who trust in him.

Verses 10–11 repeat verse 4 with slight variations, repeating the first line—but with “the LORD” in place of “God”—and “man” in place of “flesh” in the last. Now that the psalm has clarified the basis for the confidence it seeks to foster, it reaffirms that confidence.

IV. You Have Delivered My Soul from Death (56:12–13)

The final stanza looks forward to the thanks the singer will give when God provides the requested deliverance. To “perform . . . vows” and “render thank offerings” is to use the varieties of peace offerings by which a worshiper will celebrate God’s answer to prayer (cf. Lev. 7:15–16; Ps. 54:6). The proper expression of thanks is in public worship, sharing a sacred meal with one’s family, the clergy, and the needy (Deut. 12:7, 12, 18; 14:26–29).

The opening words of Psalm 56:13 (“For you have delivered my soul from death”) are in the past tense. This may be a remembering of the past, but it is more likely an expression of the confidence that “God is for” the singer (v. 9)—that is, it is as good as done.

“My feet from falling” (v. 13) answers the schemers’ intention in verse 6 (“watch my steps”): their schemes shall fail.

The chief confidence is that God will do this delivering (of whatever sort it might be) in order the singer “may walk before God in the light of life.” This is probably an expression for enjoying God’s presence in “life,” that is, in true faithfulness (cf. 89:15, walking in the light of God’s face; Isa. 2:5, walking in God’s light).

Response

With this psalm the faithful in Israel, especially those who find themselves under threat from hostile Gentiles, could present their fears before God. The song turns the singers to God in trust—and thus away from personal vengeance. It also reinforces the bond that God’s people have with one another by pointing them to the celebration of peace offerings together as the consummate expression of gratitude.

As with laments in general, the proper use of this psalm would require keen pastoral judgment on the part of the Levitical worship leader. Not every case of imagined persecution would have been motivated by hatred, after all—it may in fact be imaginary, or due to the Israelite’s own misdeeds or some other cause. The psalm calls for further pastoral care and sympathetic instruction, since not all answers to these laments appear as quickly as the faithful might like.

Christians may expect to face analogous circumstances, with a similar need for pastoral care (cf. 1 Pet. 2:11–12, 19–20; 3:13–17).

Sound Commentary from the ESV Expository Commentary

The ESV Expository Commentary combines sound commentary, clear theological reflection, and wise applicational responses to the text without being an exhaustively dense read. Pick up the series today through the link below and get the help you need as you prepare to exposit the Word of God!