Psalms 56:5

"All the day long they wrest my words:

All their thoughts are against me for evil.

They gather themselves together, they hide themselves,

They mark my steps,

Even as they have waited for my soul.

Shall they escape by iniquity?

In anger cast down the peoples, O God.

Thou numberest my wanderings:

Put thou my tears into thy bottle;

Are they not in thy book?

Then shall mine enemies turn back in the day that I call:

This I know that God is for me.

In God (I will praise his word),

In Jehovah (I will praise his word),

In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid;

What can man do unto me?"

"They wrest my words" (Psalms 56:5). The KJV here has `twist my words.'

"Their thoughts are against me" (Psalms 56:5). The purpose of the Philistines was continually that of destroying David.

"Gather themselves together ... hide themselves ... mark my steps" (Psalms 56:6). This means they convened counsels on how to destroy David; they concealed themselves in order to spy upon him, and they watched his every move. Yes, those wicked men watched David's every step; but God also was watching over his own (Psalms 56:8), "numbering all of his wanderings, and even counting his tears."

Delitzsch paraphrased these words regarding the activity of David's enemies. "David affirmed his loyalty to Saul, but they forced upon his words false meanings; they banded themselves together, they placed men in ambush."[10]

"Shall they escape by iniquity?" (Psalms 56:7) Mistreatment of David by the Philistines mentioned here was doubtless the root of his determination, after he became king, to utterly subdue them. He would become God's instrument in granting the answer to David's prayer for their destruction (2 Samuel 5:17; 8:1).

"In anger cast down the peoples, O God" (Psalms 56:7) The word `peoples' here is the same as `Gentiles,' or `nations.' Indicating that all nations of the whole world were affected in some manner by what happened to David. Of course, this is profoundly true, because the Davidic kingdom was the type and forerunner of the "Kingdom of God." Addis missed this profound truth altogether, writing that, "Nations were not concerned in the petty espionage which the Psalm describes."[11]

"My wanderings ... my tears" (Psalms 56:8). Is it really true that God has such detailed interest in his servants? Kidner pointed out that it is even so, adding that, "Our Lord had equally striking terms for God's attention to detail. He said, `The very hairs of your head are all numbered.' (Matthew 10:29)."[12]

"Are they not in thy book?" (Psalms 56:8). Rhodes observed that both `bottle' and `book' here are metaphorical references to the `records' of God; and this seems to be correct. God, of course would need neither a record book nor a bottle. As DeHoff noted, "The figure of speech here is similar to that of Revelation 5:8 where the prayers of the saints are represented as being preserved in `golden vials.'"[13]

"This I know that God is for me" (Psalms 56:9). David's absolute confidence in the truth and dependability of what God had told him through the prophet Nathan sustained him throughout his lifetime, no matter how difficult the circumstances of many heartbreaking situations which he confronted.

"In God (I will praise his word)" (Psalms 56:10). This picks up the refrain from Psalms 56:4, emphasizes its first line by repeating it almost verbatim, which Kidner tells us was a favorite method of emphasis by the psalmist.[14]