Psalm 56 (JND) - Bible Truth Library

upon {Jonath-elem-rechokim.} Or, as it may be rendered, "concerning the dumb dove, (or oppressed band) in distant places," i.e., David, or his companions; though some consider it as the name of a tune, and others a musical instrument.Michtam.

or, a golden Psalm.

Psa. 16:1• ¹Michtam of David. Preserve me, O *God: for I trust in thee. (Psa. 16:1)

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Psa. 57:1• ¹To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam; when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me; for my soul taketh refuge in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings do I take refuge, until the calamities be overpast. (Psa. 57:1)

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Psa. 58:1• ¹To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam. Is righteousness indeed silent? Do ye speak it? Do ye judge with equity, ye sons of men? (Psa. 58:1)

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Psa. 59:1• ¹To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God; secure me on high from them that rise up against me. (Psa. 59:1)

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Psa. 60:1• ¹To the chief Musician. On Shushan. Testimony. Michtam of David; to teach: when he strove with the Syrians of Mesopotamia, and the Syrians of Zobah, and Joab returned, and smote the Edomites in the valley of salt, twelve thousand. O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased: restore us again. (Psa. 60:1)

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Psa. 60• (Psa. 60)

:*titles

when.

1 Sam. 21:11‑15• ¹¹And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has smitten his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
¹²And David took to heart these words, and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
¹³And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.
¹⁴And Achish said to his servants, Behold, ye see the man is mad: why did ye bring him to me?
¹⁵have I lack of madmen, that ye have brought this one to rave in my presence? shall this man come into my house? (1 Sam. 21:11‑15)

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Be.

Psa. 31:9• ⁹Be gracious unto me, Jehovah, for I am in trouble: mine eye wasteth away with vexation, my soul and my belly. (Psa. 31:9)

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Psa. 57:1‑3• ¹To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam; when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me; for my soul taketh refuge in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings do I take refuge, until the calamities be overpast.
²I will call unto God, the Most High; unto *God that performeth all for me.
³He will send from the heavens and save me; he hath covered with reproach him that would swallow me up. Selah. God hath sent forth his loving-kindness and his truth. (Psa. 57:1‑3)

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Psa. 59:10• ¹⁰God, whose loving-kindness will come to meet me,--God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. (Psa. 59:10)

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Psa. 69:13‑16• ¹³But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, Jehovah, in an acceptable time: O God, in the abundance of thy loving-kindness answer me, according to the truth of thy salvation:
¹⁴Deliver me out of the mire, let me not sink; let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the depths of waters.
¹⁵Let not the flood of waters overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up; and let not the pit shut its mouth upon me.
¹⁶Answer me, O Jehovah; for thy loving-kindness is good: according to the abundance of thy tender mercies, turn toward me; (Psa. 69:13‑16)

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Psa. 136:10,15,17‑20• ¹⁰To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever,
¹⁵And overturned Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever;
¹⁷To him that smote great kings, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever,
¹⁸And slew famous kings, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever;
¹⁹Sihon king of the Amorites, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever,
²⁰And Og king of Bashan, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever; (Psa. 136:10,15,17‑20)

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Psa. 143:12• ¹²And in thy loving-kindness cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that oppress my soul: for I am thy servant. (Psa. 143:12)

swallow.

Psa. 21:9• ⁹Thou shalt make them as a fiery furnace in the time of thy presence; Jehovah shall swallow them up in his anger, and the fire shall devour them: (Psa. 21:9)

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Psa. 27:2• ²When evil-doers, mine adversaries and mine enemies, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. (Psa. 27:2)

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Psa. 35:25• ²⁵Let them not say in their heart, Aha! so would we have it. Let them not say, We have swallowed him up. (Psa. 35:25)

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Psa. 57:3• ³He will send from the heavens and save me; he hath covered with reproach him that would swallow me up. Selah. God hath sent forth his loving-kindness and his truth. (Psa. 57:3)

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Psa. 106:17• ¹⁷The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram; (Psa. 106:17)

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Psa. 124:3• ³Then they had swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; (Psa. 124:3)

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Prov. 1:12• ¹²let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Prov. 1:12)

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Lam. 2:2,5,16• ²The Lord hath swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob, and hath not spared; he hath thrown down in his wrath the strongholds of the daughter of Judah: he hath brought them down to the ground; he hath profaned the kingdom and the princes thereof.
⁵The Lord is become as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel; he hath swallowed up all her palaces; he hath destroyed his strongholds, and hath multiplied in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.
¹⁶All thine enemies open their mouth against thee, they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up; this is forsooth the day that we looked for: we have found, we have seen it. (Lam. 2:2,5,16)

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Hos. 8:8• ⁸Israel is swallowed up: now are they become among the nations as a vessel wherein is no pleasure. (Hos. 8:8)

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1 Cor. 15:54• ⁵⁴But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the word written: Death has been swallowed up in victory. (1 Cor. 15:54)

• Book 2, Series 2. The Great Tribulation. (““The Placement of the Psalms in Prophecy”” by B. Anstey)

• The soul has got out of the depth of inward distress in which it was in psalm 55. For, though the faithful one's enemies lie in wait for him, it is not the unfaithfulness and treachery of friends. They are enemies who seek to wrong him. He is afraid, more than distressed, and looks through the difficulties to God. Faith is readily in activity. In the previous psalm his spirit was inwardly deeply depressed. Here he is only tried. (“Practical Reflections on the Psalms: Psalms 55-58” by J.N. Darby)

• In psalm 55 it is only at the 19th verse and at the end he can bring God in. Here God is at once before his soul. In truth outward trials are little compared with inward breaches on the spirit. The spirit [even] of a man will bear his infirmities, but a wounded spirit who can bear? The saint's trust, then, is in God. (“Practical Reflections on the Psalms: Psalms 55-58” by J.N. Darby)

• (vv. 1-3) Surrounded by enemies that daily oppose, oppress, and seek his life, the godly man finds relief from his fears by turning to God and trusting in Him. (“Psalms 56” by H. Smith)

• Again, this psalm was written when David was outside the land (see heading). Gath is in the land of the Philistines. “Jonath-elem-recholsim” means “a silent dove in far off lands.” (“Book 2.” by B. Anstey)

J. N. Darby Translation

To the chief Musician. On Jonathelem-rechokimk. Of David. Michtaml; when the Philistines took him in Gath. Be gracious unto me, O God; for manm would swallow me upn: all the day long fighting he oppresseth me.

JND Translation Notes

"The mute dove in the distance," or "the dove of the distant terebinths."

See Ps. 16.

Enosh.

Strictly, "pant after me," like a wild beast thirsting for blood; and so Ps. 57.3; Amos 8.4.