Psalm 57
| Psalm 57 | |
|---|---|
| "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me" | |
 Psalm 57 (Psalm LVI in the Vulgate) in Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Folio 157v, Musée Condé, Chantilly. | |
| Other name |
|
| Language | Hebrew (original) |
| Psalm 57 | |
|---|---|
← Psalm 56 Psalm 58 → | |
| Book | Book of Psalms |
| Hebrew Bible part | Ketuvim |
| Order in the Hebrew part | 1 |
| Category | Sifrei Emet |
| Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 19 |
Psalm 57 is the 57th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me". In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 56. In Latin, it is known as " Miserere mei Deus".[1][2] It is attributed to King David, and is described as a Michtam of David,[3][4] when he fled from the face of Saul,[5][6] in the cave, recalling either the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22), or the cave in the wilderness of En-gedi, on the western shore of the Dead Sea (1 Samuel 24).[7]
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music.
Text
Hebrew Bible version
The following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 57:[8]
| Verse | Hebrew |
|---|---|
| 1 | .לַמְנַצֵּחַ אַל-תַּשְׁחֵת, לְדָוִד מִכְתָּם-- בְּבָרְחוֹ מִפְּנֵי-שָׁאוּל, בַּמְּעָרָה |
| 2 | :חָנֵּנִי אֱלֹהִים, חָנֵּנִי-- כִּי בְךָ, חָסָיָה נַפְשִׁי
.וּבְצֵל-כְּנָפֶיךָ אֶחְסֶה-- עַד, יַעֲבֹר הַוּוֹת |
| 3 | .אֶקְרָא, לֵאלֹהִים עֶלְיוֹן; לָאֵל, גֹּמֵר עָלָי |
| 4 | ;יִשְׁלַח מִשָּׁמַיִם, וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנִי-- חֵרֵף שֹׁאֲפִי סֶלָה
.יִשְׁלַח אֱלֹהִים, חַסְדּוֹ וַאֲמִתּוֹ |
| 5 | :נַפְשִׁי, בְּתוֹךְ לְבָאִם-- אֶשְׁכְּבָה לֹהֲטִים
.בְּנֵי-אָדָם--שִׁנֵּיהֶם, חֲנִית וְחִצִּים; וּלְשׁוֹנָם, חֶרֶב חַדָּה |
| 6 | .רוּמָה עַל-הַשָּׁמַיִם אֱלֹהִים; עַל כָּל-הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדֶךָ |
| 7 | :רֶשֶׁת, הֵכִינוּ לִפְעָמַי-- כָּפַף נַפְשִׁי
.כָּרוּ לְפָנַי שִׁיחָה; נָפְלוּ בְתוֹכָהּ סֶלָה |
| 8 | .נָכוֹן לִבִּי אֱלֹהִים, נָכוֹן לִבִּי; אָשִׁירָה, וַאֲזַמֵּרָה |
| 9 | .עוּרָה כְבוֹדִי--עוּרָה, הַנֵּבֶל וְכִנּוֹר; אָעִירָה שָּׁחַר |
| 10 | .אוֹדְךָ בָעַמִּים אֲדֹנָי; אֲזַמֶּרְךָ, בַּלְאֻמִּים |
| 11 | .כִּי-גָדֹל עַד-שָׁמַיִם חַסְדֶּךָ; וְעַד-שְׁחָקִים אֲמִתֶּךָ |
| 12 | .רוּמָה עַל-שָׁמַיִם אֱלֹהִים; עַל כָּל-הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדֶךָ |
King James Version
To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.
- Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
- I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
- He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
- My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
- Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
- They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
- My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
- Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
- I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
- For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
- Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.
Structure
The psalm consists of two parts. In the first, verses 1–6, David gives expression to the anxiety which he felt, imploring Divine assistance against Saul and his other enemies. In the second part, verses 7–11, he proceeds upon the confident expectation of deliverance, and stirs up his soul to the exercise of praise.[9]
Melody
The psalm is addressed to a leader of worship; possibly this psalm was sung to a melody known as "Altaschith or "Do Not Destroy", although there is considerable uncertainty about this. A number of translations have chosen to transliterate the Hebrew expression as "al tashheth" (Tanakh) or "Al-tashheth" (Margolis).[10] The same directive, "Do Not Destroy", can be found in the headings of Psalm 58[11] and Psalm 59.[12]
Verse 6
- They have prepared a net for my steps;
- My soul is bowed down;
- They have dug a pit before me;
- Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen.[13]
Alexander Kirkpatrick suggests that the reference to David's enemies being caught in their own trap indicates an affinity with the cave of En-gedi mentioned in 1 Samuel 24:1–3.[7]
Uses
Judaism
- Verse 3 is found in the repetition of the Amidah on Rosh Hashanah.[14]
Book of Common Prayer
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the 11th day of the month,[15] and it is a Proper Psalm for Easter Day.[7]
Musical settings
Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 57 in a metred version in German, "Sei mir gnädig, o Gott, mein Herr", SWV 154, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628.
References
- ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 56 (57) Archived 7 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
- ^ "Comparison of Enumeration of the Psalms in the Book of Divine Worship and in the Vulgate". The Daily Office of the Catholic Church According to the Anglican Use. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ^ Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, Psalm 57.
- ^ Gordon Churchyard, Danger! Psalm 57, published July 2001, accessed 31 March 2022
- ^ Spurgeon, C., The Treasury of David Archived 2014-11-08 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Psalm 57 Overview
- ^ a b c Kirkpatrick, A. (1906), Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Psalm 57, accessed 27 November 2021
- ^ "Psalms Chapter 57 תְּהִלִּים". mechon-mamre.org. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
- ^ Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 9: Psalms, Part II, tr. by John King, [1847-50], at sacred-texts.com.
- ^ Psalm 57 at Werner Bible Commentary.
- ^ Psalm 58: New Revised Standard Version
- ^ Psalm 59: New Revised Standard Version
- ^ Psalm 57:6: New King James Version
- ^ The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah, page 321
- ^ Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 196ff
External links
- Pieces with text from Psalm 57: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Psalm 57: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Psalm 57 in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre
- Text of Psalm 57 according to the 1928 Psalter
- For the director. Do not destroy.* A miktam of David, when he fled from Saul into a cave. / Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me. text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Psalm 57:1 introduction and text, biblestudytools.com
- Psalm 57 – From the Cave to Above the Heavens enduringword.com
- Psalm 57 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, Church of England
- Psalm 57 at biblegateway.com
- Hymns for Psalm 57 hymnary.org