This article is about Psalm 59 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 59 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 60.
Psalm 59
"Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God"
Inscription of a line from the psalm at a bridge in Hochosterwitz
Other name
  • Psalm 58
  • "Eripe me de inimicis meis Deu"
LanguageHebrew (original)
Psalm 59
BookBook of Psalms
Hebrew Bible partKetuvim
Order in the Hebrew part1
CategorySifrei Emet
Christian Bible partOld Testament
Order in the Christian part19

Psalm 59 is the 59th 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 "Eripe me de inimicis meis Deu".[1][2] It is described as "a prayer composed when Saul sent messengers to wait at the house in order to kill him",[3] and commentator Cyril Rodd describes it as a "vigorous plea for the destruction of the psalmist's enemies".[4]

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 59:[5]

Verse Hebrew
1 ;לַמְנַצֵּחַ אַל-תַּשְׁחֵת, לְדָוִד מִכְתָּם: בִּשְׁלֹחַ שָׁאוּל

.וַיִּשְׁמְרוּ אֶת-הַבַּיִת, לַהֲמִיתוֹ

2 .הַצִּילֵנִי מֵאֹיְבַי אֱלֹהָי; מִמִּתְקוֹמְמַי תְּשַׂגְּבֵנִי
3 .הַצִּילֵנִי, מִפֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן; וּמֵאַנְשֵׁי דָמִים, הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי
4 ;כִּי הִנֵּה אָרְבוּ, לְנַפְשִׁי-- יָגוּרוּ עָלַי עַזִּים

.לֹא-פִשְׁעִי וְלֹא-חַטָּאתִי יְהוָה

5 .בְּלִי-עָוֺן, יְרֻצוּן וְיִכּוֹנָנוּ; עוּרָה לִקְרָאתִי וּרְאֵה
6 ;אַתָּה יְהוָה-אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹת, אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל-- הָקִיצָה, לִפְקֹד כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם

.אַל-תָּחֹן כָּל-בֹּגְדֵי אָוֶן סֶלָה

7 .יָשׁוּבוּ לָעֶרֶב, יֶהֱמוּ כַכָּלֶב; וִיסוֹבְבוּ עִיר
8 .הִנֵּה, יַבִּיעוּן בְּפִיהֶם--חֲרָבוֹת, בְּשִׂפְתוֹתֵיהֶם: כִּי-מִי שֹׁמֵעַ
9 .וְאַתָּה יְהוָה, תִּשְׂחַק-לָמוֹ; תִּלְעַג, לְכָל-גּוֹיִם
10 .עֻזּוֹ, אֵלֶיךָ אֶשְׁמֹרָה: כִּי-אֱלֹהִים, מִשְׂגַּבִּי
11 .אֱלֹהֵי חסדו (חַסְדִּי) יְקַדְּמֵנִי; אֱלֹהִים, יַרְאֵנִי בְשֹׁרְרָי
12 .אַל-תַּהַרְגֵם, פֶּן יִשְׁכְּחוּ עַמִּי--הֲנִיעֵמוֹ בְחֵילְךָ, וְהוֹרִידֵמוֹ: מָגִנֵּנוּ אֲדֹנָי
13 :חַטַּאת-פִּימוֹ, דְּבַר-שְׂפָתֵימוֹ

.וְיִלָּכְדוּ בִגְאוֹנָם; וּמֵאָלָה וּמִכַּחַשׁ יְסַפֵּרוּ

14 vכַּלֵּה בְחֵמָה, כַּלֵּה וְאֵינֵמוֹ

.וְיֵדְעוּ--כִּי-אֱלֹהִים, מֹשֵׁל בְּיַעֲקֹב; לְאַפְסֵי הָאָרֶץ סֶלָה

15 .וְיָשֻׁבוּ לָעֶרֶב, יֶהֱמוּ כַכָּלֶב; וִיסוֹבְבוּ עִיר
16 .הֵמָּה, ינועון (יְנִיעוּן) לֶאֱכֹל-- אִם-לֹא יִשְׂבְּעוּ, וַיָּלִינוּ
17 :וַאֲנִי, אָשִׁיר עֻזֶּךָ-- וַאֲרַנֵּן לַבֹּקֶר, חַסְדֶּךָ

.כִּי-הָיִיתָ מִשְׂגָּב לִי; וּמָנוֹס, בְּיוֹם צַר-לִי

18 .עֻזִּי, אֵלֶיךָ אֲזַמֵּרָה: כִּי-אֱלֹהִים מִשְׂגַּבִּי, אֱלֹהֵי חַסְדִּי

King James Version

  1. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.
  2. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.
  3. For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.
  4. They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.
  5. Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.
  6. They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
  7. Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
  8. But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.
  9. Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.
  10. The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
  11. Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
  12. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.
  13. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
  14. And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
  15. Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.
  16. But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
  17. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

Heading

To the Chief Musician. Set to "Do Not Destroy". A Michtam of David when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.[6]

This text, connected with an incident recorded in 1 Samuel 19:11–17, may be an editorial addition.[4] "Do Not Destroy", or Altaschith, may refer to an ancient song whose tune was to be used in singing the psalms.[7]

Uses

Judaism

Psalm 59 is one of the ten Psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.[8][3]

Verse 18 (verse 17 in English translations) is found in the repetition of the Amidah during Rosh Hashanah.[9]

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the 11th day of the month.[10]

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 59 in a metred version in German, "Hilf, Herre Gott, errette mich", SWV 156, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628.

References

  1. ↑ Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 58 (59) Archived 7 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
  2. ↑ "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.
  3. 1 2 Greenbaum, Rabbi Avraham (2007). "The Ten Psalms: English Translation". Azamra. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Rodd, C. S., ‘18. Psalms’ in Barton, J. & Muddiman, J. (2001), The Oxford Bible Commentary Archived 2017-11-22 at the Wayback Machine, pp. 383–4.
  5. ↑ "Psalms Chapter 59 תְּהִלִּים". mechon-mamre.org. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  6. ↑ Psalm 59: New King James Version.
  7. ↑ Dunn, James D. G. (19 November 2003). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. p. 401. ISBN 978-0-8028-3711-0.
  8. ↑ Weintraub, Rabbi Simkha Y. (2018). "Psalms as the Ultimate Self-Help Tool". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  9. ↑ The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah, p. 345.
  10. ↑ Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 196ff.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Psalm 59.
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.