"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 reference in 6 to the enemies is of a triumphant sort, borne of a consciousness and realisation that the coming of the 'angels', Mercy and Truth (3,10) into the situation will have a confounding effect on the enemies of righteousness. One thinks in this connection of the effect of the pillar of cloud and fire in Exodus, which comforted the Israelites and discomfited the Egyptians. Of 7, 'My heart is fixed', Maclaren says, 'What power can steady that fluttering, wayward, agitated thing, a human heart? The way to keep light articles fixed on deck, amidst rolling seas and howling winds, is to lash them to something fixed; and the way to steady a heart is to bind it to God'. This is very impressive: David is perhaps still in the cave; leastaways he is still on the run and in danger from his enemies. But his heart is fixed and he can praise. This is the great thing. Finally, we should think of the illustration all this gives of the words of Psalm23, 'Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies'. What a feast of good things there was for David in that cave, right in the midst of his enemies, with Saul lying asleep only a few yards away. It is something - nay, everything - to realise that mercy and truth come to us also in the reading of this Psalm.