Psa 59:16 | KingComments | STEP | The words “but as for me”, are contrasted with the false hope of the “dogs” of the previous verse. David’s watching for God is not in vain. He will sing of God’s strength because God has shown His strength and has delivered him ( ). Strength is the same as in . However, the strength is here found with God and not with the enemies in , who are called the “fierce men” in . The night, which is full of growling dogs who are out for his blood and think they will seize him in the morning, has lost its terror for David. He is not afraid in the morning. On the contrary, he will sing of God’s strength. “Yes”, he says, “I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning”, at the dawn of salvation. His enemies had wanted to kill him in the night, but drop off with their tail between their legs, while David sings joyfully of God’s lovingkindness the next morning. He sees that God has been a safe “stronghold” for him and praises God’s lovingkindness for that. He is impressed with the fullness of God’s lovingkindness to him. David speaks here for the third time of a “stronghold”. He first asked God to put him in a stronghold in view of his need ( ). After bringing his distress to God, he says that God is his stronghold ( ). Now that he looks back in faith, he testifies in his song that God has been a stronghold ( ). David has experienced that God has been that stronghold for him because he has taken refuge in Him. God has been “a refuge” in the days when fear distressed him. We may know that God is a stronghold, but we will only experience that when we take refuge in Him in our distresses and troubles. David knows that he did not come out of the distress by his own effort or cleverness. He was certainly helped by his wife Michal ( ), but she too was only able to act that way because God wanted to save David. It is all thanks to God Whom he calls “my strength” ( ). His enemies are way too powerful for him, but not for God. God is his strength and to Him he will sing praises. Because God is his strength, God is his stronghold. He owes everything solely to God’s protection. And God has protected him because He loves him. David is thankfully aware of this as well. Therefore he sings again of God’s “lovingkindness” ( ). It is an example for us when we are in great need and distress. We may then take refuge in God and seek protection and safety from Him. He receives us eagerly, for He loves us. He protects us with His strength, but does so with in His heart those feelings of lovingkindness toward us. He is full of goodness for us. We experience this especially when we resort to Him in our need. Whatever means He uses to rescue us from our distress, the rescue ultimately comes from Him. That is why we want to honor Him. Thus David ends the psalm by praising God’s “strength” in and God’s “strength” in . In David speaks of “Your lovingkindness”, which is the strength of God; in David says “O, my strength”. God, with His strength, is his God. David is not only singing of God ( ), but also to God ( ). We may proclaim God’s power over all things to all creation, to the visible and the invisible world. We may also praise God’s Being for the power He has shown for the benefit of His own.

‏ Psalms 59:16

Song of Praise

The words “but as for me”, are contrasted with the false hope of the “dogs” of the previous verse. David’s watching for God is not in vain. He will sing of God’s strength because God has shown His strength and has delivered him (Psa 59:16). Strength is the same as in Psa 59:9. However, the strength is here found with God and not with the enemies in Psa 59:9, who are called the “fierce men” in Psa 59:3. The night, which is full of growling dogs who are out for his blood and think they will seize him in the morning, has lost its terror for David.

He is not afraid in the morning. On the contrary, he will sing of God’s strength. “Yes”, he says, “I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning”, at the dawn of salvation. His enemies had wanted to kill him in the night, but drop off with their tail between their legs, while David sings joyfully of God’s lovingkindness the next morning. He sees that God has been a safe “stronghold” for him and praises God’s lovingkindness for that. He is impressed with the fullness of God’s lovingkindness to him.

David speaks here for the third time of a “stronghold”. He first asked God to put him in a stronghold in view of his need (Psa 59:1b). After bringing his distress to God, he says that God is his stronghold (Psa 59:9). Now that he looks back in faith, he testifies in his song that God has been a stronghold (Psa 59:16).

David has experienced that God has been that stronghold for him because he has taken refuge in Him. God has been “a refuge” in the days when fear distressed him. We may know that God is a stronghold, but we will only experience that when we take refuge in Him in our distresses and troubles.

David knows that he did not come out of the distress by his own effort or cleverness. He was certainly helped by his wife Michal (1Sam 19:11b-12), but she too was only able to act that way because God wanted to save David. It is all thanks to God Whom he calls “my strength” (Psa 59:17).

His enemies are way too powerful for him, but not for God. God is his strength and to Him he will sing praises. Because God is his strength, God is his stronghold. He owes everything solely to God’s protection. And God has protected him because He loves him. David is thankfully aware of this as well. Therefore he sings again of God’s “lovingkindness” (Psa 59:10 ; 17).

It is an example for us when we are in great need and distress. We may then take refuge in God and seek protection and safety from Him. He receives us eagerly, for He loves us. He protects us with His strength, but does so with in His heart those feelings of lovingkindness toward us. He is full of goodness for us. We experience this especially when we resort to Him in our need. Whatever means He uses to rescue us from our distress, the rescue ultimately comes from Him. That is why we want to honor Him.

Thus David ends the psalm by praising God’s “strength” in Psa 59:16 and God’s “strength” in Psa 59:17. In Psa 59:16 David speaks of “Your lovingkindness”, which is the strength of God; in Psa 59:17 David says “O, my strength”. God, with His strength, is his God.

David is not only singing of God (Psa 59:16), but also to God (Psa 59:17). We may proclaim God’s power over all things to all creation, to the visible and the invisible world. We may also praise God’s Being for the power He has shown for the benefit of His own.