Psalm 56 is the 56th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up". In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 55. In Latin, it is known as "Miserere mei Deus quoniam conculcavit me homo".[1][2] The psalm is the first of a series of five psalms in this part of the book which are referred to as Miktams. It is attributed to King David and may be considered representative of him or anyone else hiding from an enemy.[3]
Psalm 56 | |
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"Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up" | |
![]() Psalm 56 in a Portuguese Bible | |
Other name |
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Language | Hebrew (original) |
Psalm 56 | |
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← Psalm 55 Psalm 57 → | |
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 |
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music.
Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 56:[4]
Verse | Hebrew |
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1 | לַֽמְנַצֵּ֚חַ עַל־י֬וֹנַת אֵ֣לֶם רְ֖חֹקִים לְדָוִ֣ד מִכְתָּ֑ם בֶּֽאֱחֹ֨ז אוֹת֖וֹ פְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים בְּגַֽת |
2 | חָנֵּ֣נִי אֱ֖לֹהִים כִּֽי־שְׁאָפַ֣נִי אֱנ֑וֹשׁ כָּל־הַ֜יּ֗וֹם לֹחֵ֥ם יִלְחָצֵֽנִי |
3 | שָֽׁאֲפ֣וּ שׁ֖וֹרְרַי כָּל־הַיּ֑וֹם כִּֽי־רַבִּ֨ים לֹֽחֲמִ֖ים לִ֣י מָרֽוֹם |
4 | י֥וֹם אִירָ֑א אֲ֜נִ֗י אֵלֶ֥יךָ אֶבְטָֽח |
5 | בֵּֽאלֹהִים֘ אֲהַלֵּ֪ל דְּבָ֫ר֥וֹ בֵּֽאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֖טַחְתִּי לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־יַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה בָשָׂ֣ר לִֽי |
6 | כָּל־הַ֖יּוֹם דְּבָרַ֣י יְעַצֵּ֑בוּ עָלַ֖י כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָ֣ם לָרָֽע |
7 | יָג֚וּרוּ יִצְפּ֗וֹנוּ (כתיב יִצְפֹּ֗ינוּ) הֵ֖מָּה עֲקֵבַ֣י יִשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר קִוּ֣וּ נַפְשִֽׁי |
8 | עַל־אָ֥וֶן פַּלֶּט־לָ֑מוֹ בְּ֜אַ֗ף עַמִּ֚ים | הוֹרֵ֬ד אֱלֹהִֽים |
9 | נֹדִי֘ סָפַ֪רְתָּה֫ אָ֥תָּה שִׂ֣ימָה דִמְעָתִ֣י בְנֹאדֶ֑ךָ הֲ֜לֹ֗א בְּסִפְרָתֶֽךָ |
10 | אָ֚ז | יָ֘שׁ֚וּבוּ אֽוֹיְבַ֣י אָ֖חוֹר בְּי֣וֹם אֶקְרָ֑א זֶ֥ה יָ֜דַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים לִֽי |
11 | בֵּ֣אלֹהִים אֲהַלֵּ֣ל דָּבָ֑ר בַּֽ֜יהֹוָ֗ה אֲהַלֵּ֥ל דָּבָֽר |
12 | בֵּֽאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֖טַחְתִּי לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־יַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה אָדָ֣ם לִֽי |
13 | עָלַ֣י אֱלֹהִ֣ים נְדָרֶ֑יךָ אֲשַׁלֵּ֖ם תּוֹד֣וֹת לָֽךְ |
14 | כִּ֚י הִצַּ֪לְתָּ נַפְשִׁ֡י מִמָּוֶת֘ הֲלֹ֥א רַגְלַ֗י מִ֫דֶּ֥חִי לְ֖הִתְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּ֜א֗וֹר הַֽחַיִּֽים |
The following is the full English text of the Psalm from the King James Bible.
In the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 56:1 comprises the designation
rendered in the New King James Version as "Set to 'The Silent Dove in Distant Lands'." From then on verses 1–13 in English versions correspond to verses 2–14 in the Hebrew text. The heading in the Septuagint reads "for the people far off from the holy places (or holy people)", while the Targum has "concerning the congregation of Israel, which is compared to a silent dove at the time when they were far from their cities, and turned again and praised the Lord of the world'".[5]
The historical setting of this Psalm, as given in its title, is David's flight to Gath, which is recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10–15.[5] It is a prayer for help against enemies, ascribed to royal rites, as indicated by the interpretation of the 'peoples' in verse 7 as foreign enemies, the references to national war in verses 1–2, 9, as well as the vows and thank-offerings (verse 12) which are particularly suitable for a king, and the references to 'death' and the 'light of life' (verse 13) are also linked to royal imagery.[5]
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.[6]
Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of a paraphrase of Psalm 40 in German, "Herr Gott, erzeig mir Hülf und Gnad", SWV 153, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628. Mendelssohn used a verse in German for the text of the third movement from his Lobgesang. Alan Hovhaness set text from this Psalm, as well as Psalms 54 and 55, in his 1966 work Make a Joyful Noise.[7]
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