Psalm 57
Psalm 57 | |
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"Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me" | |
Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Folio 157v, Musée Condé , Chantilly. | |
Other name |
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Language | Hebrew (original) |
Psalm 57 | |
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← 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
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music.
Text
Hebrew
The following table shows the Hebrew text[8][9] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) |
---|---|---|
1 | לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ אַל־תַּ֭שְׁחֵת לְדָוִ֣ד מִכְתָּ֑ם בְּבׇרְח֥וֹ מִפְּנֵי־שָׁ֝א֗וּל בַּמְּעָרָֽה׃ | For the Leader; Al-tashheth. [A Psalm] of David; Michtam; when he fled from Saul, in the cave. |
2 | חׇנֵּ֤נִי אֱלֹהִ֨ים ׀ חׇנֵּ֗נִי כִּ֥י בְךָ֮ חָסָ֢יָה נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י וּבְצֵֽל־כְּנָפֶ֥יךָ אֶחְסֶ֑ה עַ֝֗ד יַעֲבֹ֥ר הַוּֽוֹת׃ | Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me, for in Thee hath my soul taken refuge; yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I take refuge, until calamities be overpast. |
3 | אֶ֭קְרָא לֵֽאלֹהִ֣ים עֶלְי֑וֹן לָ֝אֵ֗ל גֹּמֵ֥ר עָלָֽי׃ | I will cry unto God Most high; unto God that accomplisheth it for me. |
4 | יִשְׁלַ֤ח מִשָּׁמַ֨יִם ׀ וְֽיוֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי חֵרֵ֣ף שֹׁאֲפִ֣י סֶ֑לָה יִשְׁלַ֥ח אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים חַסְדּ֥וֹ וַאֲמִתּֽוֹ׃ | He will send from heaven, and save me, when he that would swallow me up taunteth, Selah; God shall send forth His mercy and His truth. |
5 | נַפְשִׁ֤י ׀ בְּת֥וֹךְ לְבָאִם֮ אֶשְׁכְּבָ֢ה לֹ֫הֲטִ֥ים בְּֽנֵי־אָדָ֗ם שִׁ֭נֵּיהֶם חֲנִ֣ית וְחִצִּ֑ים וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם חֶ֣רֶב חַדָּֽה׃ | My soul is among lions, I do lie down among them that are aflame; Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. |
6 | ר֣וּמָה עַל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם אֱלֹהִ֑ים עַ֖ל כׇּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃ | Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; Thy glory be above all the earth. |
7 | רֶ֤שֶׁת ׀ הֵכִ֣ינוּ לִפְעָמַי֮ כָּפַ֢ף נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י כָּר֣וּ לְפָנַ֣י שִׁיחָ֑ה נָפְל֖וּ בְתוֹכָ֣הּ סֶֽלָה׃ | They have prepared a net for my steps, My soul is bowed down; They have digged a pit before me, They are fallen into the midst thereof themselves. Selah |
8 | נָ֘כ֤וֹן לִבִּ֣י אֱ֭לֹהִים נָכ֣וֹן לִבִּ֑י אָ֝שִׁ֗ירָה וַאֲזַמֵּֽרָה׃ | My heart is stedfast, O God, my heart is stedfast; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises. |
9 | ע֤וּרָה כְבוֹדִ֗י ע֭וּרָֽה הַנֵּ֥בֶל וְכִנּ֗וֹר אָעִ֥ירָה שָּֽׁחַר׃ | Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp; I will awake the dawn. |
10 | אוֹדְךָ֖ בָעַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֲדֹנָ֑י אֲ֝זַמֶּרְךָ֗ בַּלְאֻמִּֽים׃ | I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations. |
11 | כִּֽי־גָדֹ֣ל עַד־שָׁמַ֣יִם חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וְֽעַד־שְׁחָקִ֥ים אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃ | For Thy mercy is great unto the heavens, And Thy truth unto the skies. |
12 | ר֣וּמָה עַל־שָׁמַ֣יִם אֱלֹהִ֑ים עַ֖ל כׇּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃ | Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; Thy glory be above all the earth. |
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
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).[11] The same directive, "Do Not Destroy", can be found in the headings of Psalm 58[12] and Psalm 59.[13]
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.[14]
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.[15]
Book of Common Prayer
In the
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. Johann Vierdanck set verses 8–12 in German as a sacred concerto, Mein Herz ist bereit, Gott (My heart is ready, God) for two voices, two violins and continuo, c. 1640.[17]
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". Mechon Mamre.
- ^ "Psalms 57 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
- ^ 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
- ^ Mein Herz ist bereit (Vierdanck, Johann): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
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