Psalm 59:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.

NIV: But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

NASB: But as for me, I will sing of Your strength; Yes, I will joyfully sing of Your faithfulness in the morning, For You have been my refuge And a place of refuge on the day of my distress.

CSB: But I will sing of your strength and will joyfully proclaim your faithful love in the morning. For you have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble.

NLT: But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.

KJV: But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

NKJV: But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble.

After comparing his enemies (Psalm 59:1–3) to growling, restless dogs (Psalm 59:4, 14–15), David draws a vivid contrast. His enemies make noises like vicious animals, but he promises to sing. This reflects David's absolute confidence in the Lord's protection. He anticipates victory and the opportunity to praise God once more. He recalls how the Lord protected him when he was distressed, another theme of his psalms (Psalm 3:1–3).

Believers can follow David's example. They may face harsh trials, but they do not face them alone. Even though they "walk through the valley of the shadow death" (Psalm 23:4), the Lord is with them, and His love is upon them. Believers can rejoice, knowing that nothing can separate them from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38–39). Furthermore, God's love and mercies never end. They are new every morning, and His faithfulness is great (Lamentations 3:22–23).

Psalm 59:9–17 delivers an appropriate climax to David's cry for deliverance from his enemies. David puts his trust in God. He anticipates divine wrath being poured out on his unclean, beastly enemies. He also looks forward to more opportunities to offer praise for God's protection and love. As part of an "imprecatory" psalm, David calls on the Lord to make His retribution harsh and public, so the world will see it and acknowledge God.

David prays, asking the Lord to deliver him from a lurking band of bloodthirsty enemies. He calls on the God of Israel to make an example of these lying, evil men, and to destroy them entirely. Rather than despair, David firmly trusts in the Lord and looks forward to victory. David concludes his psalm with praise to the Lord, his Strength, whose love is loyal. David praises God for being his fortress and shelter.

This is one of many psalms where David prays for rescue from his enemies (Psalm 3:1–3; 7:1–2; 54:1–2). King Saul jealously sent men to wait outside David's home to assassinate him (1 Samuel 19:11–16), but David was able to escape with the help of his wife. Because David asks for the Lord to severely judge the wicked, this is considered one of the "imprecatory" psalms, along with Psalms 5, 10, 58, 69, 83, 109, 137, 140, and others.

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.