Psalms · 17 verses

Psalms 59

Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.

The chapter

What happens here

Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.

The enemies return each evening as snarling dogs, and David asks that they not be killed—before asking that they be consumed until they are no more.

A house under watchvv. 1–5

The psalm opens with David’s house under surveillance: Saul has sent men to watch it in order to kill him. David protests that the attack has no cause in anything he has done, and calls on the God of Israel to rise, notice, and punish the wicked traitors.

The evening packvv. 6–13

The watchers return in the evening, prowling round the city and speaking as though their words were beyond hearing. The LORD, however, laughs at them. David calls God his fortress, then makes the prayer take an extraordinary turn: the men are not to be killed lest the people forget them, yet they are to be consumed until they are no more. Their mouths, curses, lies, and pride are to become the very trap that brings them down.

Morning answers eveningvv. 14–17

The evening scene returns, complete with scavenging and dissatisfied growling. But David’s answer belongs to the morning: he will sing of strength and loving devotion, because God is his fortress and refuge. The psalm ends where it has been heading all along, with David singing to his strength, his fortress, and his God of loving devotion.

The text

Read it

Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.

Ps 59:1For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise against me.
Ps 59:2Deliver me from workers of iniquity, and save me from men of bloodshed.
Ps 59:3See how they lie in wait for me. Fierce men conspire against me for no transgression or sin of my own, O LORD.
Ps 59:4For no fault of my own, they move swiftly to attack me. Arise to help me, and take notice.
Ps 59:5O LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, rouse Yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to the wicked traitors. Selah
Ps 59:6They return in the evening, snarling like dogs and prowling around the city.
Ps 59:7See what they spew from their mouths—sharp words from their lips: “For who can hear us?”
Ps 59:8But You, O LORD, laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations.
Ps 59:9I will keep watch for You, O my strength, because You, O God, are my fortress.
Ps 59:10My God of loving devotion will come to meet me; God will let me stare down my foes.
Ps 59:11Do not kill them, or my people will forget. Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield.
Ps 59:12By the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride, in the curses and lies they utter.
Ps 59:13Consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more, so it may be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah
Ps 59:14They return in the evening, snarling like dogs and prowling around the city.
Ps 59:15They scavenge for food, and growl if they are not satisfied.
Ps 59:16But I will sing of Your strength and proclaim Your loving devotion in the morning. For You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
Ps 59:17To You, O my strength, I sing praises, for You, O God, are my fortress, my God of loving devotion.

01 — Also here

Who else the chapter reaches

Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.

Reached by an assertion Atlas extracted from a verse of this chapter rather than by a name written in it — a pronoun, a title, or a participant the sentence carries without naming. This layer is model-read and measured at 88.6–90.3% precision, and it is kept separate from the names above for that reason.

Davidperson

02 — Read alongside

Where this is echoed

Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 228 passages were voted onto 17 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.

16 Psalms 21:13Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your power.
16 Ephesians 3:20Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,
16 Romans 15:9so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.”
1 1 Samuel 19:11–24Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!”
16 Ephesians 1:6–7to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
1 Psalms 18:48who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.
10 1 Peter 5:10And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.
16 Job 37:23The Almighty is beyond our reach; He is exalted in power! In His justice and great righteousness He does not oppress.
16 Psalms 59:9–10I will keep watch for You, O my strength, because You, O God, are my fortress.
17 Psalms 46:1For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
3 Psalms 56:6They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps while they wait to take my life.
10 Psalms 59:17To You, O my strength, I sing praises, for You, O God, are my fortress, my God of loving devotion.
10 Psalms 54:7For He has delivered me from every trouble, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.
10 Psalms 21:3For You welcomed him with rich blessings; You placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
16 1 Samuel 17:37David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.”
16 2 Corinthians 1:10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,

Onward

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