Psalms 59:1 - Meaning and Application

The title of this psalm tells us exactly when David wrote it. It was when Saul sent guards to watch David’s house at night, so they could arrest and kill him (1 Samuel 19:11). Saul had only just begun to act against David, and David had barely escaped Saul’s spear before this. These early attacks from Saul’s hatred must have shaken and frightened David badly, yet he still kept close to God. He was never so troubled that he could not pray or praise. Happy are those whose walk with God is not cut off by care, grief, fear, or any outward or inward trouble.

In these verses, David first prays to be rescued from his enemies and to have their cruel plans stopped (Psalms 59:1-2). “Deliver me from my enemies, my God. Set me safely above the reach of those who rise up against me.” He is crying out like a man on the edge of death, looking to God alone for rescue. He also prays, “Awake to help me,” asking God to notice his case and act with mercy and power. In the same way, the disciples in the storm woke Christ and said, “Lord, save us, we are perishing.” We should pray with the same urgency every day to be protected and delivered from our spiritual enemies, Satan’s temptations, and the corruption of our own hearts, which fight against our spiritual life.

David also pleads his case before God. God allows us not only to pray, but also to reason with him and lay out our cause before him. That does not move God to change, but it helps us pray with clearer faith. David does that here. He points first to the bad character of his enemies. They are workers of evil, so they are not only David’s enemies, but God’s enemies too. They are bloodthirsty men, and so they are enemies of all people. David is saying, in effect, “Lord, do not let wicked men succeed against one who seeks to do right.”

He also pleads their hatred and the danger he was in because of them (Psalms 59:3-4). They were trying to destroy his life, not just trouble him. They were crafty and waited for a chance to harm him. They were also powerful, with honor, wealth, and influence in court and country. They were united against him, gathered together in plan and action, and quick and eager in carrying out their schemes. David notices especially the rough behavior of the messengers Saul sent to seize him (Psalms 59:6). They came back in the evening to do their dark work, and they made a noise like dogs hunting prey. When they came to take David, they shouted against him as though he were a rebel and traitor, trying to turn the city against him or at least keep the people from rising in his defense. In this they were like the persecutors of the Lord Jesus, who are compared to dogs (Psalms 22:16). They tried to wear him down with noise, because otherwise they could not have taken him.

David says that they “belch out” the evil that fills their hearts (Psalms 59:7). Their words are like swords. That means their insults and lies cut deeply, grieve the heart, and stab a person’s good name (Psalms 42:10). They kept saying things that stirred Saul’s anger against David, and the blame lies not only on Saul, but also on the false accusers. The sword may not have been in Saul’s hand if it had not first been in their mouths.

David also pleads his own innocence, not before God, but before his persecutors. He does not claim to be sinless before the Lord, but he denies the charges against him. What they accused him of was completely false, and he had not said or done anything to deserve such treatment (Psalms 59:3-4). He can honestly say, “Not for my sin, Lord, you know,” because God knows all things. This teaches us that the godly are not protected from the hatred of the wicked just because they are harmless. People who are gentle as doves are often hated for Christ’s sake as though they were dangerous. Still, innocence does help in trouble. A clear conscience, knowing we have acted rightly toward those who have treated us badly, becomes a great comfort in hard times. And if we know we are innocent, we may quietly and humbly ask God to plead our cause, which he will do in his time.

David also says his enemies were godless and practical atheists. They encouraged themselves in their hatred by mocking God, saying, “Who hears?” (Psalms 59:7). They acted as if God did not notice or care. It is no surprise when people do not care what they say, if they have first persuaded themselves that God does not care what they say.

Finally, David leaves himself and his cause with the just judgment of God (Psalms 59:5). “The Lord, the Judge, decide between me and those who persecute me.” He sees God as the Lord of hosts, the ruler of all armies, with power to carry out justice. He also sees him as the God of Israel, who is in a special way King and Judge of his people. So when Saul’s forces pursued him, David turned to the Lord of all hosts, and when men who were not truly of God slandered him, he turned to the God of Israel. David is sure that God will rise up and examine the quarrels and conflicts among people. There will be a time when he visits all nations and calls all things into account (Isaiah 10:3). With that in view, David says, “Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors.” Selah, mark that.

If David had known himself to be a wicked rebel against God, he would not have expected mercy. But when he spoke about his enemies, he could say he was no transgressor in that sense, and he could pray, “Not for my wrongdoing, and therefore you will stand up for me” (Psalm 59:3, Psalm 59:4). Before God, he could also say he was not a wicked transgressor, because although he had sinned, he was repentant and did not stubbornly keep doing what he knew was wrong.

He also knew that his enemies were wicked transgressors. They were willful, hateful, and hard-hearted in their sins against both God and people. So he asked for justice against them, judgment without mercy. Those who never showed mercy should not expect to find mercy, for that is the mark of wicked transgressors.