"To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3 He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
4 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.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
6 They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
7 My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
8 Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10 For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!"
Psalm 57
The next lesson we are to learn from the Psalm comes from a consideration of the two stanzas into which it clearly falls, 1-5 and 6-11, each of which ends with the same refrain. The difference between the two stanzas is that whereas the first ends (apart from the words of the refrain in 5) with the description of the enemies surrounding the Psalmist, the second is mainly occupied with an outburst of song, as David now sees the enemies 'cut down to size', and as having the seeds of self-destruction within themselves. From which we may learn that the assertion of confidence in the living God (1, 2, and particularly 3) is something that works. The deliberate act of will that turns the mind Godwards really does something for us.
The literal translation in 1 reads more graphically than the AV: 'In Thee has my soul taken refuge'. The idea seems to be that the remembrance of past days when he trusted in God, and found help and succour, gives him encouragement to trust now in the new crisis. What God has done once He can do again. The picture in 3 is a very lovely one. Maclaren suggests 'The two bright angels – loving-kindness (Mercy) and faithfulness (Truth) their names - will be despatched from heaven for the rescue of the man who has trusted. That is certain, because of what God is and has done. It is no less certain because of what the Psalmist is and has done; for a soul that gazes on God as its sole helper, and has pressed, in its feebleness, close beneath these mighty pinions, cannot but bring down angel helpers, the executants of God's love'.