6 They come together, they are waiting in secret places, they take note of my steps, they are waiting for my soul.
For my haters are waiting secretly for me; and those who are watching for my soul are banded together in their evil designs,
For see, they are watching in secret for my soul; the strong have come together against me? but not because of my sin, or my evil-doing, O Lord.
Then this Daniel did his work better than the chief rulers and the captains, because there was a special spirit in him; and it was the king's purpose to put him over all the kingdom.
And when it was day, the Jews came together and put themselves under an oath that they would take no food or drink till they had put Paul to death. And more than forty of them took this oath. And they came to the chief priests and the rulers and said, We have taken a great oath to take no food till we have put Paul to death
And they kept watch on him, and sent out secret representatives, who were acting the part of good men, in order that they might get something from his words, on account of which they might give him up to the government and into the power of the ruler.
Now when it was morning, all the chief priests and those in authority took thought together with the purpose of putting Jesus to death.
Then the chief priests and the rulers of the people came together in the house of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas. And they made designs together to take Jesus by some trick, and put him to death.
For now my steps are numbered by you, and my sin is not overlooked.
For numbers of them say evil secretly in my hearing (there is fear on every side): they say, Come, let us give witness against him; all my nearest friends, who are watching for my fall, say, It may be that he will be taken by deceit, and we will get the better of him and give him punishment.
See, they may be moved to war, but not by my authority: all those who come together to make an attack on you, will be broken against you.
The bitter words of your haters, O Lord, shaming the footsteps of your king.
Keep me safe from the secret purpose of wrongdoers; from the band of the workers of evil; Who make their tongues sharp like a sword, and whose arrows are pointed, even bitter words; So that in secret they may let loose their arrows at the upright, suddenly and unseen. They make themselves strong in an evil purpose; they make holes for secret nets; they say, Who will see it, Or make discovery of our secret purpose? The design is framed with care; and the inner thought of a man, and his heart, is deep.
They have made ready a net for my steps; my soul is bent down; they have made a great hole before me, and have gone down into it themselves. (Selah.)
The sinners are watching the upright man, desiring to put him to death.
He is waiting in the dark places of the towns: in the secret places he puts to death those who have done no wrong: his eyes are secretly turned against the poor. He keeps himself in a secret place like a lion in his hole, waiting to put his hands on the poor man, and pulling him into his net. The upright are crushed and made low, and the feeble are overcome by his strong ones.
Why are the nations so violently moved, and why are the thoughts of the people so foolish? The kings of the earth have taken their place, and the rulers are fixed in their purpose, against the Lord, and against the king of his selection, saying, Let their chains be broken, and their cords taken from off us.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 56
Commentary on Psalms 56 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 56
It seems by this, and many other psalms, that even in times of the greatest trouble and distress David never hung his harp upon the willow-trees, never unstrung it or laid it by; but that when his dangers and fears were greatest he was still in tune for singing God's praises. He was in imminent peril when he penned this psalm, at least when he meditated it; yet even then his meditation of God was sweet.
How pleasantly may a good Christian, in singing this psalm, rejoice in God, and praise him for what he will do, as well as for what he has done.
To the chief musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.
Psa 56:1-7
David, in this psalm, by his faith throws himself into the hands of God, even when he had by his fear and folly thrown himself into the hands of the Philistines; it was when they took him in Gath, whither he fled for fear of Saul, forgetting the quarrel they had with him for killing Goliath; but they soon put him in mid of it, 1 Sa. 21:10, 11. Upon that occasion he changed his behaviour, but with so little ruffle to his temper that then he penned both this psalm and the 34th. This is called Michtam-a golden psalm. So some other psalms are entitled, but this has something peculiar in the title; it is upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, which signifies the silent dove afar off. Some apply this to David himself, who wished for the wings of a dove on which to fly away. He was innocent and inoffensive, mild and patient, as a dove, was at this time driven from his nest, from the sanctuary (Ps. 84:3), was forced to wander afar off, to seek for shelter in distant countries; there he was like the doves of the valleys, mourning and melancholy; but silent, neither murmuring against God nor railing at the instruments of his trouble; herein a type of Christ, who was as a sheep, dumb before the shearers, and a pattern to Christians, who, wherever they are and whatever injuries are done them, ought to be as silent doves. In this former part of the psalm,
Psa 56:8-13
Several things David here comforts himself with in the day of his distress and fear.