Psalm 56

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To the choirmaster: according to “The Mute Dove of Distant Places”.

A Michtam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

1-4  Be gracious to me, O God, for man [enosh] pants after me; all day long an attacker oppresses me. ² My enemies pant after me all day long, for many attack me from above. ³ When I am afraid, I trust in You, ⁴ in God, whose word I praise, in God I trust, I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

שאף (sha’aph) = “pant” / “trample”

5-6  All day long they injure my words, all their thoughts are against me for evil. ⁶ They prowl, they lurk, they watch at my heels, as they wait for my soul.

7-8  For their crime will they escape? In anger bring down the peoples, O God! ⁸ You have kept count of my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?

9-11  Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. ¹⁰ In God, I will praise [His] word, in Adonai, I will praise [His] word. ¹¹ In God I trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man [adam] do to me?

12-13  I will perform my vows to You, O God. I will render thanksgiving offerings to You. ¹³ For You have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

REFERENCES:

Attribution

1Samuel 21:10-15  And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

Proverbs 25:12  Like a gold (זהב, zahav) ring or an ornament of fine gold (כתם, ketem) is a wise reprover to a listening ear.

Psalm 45:9  Daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold(כתם, ketem) of Ophir.

Verses 1-2

Psalm 119:131  I open my mouth and pant (שאף, sha’aph), because I long for Your commandments.

Verse 7

Psalm 55:23  But You, O God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.

Verse 13

Psalm 116:8  For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling (דחי,dechi).