Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 56

Be merciful to me, O God - See the notes at (Psalms 51:1).

For man would swallow me up - The word used here means properly to breathe hard; to pant; to blow hard; and then, to pant after, to yawn after with open mouth. The idea is that people came upon him everywhere with open mouth, as if they would swallow him down whole.

He found no friend in man—in any man. Everywhere his life was sought. There was no “man,” wherever he might go, on whom he could rely or whom he could trust; and his only refuge, therefore, was in God.

He fighting daily - Constantly, without intermission. That is, all people seemed to be at war with him and to pursue him always.

Oppresses me - Presses hard upon me; he presses on me in such a way as to always endanger my life, so that I feel no security anywhere.

My enemies - Margin, “my observers.” The Hebrew word used here properly means to twist, to twist together; then, to be firm, hard, tough; then, “to press together,” as a rope that is twisted—and from this, the idea of oppressing, or pressing hard on someone, as an enemy. See Psalms 27:11; Psalms 54:5.

In the former verse, the psalmist spoke of an enemy, or of “one” that would swallow him up (in the singular number), or of “man” as an enemy to him anywhere. Here he uses the plural number, implying that there were “many” who were enlisted against him. He was surrounded by enemies; he met them wherever he went.

He had an enemy in Saul; he had enemies in the followers of Saul; he had enemies among the Philistines. And now, when he had fled to Achish, king of Gath, and had hoped to find a refuge and a friend there, he found only bitter foes.

Would daily swallow me up - Constantly; their efforts to do it are unceasing. A new day brings no relief to me, but every day I am called to meet some new form of opposition.

For they are many that fight against me - His own followers and friends were few; his foes were many. Saul had numerous followers, and David encountered foes wherever he went. O thou Most High.

The word used here for this title is מרום mârôm. It properly means height, altitude, elevation; then, a high place, especially heaven (Psalms 18:16; Isaiah 24:18, 24:21); then it is applied to anything high or inaccessible, as a fortress (Isaiah 26:5).

It is supposed by Gesenius (Lexicon) and some others to mean here “elation of mind, pride”—implying that his enemies fought against him with elated minds, or proudly. So the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and Luther render it; and so DeWette understands it.

Yet it seems most probable that our translators have given the correct rendering, and that the passage is a solemn appeal to God as more exalted than his foes, and as one, therefore, in whom he could put entire confidence. Compare Psalms 92:8; Psalms 93:4; Micah 6:6.

What time I am afraid - literally, “the day I am afraid.” David did not hesitate to admit that there were times when he was afraid. He saw himself to be in danger, and he had apprehensions as to the result. There is a natural fear of danger and of death; a fear implanted in us:

• To make us cautious, and
• To induce us to put our trust in God as a Preserver and Friend.

Our very nature—our physical constitution—is full of arrangements most skillfully adjusted, and most wisely planted there, to lead us to God as our Protector. Fear is one of these things, designed to make us feel that we need a God, and to lead us to Him when we realize that we have no power to save ourselves from impending dangers.

I will trust in thee - As One who is able to save, and One who will order all things as they should be ordered. It is only this that can make the mind calm in the midst of danger:

• The feeling that God can protect us and save us from danger, and that He will protect us if He sees fit;
• The feeling that whatever may be the result, whether life or death, it will be such as God sees to be best—if life, that we may be useful and glorify His name still on the earth; if death, that it will occur not because He did not have power to interpose and save, but because there were good and sufficient reasons why He should not put forth His power on that occasion and rescue us.

Of this we may be, however, assured: that God has power to deliver us always, and that if we are not delivered from calamity, it is not because He is inattentive or lacks power.

And of this higher truth we may also always be assured: that He has power to save us from that which we have most occasion to fear—a dreadful hell.

It is a good maxim with which to go into a world of danger; a good maxim to go to sea with; a good maxim in a storm; a good maxim when in danger on land; a good maxim when we are sick; a good maxim when we think of death and the judgment—What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

In God I will praise his word - The meaning of this seems to be, "In reference to God—or, in my trust in God—I will especially give regard to his “word”—his gracious promise; I will make that the special object of my praise. In reflecting on the divine perfections, and in finding in them materials for praise, I will give special regard to his revealed truth—to what he has “spoken” as an encouragement to me. I will be thankful that he “has” spoken, and that he has given me assurances on which I may rely in times of danger."

The idea is that he would “always” find in God that which was the ground or foundation for praise, and that what called for special praise when meditating on the divine character was the word or promise which God had made to his people.

I will not fear what flesh can do unto me - This means what man can do to me. Compare the notes at Matthew 10:28; Romans 8:31–34; Hebrews 13:6.

Every day they wrest my words – The word here rendered “wrest,” means literally to give pain, to grieve, to afflict; and it is used here in the sense of “wresting,” as if force were applied to words; that is, they are “tortured,” twisted, perverted. We have the same use of the word “torture” in our language. This they did by affixing a meaning to his words which he never intended, so as to injure him.

All their thoughts are against me for evil – All their plans, devices, purposes. They never seek my good, but always seek to do me harm.