Psalm 57:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.

NIV: For the director of music. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave. Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

NASB: Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by.

CSB: For the choir director: "Do Not Destroy." A Miktam of David. When he fled before Saul into the cave. Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in you. I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings until danger passes.

NLT: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.

KJV: To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

NKJV: {To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.} Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by.

David wrote this psalm about the time he hid in a cave while being pursued by king Saul (1 Samuel 19:1–2; 22:1; 24:2–3). This was around the same time as the events which inspired Psalms 56 and 142. In a moment of great danger, David prayed for God's mercy and protection. The reference to the "shadow of [God's] wings" (Psalm 17:8; 91:4) refers to a mother bird protecting her young. This would be especially appropriate during a storm, where her wings would provide shelter against wind and rain.

David's response to fear is to pursue God, growing closer and trusting Him even more. Later verses refer to God's purposes (Psalm 57:2); this reflects David's trust in God's unchangeable plans for his life (1 Samuel 16:12–13). Translating the Hebrew word hawwāh as "storms of destruction" here is appropriate since David refers to his current situation as temporary. Those who rely on the Lord are assured that their troubles are short-lived (Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 4:17) and that nothing can separate them from God's love (Romans 8:38–39; John 10:28).

This song refers to the position of "choirmaster," or "chief musician," likely meaning the person in charge of leading corporate worship. It is described as a "miktam," probably indicating a particular form of song. David's Psalms 57, 58, and 59 suggest a tune titled "Do Not Destroy." The same is true of Asaph's Psalm 75. It seems these psalms were written as words to be sung to that melody.

In these opening verses of Psalm 57 David asks God to be merciful to him, and he declares that God is his refuge. When David composed this psalm, he was hiding in a cave from vengeful King Saul, but he was trusting in God for safety until the storm of Saul's wrath ended. He knew God had a purpose for his life and would deliver him from Saul. Although his enemies sought to kill him, he longed for God to exalt Himself.

David asks for God's merciful protection, with full confidence that it will be delivered. Despite the vicious attacks of his enemies, David resolves to praise the Lord. This is motivated, in part, by appreciation for God's loyal, merciful, caring love. He declares that the Lord's praise should be heard all over the world.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.