Psalm 56
Psalm 56
Faith in the Midst of Fear
Psalm 56 is titled, “To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.” The title connects this psalm to one of the most fearful and humbling moments in David’s life. The phrase “Jonathelemrechokim” is commonly understood as a musical setting, often rendered with the idea of “The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” That description fits David’s condition well. He was like a lonely dove far from safety, surrounded by enemies, displaced from familiar ground, and forced into desperate circumstances.
This psalm is also called a “Michtam of David.” The exact meaning of “Michtam” is debated, but it is often understood as something golden, precious, or preserved. Psalms 16 and 56 through 60 carry this title. These psalms arise from danger, but they contain precious truths about faith, fear, prayer, deliverance, and trust in God.
This is a serious lesson. A man should not ask God to preserve his life while intending to spend that life on himself. David wants to live before God. That is the proper aim of the redeemed life.
This psalm is also called a “Michtam of David.” The exact meaning of “Michtam” is debated, but it is often understood as something golden, precious, or preserved. Psalms 16 and 56 through 60 carry this title. These psalms arise from danger, but they contain precious truths about faith, fear, prayer, deliverance, and trust in God.
The historical background is found in 1 Samuel 21:10 to 15. David had fled from Saul, had gone to Nob, and then fled to Gath, the city of the Philistines. This was a strange and dangerous decision because Gath was the hometown of Goliath, the giant David had killed. David was alone, desperate, afraid, and not thinking clearly. When the servants of Achish recognized him, David became greatly afraid and pretended to be insane in order to escape.
1 Samuel 21:10 to 15, “And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?”
Psalm 56 gives the spiritual side of that crisis. First Samuel records David’s fear and strange behavior. Psalm 56 records his prayer, faith, and confidence in God. The two accounts together show a very human picture of David. He was a man of faith, but he was still capable of fear. He was God’s anointed, but he still made questionable decisions under pressure. Yet even in fear, David knew where to turn. He turned to God.
Psalm 56:1 to 2, Looking to the Most High for Mercy
Psalm 56:1 to 2, “Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.”
David begins with a cry for mercy, “Be merciful unto me, O God.” He does not appeal to his own worthiness. He does not begin by claiming that he deserves rescue. He appeals to the mercy of God. This is always the safest ground for prayer. David’s circumstances were partly caused by the evil of others, especially Saul, but he also knew that his own decisions had placed him in danger. Therefore, he does not pray from pride. He prays from need.
The words “for man would swallow me up” describe the intensity of the threat. David felt surrounded by men who wanted to consume him. The picture is of ravenous enemies with open mouths, ready to devour. Saul hunted him. The Philistines recognized him. The servants of Achish remembered the song, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” David was not facing one small problem. He was pressed by enemies on multiple sides.
He says, “he fighting daily oppresseth me.” The pressure was constant. David was not dealing with one bad moment that quickly passed. He was living under daily hostility. The repeated word “daily” matters. “Mine enemies would daily swallow me up.” Constant danger wears down the soul. A single battle can be endured with courage, but unrelenting pressure tests faith deeply. David’s enemies did not rest, so David had to learn to pray without ceasing.
David says, “for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.” On earth, David was outnumbered. He was one man surrounded by many enemies. Yet he looks upward and calls upon “the Most High.” This title reminds the reader that God is above all earthly powers. Saul may sit on Israel’s throne. Achish may rule in Gath. The Philistines may hold military strength. But God is Most High. He occupies the true high ground.
This is a military and spiritual reality. In battle, high ground matters. David knew that. Spiritually, God’s throne is above all enemies, plans, fears, and threats. The many who fight against David are beneath the One who reigns above them all.
Psalm 56:3 to 4, Afraid and Not Afraid
Psalm 56:3 to 4, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, In God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”
David makes one of the clearest statements in Scripture about fear and faith, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” He does not deny fear. He does not pretend to be untouched by danger. This is the same David who killed Goliath, the same David who fought lions and bears, the same David who led men in battle. Yet he says, “What time I am afraid.” Courage is not the absence of fear. Godly courage is trusting God when fear is present.
This is important because many believers think faith means they must never feel fear. David shows otherwise. Fear and faith may be present in the heart at the same time, but faith must govern fear. Fear may speak, but faith must answer. Fear may rise, but trust must be chosen. David’s response to fear is not panic, denial, or self reliance. His response is, “I will trust in thee.”
David then says, “In God I will praise his word.” His trust is not vague optimism. It is tied to God’s word. David’s confidence rests on what God has revealed, promised, and spoken. This may include the promises associated with David’s anointing through Samuel. God had chosen David to be king. Therefore, David could know that Saul and the Philistines could not destroy him before God’s promise was fulfilled.
1 Samuel 16:12 to 13, “And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.”
God’s word gave David an anchor stronger than his circumstances. If God had spoken, then David could trust. This is how faith works. Faith is not a blind leap into darkness. Faith rests on the character and promises of God. The believer trusts God because God has revealed Himself in His word.
David says, “In God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” This is a movement from fear to confidence. In verse 3, David says, “What time I am afraid.” In verse 4, after declaring trust in God and praise for His word, David says, “I will not fear.” This does not mean his circumstances changed instantly. It means faith has begun to rule his fear.
“What flesh can do unto me” is not a denial that men can hurt the body. David knew men could imprison, wound, betray, and kill. He had killed men in battle himself. The point is that flesh is limited. Men can only do what God permits. They cannot overthrow God’s promise. They cannot defeat God’s purpose. They cannot separate the believer from God’s covenant faithfulness. Flesh is real, but it is not ultimate.
The New Testament echoes this confidence.
Hebrews 13:5 to 6, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
The believer can say what David said because God’s presence is greater than man’s threats. God’s help is stronger than human opposition.
Psalm 56:5 to 7, The Continuing Danger
Psalm 56:5 to 7, “Every day they wrest my words: All their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, They mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. Shall they escape by iniquity? In thine anger cast down the people, O God.”
David now describes the continuing danger. “Every day they wrest my words.” The word “wrest” carries the idea of twisting, distorting, or bending. David’s enemies did not merely oppose him openly. They twisted his words. This is one of the common weapons of the wicked. They take what a righteous man says, distort it, assign false motives, and use it against him.
This kind of attack is especially exhausting because truth must constantly be defended against manipulation. David could not simply speak and be understood. His enemies labored to turn his words into weapons against him. This is a familiar pattern in Scripture. The enemies of Christ also tried to trap Him in His words.
Luke 11:53 to 54, “And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, And to provoke him to speak of many things: Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.”
David’s enemies were doing the same kind of thing in principle. They were looking for anything they could twist, exploit, or use to destroy him.
“All their thoughts are against me for evil.” This shows the depth of their hostility. They were not occasionally irritated with David. Their thoughts were organized against him. Their planning, imagination, and intention were evil. The mind of fallen man can become a workshop of malice when the fear of God is absent.
“They gather themselves together, they hide themselves.” David’s enemies were coordinated and secretive. They gathered in conspiracy, then hid themselves for ambush. This was not fair conflict. It was predatory. They used secrecy because their intentions were evil.
“They mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.” They watched David’s movements closely. They tracked him. They studied his habits. They waited for an opportunity to take his life. David was being hunted. Whether this refers to Saul’s men, the Philistines, or both, the danger was real and constant.
David then appeals to divine justice, “Shall they escape by iniquity?” This is a question that expects the answer no. The wicked should not escape by means of wickedness. Evil should not be allowed to succeed without answer. David is not asking for personal revenge apart from God. He is asking the righteous Judge to bring justice.
“In thine anger cast down the people, O God.” David asks God to act in holy anger. God’s anger is not like sinful human rage. It is His settled righteous opposition to evil. David sees that the enemies are not merely against him, they are acting wickedly before God. Therefore, he asks God to cast them down.
This kind of prayer must be understood carefully. David does not take vengeance into his own hands. He brings the matter to God. The righteous may desire justice while refusing personal revenge. God alone judges perfectly.
Romans 12:19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, But rather give place unto wrath: For it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
Psalm 56:8 to 9, God Noticed David’s Misery
Psalm 56:8 to 9, “Thou tellest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle: Are they not in thy book? When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: This I know; for God is for me.”
David now moves from the cruelty of his enemies to the tender knowledge of God. “Thou tellest my wanderings.” The word “tellest” carries the idea of counting or numbering. David’s life at this stage was marked by wandering. He had fled from Saul. He had gone to Nob. He had gone to Gath. Soon he would go to the cave of Adullam. He was displaced, unstable, and without settled rest.
Yet God counted every wandering. David was not lost to God. He may have felt alone, but he was not unobserved. Every step, every hiding place, every forced movement, every lonely road, every fearful night was known by God. The believer may be displaced in circumstances, but he is never misplaced in the sight of God.
“Put thou my tears into thy bottle.” This is one of the most tender images in the Psalms. David believes God treasures, remembers, and records the tears of His servant. His sorrow is not dismissed. His grief is not wasted. His tears are not invisible. Whether the image refers to a literal ancient custom of collecting tears or simply uses poetic language, the meaning is clear. God cares about the suffering of His people in detail.
“Are they not in thy book?” God records what men ignore. Enemies may forget the pain they cause, but God does not. The world may dismiss tears as weakness, but God remembers them. David’s wanderings and tears were known in heaven. This gave him comfort when no human companion stood with him.
This truth is consistent throughout Scripture. God sees affliction and hears cries.
Exodus 3:7, “And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, And have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; For I know their sorrows;”
God did not merely observe Israel’s suffering from a distance. He knew their sorrows. David rests in that same kind of divine care.
David then says, “When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back.” Prayer changes the situation because God hears. David does not say, “When I outsmart them,” or “When I gather enough allies,” or “When I become fearless.” He says, “When I cry unto thee.” His confidence is in God’s response to prayer.
“This I know; for God is for me.” This is the central confidence of the psalm. David’s enemies were many, but God was for him. David’s tears were many, but God was for him. David’s wanderings were many, but God was for him. David’s fear was real, but God was for him.
This does not mean David had an easy path. It means God’s covenant purpose stood behind him. If God is for a man, opposition cannot have the final word. Paul expresses the same truth in Romans 8.
Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
The answer is not that no one can oppose the believer. Many can oppose. Saul opposed David. The Philistines opposed David. The servants of Achish opposed David. But no opposition can finally defeat the purpose of God toward His own.
Psalm 56:10 to 11, Confidence in God Declared Again
Psalm 56:10 to 11, “In God will I praise his word: In the LORD will I praise his word. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.”
David repeats the confession from earlier in the psalm, but now with fuller emphasis. “In God will I praise his word: In the LORD will I praise his word.” He uses both “God” and “LORD.” “God” speaks of the mighty Creator and sovereign Ruler. “LORD” represents the covenant name of God, Jehovah, the faithful God of Israel. David praises the word of the sovereign God and the covenant LORD.
This repetition matters because fear often requires repeated truth. David preaches to his own soul more than once. He has already declared trust, but he declares it again. The believer often needs to repeat God’s truth until the soul comes under it. Fear repeats its arguments. Faith must repeat God’s word.
“In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.” David again places man in proper perspective. Man can threaten, chase, twist words, hide, watch, and wait for life. But man is not God. Man is limited. God is Most High. God is for His servant. Therefore, David will not be ruled by fear.
This is not natural confidence. It is spiritual confidence. David was not safe because Gath was friendly. It was not. He was not safe because Saul had stopped pursuing him. He had not. He was safe because God’s purpose could not fail.
The believer must learn the same lesson. Circumstances may not look safe. People may not be trustworthy. Enemies may be active. But God’s word is worthy of praise, and God Himself is worthy of trust.
Psalm 56:12 to 13, Fulfilling the Vow
Psalm 56:12 to 13, “Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death: Wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, That I may walk before God in the light of the living?”
David now speaks of vows and praise. “Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.” In distress, David had likely vowed to give thanks and worship when God delivered him. He now recognizes that those vows are binding. He will not receive mercy and then forget gratitude. Deliverance requires praise.
This teaches an important principle. Many people pray urgently in trouble, but forget God after rescue. David refuses that. The vows are upon him. He will render praises to God. True faith remembers the Lord after the crisis passes.
Thanksgiving was connected to sacrifice under the Old Covenant.
Leviticus 7:12, “If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, And unleavened wafers anointed with oil, And cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.”
David may have been far from the altar at the time, but in his heart the praise was already promised. He knew God would deliver, and he prepared to give thanks.
“For thou hast delivered my soul from death.” David had been in danger of death. Saul wanted him dead. The Philistines could have killed him. Achish could have imprisoned or executed him. Yet God delivered his soul from death. The language may be spoken in faith before the deliverance was visible, or as testimony afterward. Either way, David gives God the credit.
“Wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling.” David moves from past deliverance to ongoing dependence. The God who delivered his soul from death can also keep his feet from falling. David needs more than survival. He needs preservation. He needs God to keep him from collapsing, stumbling, or falling into ruin.
This is vital. A man may be delivered from an external danger but still fall spiritually if he does not continue depending on God. David asks for his feet to be kept, not merely his life to be spared. He wants to walk rightly.
“That I may walk before God in the light of the living.” This gives the purpose of deliverance. God did not spare David so David could live for himself. God spared him so he could walk before God. To walk before God means to live consciously in God’s presence, under God’s eye, according to God’s will, and for God’s glory.
“The light of the living” means continued life under God’s favor and presence. David wants to live, but not merely to exist. He wants to live before God. This is the right end of all deliverance. God rescues His people so they may walk with Him.
This verse also points toward the greater light revealed in Christ.
John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, But shall have the light of life.”
David desired to walk before God in the light of the living. Christ gives the light of life to those who follow Him. The deliverance David experienced in temporal danger points forward to the greater salvation found in the Son of David, Jesus Christ.
The Doctrine of Fear and Faith in Psalm 56
Psalm 56 teaches that fear and faith can be present in the same heart, but faith must rule. David says, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” He does not pretend fear is absent. He brings fear into the presence of God and answers it with trust.
This is a necessary doctrine for real life. Believers face danger, betrayal, sickness, financial pressure, enemies, uncertainty, and spiritual warfare. The Bible does not command a fake emotional hardness. It commands trust in God. Faith is not proven by never feeling fear. Faith is proven by trusting God when fear rises.
David’s example corrects two errors. First, it corrects the error of cowardice, where fear is allowed to rule and obedience is abandoned. Second, it corrects the error of pride, where a man pretends he has no fear and refuses to depend on God. David does neither. He admits fear and chooses trust.
The Doctrine of God’s Word in Psalm 56
David repeatedly says, “I will praise his word.” His trust is anchored in revelation. God’s word reveals God’s character, promises, covenant faithfulness, commands, and purposes. Without God’s word, faith becomes vague feeling. With God’s word, faith has foundation.
David may have had in mind the specific word connected to his anointing as king, but the principle applies broadly. The believer knows God through Scripture. The believer resists fear through Scripture. The believer praises God’s word because it tells the truth when circumstances lie.
Fear says, “You are finished.” God’s word says He is faithful. Fear says, “Enemies will win.” God’s word says God reigns. Fear says, “You are alone.” God’s word says God is with His people. Faith praises God’s word because the word of God carries the authority of God Himself.
The Doctrine of Divine Sympathy and Remembrance
Psalm 56 gives one of the tenderest doctrines of God’s care, “Thou tellest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle: Are they not in thy book?” God is not indifferent to the suffering of His people. He counts their wanderings, preserves their tears, and records their grief.
This matters because suffering often feels unseen. David was alone in Gath. He was separated from familiar support. He was in enemy territory. Yet heaven was not distant. God saw every step and every tear.
The believer should not measure God’s care by immediate relief alone. Sometimes God cares by sustaining, recording, remembering, and preparing deliverance in His time. Not one tear of the faithful is wasted before Him.
The Doctrine of God Being For His People
David says, “This I know; for God is for me.” This is covenant confidence. God’s favor does not mean David has no enemies. It means enemies cannot finally defeat God’s purpose for him. The truth that God is for His people is not sentimental. It is strong enough to stand in Gath, under Saul’s pursuit, and amid twisted words and hidden ambush.
For the New Testament believer, this confidence is grounded in the finished work of Christ. Romans 8 ties God’s being for us to the giving of His Son.
Romans 8:31 to 32, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, But delivered him up for us all, How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
The cross is the final proof that God is for His redeemed people. If God gave His Son, then no enemy can overturn His saving purpose.
The Doctrine of Vows, Praise, and Purpose
David says, “Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.” Deliverance creates obligation. Grace does not produce forgetfulness. It produces worship. David knows that God’s mercy demands thanksgiving.
He also understands the purpose of deliverance, “That I may walk before God in the light of the living.” God does not deliver a man so he may return to self rule. He delivers him so he may walk before Him. Every rescue, every answered prayer, every preserved day, and every mercy should lead to a life lived consciously before God.
This is a serious lesson. A man should not ask God to preserve his life while intending to spend that life on himself. David wants to live before God. That is the proper aim of the redeemed life.
Practical Lessons from Psalm 56
Psalm 56 teaches that the believer should bring fear directly to God. David did not wait until he felt brave. He prayed while afraid. Fear should open the mouth in prayer, not close it in despair.
Psalm 56 teaches that the mercy of God is the safest appeal. David’s first words are, “Be merciful unto me, O God.” When danger is severe and one’s own decisions may have contributed to the trouble, mercy is the right place to begin.
Psalm 56 teaches that constant pressure requires repeated trust. David’s enemies were daily against him, so David repeatedly declared trust in God. A daily battle requires daily faith.
Psalm 56 teaches that the twisting of words is an old tactic of the wicked. David’s enemies wrested his words. The enemies of Christ did the same. The believer should expect that truth may be distorted by those hostile to righteousness, and he should entrust his cause to God.
Psalm 56 teaches that God remembers tears. The Lord counts the wanderings of His people and records their grief. Suffering may feel unseen by men, but it is seen by God.
Psalm 56 teaches that the believer must preach truth to his own soul. David says more than once, “In God have I put my trust.” He repeats the truth because fear is stubborn. Faith must answer fear with God’s word.
Psalm 56 teaches that deliverance should lead to praise and obedience. David vows to render praises because God delivered him. He wants his feet kept from falling so that he may walk before God. The goal of rescue is a life lived under God’s eye and for God’s glory.
