Psalm 57:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts— the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

NIV: I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts-- men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

NASB: My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who devour, Among sons of mankind whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue is a sharp sword.

CSB: I am surrounded by lions; I lie down among devouring lions -- people whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

NLT: I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey — whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords.

KJV: My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

NKJV: My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men Who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.

It may be difficult to praise the Lord during hard times (1 Thessalonians 5:18), but such a thing is possible. David exemplified this grateful attitude; though his words describe stressful danger (Psalm 57:1–3), he still praises God (Psalm 57:5) and avoids despair. In symbolic terms, he depicts his enemies as wild animals with mouths full of weapons. David identifies his enemies as "the children of man," to distinguish them from the Lord. In other psalms, David noted that threats from other men were nothing compared to the power of the One True God (Psalm 27:1; 56:4, 10–11).

Daniel, an Old Testament prophet, also faced intense persecution. He also had reason to fear wild animals—literally, as he was thrown into a den of hungry lions (Daniel 6:16–23). The Lord kept Daniel alive, and he testified, "My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me" (Daniel 6:22). The Christian experiences attacks from the world and the Devil (John 16:33; 1 Peter 5:8). Yet believers can rely on God's loyal love and kindness (1 Peter 5:7), knowing the Lord provides strength to resist the Devil, the roaring lion (1 Peter 5:9; Ephesians 6:10–18).

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.

Along with Psalms 56 and 142, this was composed in response to David's escape from Saul (1 Samuel 19:1–2; 22:1). This included hiding in cave, where David turned down an opportunity to kill his enemy (1 Samuel 24:1–22). David is entirely sure that God will fulfill His promises (1 Samuel 16:12–13).

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.