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New American Bible

2002 11 11
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The Wisdom Books
- Psalms
  - Chapter 57

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Chapter 57

^¹ ^² 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. In you I seek shelter. In the shadow of your wings ^³ I seek shelter till harm pass by.

I call to God Most High, to God who provides for me.

May God send help from heaven to save me, shame those who trample upon me. May God send fidelity and love. Selah

I must lie down in the midst of lions hungry for human prey. Their teeth are spears and arrows; their tongue, a sharpened sword.

Show yourself over the heavens, God; may your glory appear above all the earth.

They have set a trap for my feet; my soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me. May they fall into it themselves! Selah

My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and chant praise.

^⁴ Awake, my soul; awake, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn.

I will praise you among the peoples, Lord; I will chant your praise among the nations.

For your love towers to the heavens; your faithfulness, to the skies.

Show yourself over the heavens, God; may your glory appear above all the earth.

1 [Psalm 57] Each of the two equal strophes contains a prayer for rescue from enemies, accompanied by joyful trust in God (⇒ Psalm 57:2-5, ⇒ 7-11). The refrain prays that God be manifested as saving (⇒ Psalm 57:6, ⇒ 11[12]). Psalm 108 is nearly identical to part of this psalm (⇒ Psalm 57:8-11 = ⇒ Psalm 108:2-6).

2 [1] Do not destroy: probably the title of the melody to which the psalm was to be sung.

3 [2] The shadow of your wings: probably refers to the wings of the cherubim (powerful winged animals) whose wings spread over the ark in the inner chamber of the temple (⇒ 1 Kings 6:23-28).

4 [9] I will wake the dawn: by a bold figure the psalmist imagines the sound of music and singing will waken a new day.

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