Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing ,.... That is, to God, whom he made his strength, and put his trust in for strength, and from whom he received it; and he therefore determined to sing praise to him for it, and give him the glory of it; for God is my defence : as before in Psalm 59:9 ; and the God of my mercy ; See Gill on Psalm 59:10 . read more
Unto thee, O my strength - A similar sentiment to that expressed, Psalm 59:9 . But the words are very emphatic: God is my strength; God is my elevation. My God is my mercy. I have nothing good but what I have from God. And all springs from his dwelling in me. God, therefore, shall have all the glory, both now and for ever. As many persons may still think that the inscription to this Psalm is correct, the following analysis may be applied in that way; or considered as containing a general... read more
Verse 17 17My strength is with thee, I will sing psalms He expresses still more explicitly the truth, that he owed his safety entirely to God. Formerly he had said that the strength of his enemy was with God, and now he asserts the same thing of his own. The expression, however, which admits of two meanings, he elegantly applies to himself in a different sense. (376) God has the strength of the wicked in his hands, to curb and to restrain it, and to show that any power of which they boast is... read more
It is generally agreed that the composition divides into four portions, two of them closed by the pause mark, "Selah," and the other two by a refrain. It thus consists of four strophes, the first of five verses ( 1 Samuel 19:1-5 ), and the other three of four verses each ( 1 Samuel 19:6-9 , 1 Samuel 19:10-13 , and 1 Samuel 19:14-17 ). read more
Waiting upon God. There are expressions in this psalm which sound harsh and cruel, and which Christians would shrink from using. But, on the other hand, there is much here that comes home to our experience, and that is helpful and comforting in the great trials of life. It is something to know that good men have suffered affliction before us—that they have been falsely accused and foully wronged, that they have felt the pangs of grief and the bitterness of disappointment, and that they... read more
David here turns back from the future fate of his enemies to their present condition,and repeats Psalms 59:7 verbatim. He thus reminds himself of his existing danger; he is still being sought—they are still in quest of their prey, and will continue so till morning comes ( Psalms 59:15 ). But in the morning he will be gone—he will have escaped them. Upon this thought occurring, he raises a renewed thanksgiving to God ( Psalms 59:16 , Psalms 59:17 ) read more
Unto thee, O my Strength, will I sing: for God is my Defense; or, Strong Tower (comp. Psalms 59:9 , which, if we read עזּי for עזוֹ , is so far, excepting in the verb, identical). And the God of my mercy ; i.e. "the God who showeth mercy upon me" (comp. Psalms 59:10 ). read more
Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing - The source of strength to me; the real strength by which I have obtained deliverance is in thee. See the notes at Psalms 18:1.For God is my defense - See the notes at Psalms 59:9.And the God of my mercy - The God who has showed mercy to me; he from whom all these favors have sprung. Whatever means might be used to secure his own safety (compare 1 Samuel 19:12 ff) still he felt that his deliverance was to be traced wholly to God. He had interposed and had... read more
Psalms 59:0 Wild dogsAt the time of writing this psalm, David had not yet fled to Gath and Adullam. He was still at Saul’s court, but his repeated military successes stirred up Saul’s jealousy, resulting in another attempt by Saul to spear him (1 Samuel 19:1-10). David escaped to the safety of his own house. Saul then laid a plot to murder him at his home, and David escaped only narrowly (1 Samuel 19:11-17). This psalm concerns the attempt on David’s life at his house.The psalm opens with a... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 59:8-17
David here encourages himself, in reference to the threatening power of his enemies, with a pious resolution to wait upon God and a believing expectation that he should yet praise him. I. He resolves to wait upon God (Ps. 59:9): ?Because of his strength? (either the strength of his enemies, the fear of which drove him to God, or because of God's strength, the hope of which drew him to God) ?Will I wait upon thee, with a believing dependence upon thee and confidence in thee.? It is our wisdom... read more