Psalm 59:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.

NIV: You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.

NASB: My strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my refuge, the God who shows me favor.

CSB: To you, my strength, I sing praises, because God is my stronghold -- my faithful God.

NLT: O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.

KJV: Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

NKJV: To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy.

Once again, David refers to the Lord God as his "Strength" (Psalm 59:9). David is fully convinced God will rescue him and keep him safe (Psalm 59:8–10) from these enemies (Psalm 59:1–3). Despite the dangers David faced, he trusted God completely as the source of his confidence and security.

David survived the assassination attempt which inspired this psalm (1 Samuel 19:11–16). After that, he spent a long time as a fugitive from Saul's jealous wrath (1 Samuel 20:1–3). Yet he consistently relied on the Lord for protection, and the Lord did not fail him. David was hated by Saul and his men, but he was greatly loved by the Lord, whose love for His people never fails. John 3:16 points out that God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes on His Son will have everlasting life. The apostle John never lost the wonder of God's amazing love. He writes in 1 John 3:1, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are."

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.

Accessed 4/30/2024 3:47:07 PM