Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 56:2

"Mine enemies would swallow me up all the day long; For they are many that fight proudly against me." — Psalms 56:2 (ASV)

Swallow me up. —The root idea of the Hebrew word rendered this way is by no means clear. In many passages where it is used, the meaning given here by the Septuagint, “trample on,” will suit the context quite as well as, or even better than, the meaning, “pant after,” given in the Lexicons. (Isaiah 42:14; Ecclesiastes 1:5; Amos 2:7; Amos 8:4.) And this sense of bruising by trampling also suits the cognate verb, shûph, used only three times (Genesis 3:15; Job 9:17; Psalms 139:11).

Symmachus also here has “bruise,” or “grind.” On the other hand, in Psalms 119:131, Job 7:2, and elsewhere, the idea of “haste” or “desire” is needed. Possibly the original meaning of “trample” may have passed through the sense of physical haste to that of passion. Or we may even get the sense of “greedily devouring” by the exactly similar process by which we come to talk of devouring the road with speed. The same verb is used in the next verse with an object.

Fighting. —Better, devouring. (Compare Psalms 35:1.)

O you most High. —Heb., marôm, which is here not a vocative, but an adverbial accusative, “proudly,” in pride.