Psa 59:1 | NET2full | STEP | For the music director , according to the al-tashcheth style; a prayer of David , written when Saul sent men to surround his house and murder him. Deliver me from my enemies , my God . Protect me from those who attack me.

‏ Psalms 59:1

Psalm 59 ^{▼▼sn Psalm 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.}

For the music director, according to the al-tashcheth style; ^{▼▼tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the superscription to Pss 57-58, 75.} a prayer ^{▼▼tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56-58, 60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”} of David, written when Saul sent men to surround his house and murder him. ^{▼▼tn Heb “when Saul sent and they watched his house in order to kill him.”} ^{▼▼sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm on the occasion when Saul sent assassins to surround David’s house and kill him in the morning (see 1 Sam 19:11). However, the psalm itself mentions foreign enemies (vv. 5, 8). Perhaps these references reflect a later adaptation of an original Davidic psalm.}

1 Deliver me from my enemies, my God.
Protect me ^{▼▼tn Or “make me secure”; Heb “set me on high.”} from those who attack me. ^{▼▼tn Heb “from those who raise themselves up [against] me.”}

‏ Psalms 59:1

Psalm 59 ▼▼sn Psalm 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.

Psalm 59 ^{▼▼sn Psalm 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.}