Psalm 59

Psalm 59

Praise to My High Tower Against Assassins

Psalm 59 is titled, “To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.” The word “Altaschith” means “Destroy not,” and it connects this psalm with Psalm 57, Psalm 58, and Psalm 75. These psalms emphasize the preservation of the righteous and the judgment of the wicked. Psalm 59 is also called a “Michtam,” one of David’s golden psalms. It records David’s prayer and praise during the night when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to murder him.

The historical background is found in 1 Samuel 19. Saul’s hatred for David had moved from jealousy and suspicion into open murderous intent. He sent assassins to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. Michal, David’s wife and Saul’s daughter, warned David and helped him escape through a window. This was the beginning of David’s long fugitive years, when he would live for many years under threat, hunted by Saul and forced away from home, stability, and public life.

1 Samuel 19:11 to 12, “Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: And Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain. So Michal let David down through a window: And he went, and fled, and escaped.”

Psalm 59 shows the spiritual side of that terrifying night. David was not facing a vague threat. Armed men were outside his house, waiting to kill him. Yet the psalm moves from urgent prayer, to honest description of danger, to confidence in God, to a final song of praise. The assassins growl like dogs in the evening, but David sings of God’s power and mercy in the morning.

Psalm 59:1 to 2, A Prayer for Deliverance and Defense

Psalm 59:1 to 2, “Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: Defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from bloody men.”

David begins with the direct cry, “Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God.” The danger is immediate and personal. Saul’s men are outside his house. David does not first appeal to political loyalty, military skill, personal courage, or human strategy. He appeals to God. The phrase “O my God” is important. David knows God personally. This is not cold religion or formal speech. He is calling upon the God who belongs to him by covenant mercy and personal faith.

Throughout Psalm 59, David uses deeply personal names for God. He calls Him “my God,” “my defence,” “my God of mercy,” and “my strength.” These titles show that David’s confidence is not abstract. God is not merely powerful in general. God is David’s God, David’s defense, David’s mercy, and David’s strength. The danger is personal, but so is the relationship with God.

David says, “Defend me from them that rise up against me.” The word translated “defend” carries the idea of lifting up into a high and secure place. David is asking God to raise him above the reach of his enemies, like a man placed in a high tower or fortress. This becomes a major theme of the psalm. David needs more than a hiding place. He needs God Himself as his high tower.

“Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from bloody men.” David calls his enemies what they are. They are workers of iniquity and bloody men. Saul’s assassins were not merely soldiers following normal lawful orders. They were men engaged in wickedness. They were willing to shed innocent blood to satisfy Saul’s jealousy and perhaps gain favor with the king.

David’s prayer shows that when human authority commands evil, that authority does not become righteous simply because it is official. Saul was king, but his order was wicked. The men who carried it out were workers of iniquity. Human government is accountable to God.

Exodus 20:13, “Thou shalt not kill.”

The commandment forbids murder. Saul’s order against David was murderous. David had not committed a capital crime. He was innocent of the charge that Saul’s hatred implied. Therefore, David appeals to the righteous God for deliverance from bloodthirsty men.

Psalm 59:3 to 5, Describing the Need

Psalm 59:3 to 5, “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. They run and prepare themselves without my fault: Awake to help me, and behold. 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.”

David says, “For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul.” This is the language of ambush. The assassins are not confronting him honorably. They are lying in wait, watching his house, waiting for the right moment to kill him. David’s own home, which should have been a place of peace and rest, has become the place of a death trap.

“The mighty are gathered against me.” These were not weak opponents. They represented the power of Saul’s throne. The force of the state had been turned against David. He was not facing one angry man in the street. He was facing an organized plot backed by royal authority. From a human standpoint, the situation looked impossible.

David then says, “Not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.” David is not claiming sinless perfection. He is saying that this attack is not justified by anything he has done. He had not betrayed Saul. He had not committed treason. He had not tried to seize the throne by force. He had served faithfully, fought Israel’s enemies, soothed Saul with music, and repeatedly behaved wisely.

1 Samuel 18:14 to 15, “And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; And the LORD was with him. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.”

David’s innocence made Saul’s hatred more wicked. Saul feared David because the Lord was with him. David’s success exposed Saul’s insecurity and spiritual decline. Therefore, the attack was not because of David’s transgression, but because of Saul’s jealousy and rebellion against God.

“They run and prepare themselves without my fault.” The wicked are energetic in their evil. They run. They prepare. They coordinate. They are diligent in unrighteousness. There is a rebuke here by contrast. Wicked men often labor harder for evil than some righteous men labor for truth. Saul’s servants are alert, organized, and active in murder. David asks God to see it.

“Awake to help me, and behold.” David speaks as though asking God to awaken. This is not because God literally sleeps. It is the language of urgent prayer from a man who needs immediate intervention. David is saying, “Lord, act now. Look at what is happening. Come to my aid.”

David then calls upon God with a full and weighty title, “Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel.” Each title strengthens the prayer. “LORD” is Jehovah, the covenant God. “God of hosts” presents Him as the commander of heavenly armies. “The God of Israel” reminds the reader that He is the God of His chosen people. David is not calling upon a tribal idol. He is calling upon the covenant Lord who commands the armies of heaven and rules over Israel.

1 Samuel 17:45, “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, And with a spear, and with a shield: But I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, The God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.”

David had trusted the LORD of hosts against Goliath, and now he trusts Him against Saul’s assassins. The enemy has changed, but God has not.

“Awake to visit all the heathen: Be not merciful to any wicked transgressors.” David’s prayer expands from his own danger to God’s justice among the nations. His own deliverance becomes part of a larger longing, that God would judge wickedness wherever it is found. The word “visit” here carries the idea of God coming in judgment, inspection, and accountability.

“Be not merciful to any wicked transgressors.” This is a severe prayer, but the target is hardened wickedness. David is not asking God to withhold saving mercy from repentant sinners. He is asking God not to spare wicked transgressors who persist in bloodshed and rebellion. The issue is divine justice.

The verse ends with “Selah,” calling the reader to pause. David is surrounded by assassins, but he prays to the God of hosts. Men plot in the dark, but God sees from heaven.

Psalm 59:6 to 7, The Proud Arrogance of David’s Enemies

Psalm 59:6 to 7, “They return at evening: They make a noise like a dog, And go round about the city. Behold, they belch out with their mouth: Swords are in their lips: For who, say they, doth hear?”

David describes the assassins as returning at evening. They are persistent. They do not easily give up. The image is of men prowling around the city at night, circling like hungry or dangerous dogs. “They make a noise like a dog, And go round about the city.” In the ancient world, dogs were often not pampered household pets, but scavenging, noisy, aggressive animals roaming streets in packs.

The comparison is intentionally degrading. These men may think of themselves as loyal agents of the king, but David sees them spiritually. They are like snarling dogs, prowling in darkness, looking for blood.

“Behold, they belch out with their mouth.” Their speech bursts out without restraint. They foam, gush, or pour out words. Their mouths reveal the ugliness of their hearts. “Swords are in their lips.” Again David emphasizes the violent power of speech. Their words are not merely noise. They are weapons. They threaten, curse, lie, mock, and perhaps boast about killing David.

This has been a recurring theme through these psalms. The wicked use their mouths as razors, swords, poison, and arrows. Psalm 59 continues that theme. The assassins are physically dangerous, but their speech also reveals their wickedness.

Psalm 52:2, “Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.”

Psalm 57:4, “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.”

The mouth of the wicked often reveals what the hand intends to do. Murder begins in the heart, comes through the mouth, and then acts through the hand.

“For who, say they, doth hear?” This is the arrogance of practical atheism. They think no one hears. They either believe David cannot hear them, or more importantly, that God does not hear and will not judge. This is the mind of the wicked, to speak and act as though there is no divine accountability.

Psalm 10:11, “He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: He hideth his face; He will never see it.”

This is foolishness. God hears what men whisper. God sees what men plan. God knows what men intend. The assassins may circle David’s house in darkness, but darkness does not hide them from God.

Psalm 59:8 to 10, David’s Strong Confidence in God

Psalm 59:8 to 10, “But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; Thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: For God is my defence. The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.”

David now lifts his eyes from the prowling assassins to the Lord. “But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them.” The contrast is powerful. The enemies belch, boast, and say, “Who hears?” But the Lord laughs. Their arrogance is absurd before Him. They think themselves dangerous, hidden, and untouchable. God sees them as foolish rebels.

This language is similar to Psalm 2, where the kings and rulers of the earth gather against the Lord and His Anointed, but God laughs from heaven.

Psalm 2:1 to 4, “Why do the heathen rage, And the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, And cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The Lord shall have them in derision.”

David’s situation with Saul’s assassins becomes a smaller picture of a larger reality. All who rise against God and His anointed are ultimately ridiculous in their rebellion. The Lord does not panic. He laughs because their rebellion is vain.

“Thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.” David sees beyond the immediate threat to the universal rule of God. If God can laugh at the nations in rebellion, He can certainly handle the men outside David’s house. The Lord’s victory is not local only. He rules over all nations.

“Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: For God is my defence.” The wording can be difficult, but the meaning is that David will wait upon God because strength belongs to God. David does not rush into panic. He does not rely on his own strength. He waits on the Lord because God is his defense.

The word “defence” carries the idea of a high tower or fortress. David cannot stand against Saul’s machinery of power by himself. But God is his high tower. A high tower gives visibility, elevation, protection, and security. The enemy below cannot easily reach the one lifted up into the stronghold.

Proverbs 18:10, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: The righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”

David’s high tower is not stone. It is God Himself. The name, character, power, mercy, and covenant faithfulness of the Lord are David’s defense.

“The God of my mercy shall prevent me.” The word “prevent” in older English means to go before, to meet, or to come ahead of. David is saying that the God of his mercy will come to meet him, even go before him. God’s mercy is not late. God’s mercy moves toward David in the crisis.

This is a beautiful phrase, “The God of my mercy.” David does not merely say God has mercy. He says God is the God of my mercy. All mercy David needs is found in God. Mercy will meet him before the enemy overtakes him.

“God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.” The words “my desire” are supplied in English, but the meaning is that David will look upon his enemies without fear. God will enable him to see their defeat, their scattering, or their failure to destroy him. The hunted man will not always be hunted. The assassins will not have the final word.

Psalm 59:11 to 13, David Asks That His Enemies Be Defeated to Bring God Glory

Psalm 59:11 to 13, “Slay them not, lest my people forget: Scatter them by thy power; And bring them down, O Lord our shield. 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. 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.”

David’s prayer becomes more specific. “Slay them not, lest my people forget: Scatter them by thy power; And bring them down, O Lord our shield.” David does not merely want a quick private deliverance. He wants God’s judgment to teach the people. If the enemies simply die immediately, the lesson may be quickly forgotten. If they are scattered and brought down visibly, their defeat becomes a lasting warning.

This shows that David’s imprecatory prayers are not driven merely by personal revenge. He is concerned for God’s honor and the instruction of God’s people. The public defeat of wicked men can serve as a public lesson in divine justice.

“O Lord our shield.” David shifts from personal language to corporate language. God is not only “my defense,” but “our shield.” David’s trouble matters to the whole people of God because Saul’s wickedness and the conduct of his assassins threaten justice in Israel. When leadership becomes bloodthirsty, the whole nation suffers.

David identifies the sin clearly, “For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips.” Again, speech is central. These men are not only guilty because of what they intend to do with their hands. They are guilty because of what they speak with their mouths. Words matter before God. Their cursing, lying, boasting, threatening, and arrogant speech are sins.

“Let them even be taken in their pride.” Pride is the trap of the wicked. They say, “Who hears?” They think they can act without accountability. David asks God to let their own pride become their snare. This is a frequent pattern in Scripture. The wicked are caught by their own arrogance.

“And for cursing and lying which they speak.” Cursing and lying often travel together. The wicked curse what God blesses and lie about what God has made true. These men likely cursed David, lied about his intentions, and spoke falsely to justify violence against him. David asks God to judge them for the actual words they speak.

“Consume them in wrath, consume them, That they may not be.” A few lines earlier David said, “Slay them not.” Now he says, “Consume them.” The point is not contradiction. David is expressing his desire that God thoroughly deal with them. Whether by scattering, bringing down, consuming, or removing them, David wants God to stop their wickedness.

The governing concern is stated at the end of the verse, “And let them know that God ruleth in Jacob Unto the ends of the earth.” This is the main issue. David wants God’s rule to be known. The assassins act as if no one hears. David wants them and all people to know that God rules. He rules in Jacob, meaning among His covenant people Israel. He also rules unto the ends of the earth, meaning His authority is universal.

This echoes what David said to Goliath, not long before Saul’s murderous campaign intensified.

1 Samuel 17:46, “This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; And I will smite thee, And take thine head from thee; And I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, And to the wild beasts of the earth; That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”

David’s concern in both settings is the glory of God. Whether facing Goliath or Saul’s assassins, David wants the earth to know that God rules. His own deliverance is part of a larger testimony.

The verse ends with “Selah.” The reader should pause over the truth that God rules in Jacob and unto the ends of the earth. Saul may be king, but God rules. The assassins may be active, but God rules. The nations may rage, but God rules.

Psalm 59:14 to 15, The Abiding Danger

Psalm 59:14 to 15, “And at evening let them return; And let them make a noise like a dog, And go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat, And grudge if they be not satisfied.”

David repeats the imagery from verse 6. “And at evening let them return; And let them make a noise like a dog, And go round about the city.” The repetition emphasizes the persistence and ugliness of the danger. The assassins continue circling. They continue making noise. They continue acting like a pack of hungry dogs.

This repetition also creates contrast with David’s coming song in the morning. The wicked return at evening and howl. David will sing in the morning. Their night noise is answered by his morning praise.

“Let them wander up and down for meat, And grudge if they be not satisfied.” These men are pictured as scavengers. They wander hungry, restless, unsatisfied. Their appetite is for David’s blood, but God will frustrate them. Wicked hunger is never truly satisfied. Sin always demands more. Violence, pride, and hatred do not bring peace. They leave men wandering, growling, and empty.

The image is degrading but fitting. Men who reject God and seek innocent blood reduce themselves below the dignity of righteous manhood. Instead of acting as servants of justice, they prowl like dogs.

Psalm 59:16 to 17, Singing Praise Despite the Danger

Psalm 59:16 to 17, “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. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: For God is my defence, And the God of my mercy.”

David ends with praise. “But I will sing of thy power.” The word “but” marks the contrast. The wicked howl, but David sings. The wicked belch with their mouths, but David uses his mouth for praise. The wicked speak swords, but David speaks worship. The assassins wait in the evening, but David expects to sing in the morning.

“Yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning.” David believes he will survive the night. The men outside his house intend to kill him in the morning, but David expects to sing of mercy in the morning. This is faith. He does not know every detail of how God will deliver him, but he knows God is his defense and refuge.

In the historical account, God used Michal to warn David and help him escape through a window. This was providence. God’s mercy came through an unexpected means inside David’s own house while the assassins watched outside.

1 Samuel 19:12, “So Michal let David down through a window: And he went, and fled, and escaped.”

David’s morning song was justified. God delivered him. Yet the deliverance also began a long season of fugitive suffering. This is important. God’s mercy did not immediately make David’s life easy. It saved him for the next stage of God’s purpose. Sometimes God’s deliverance removes one danger while leading His servant into a longer school of faith.

“For thou hast been my defence And refuge in the day of my trouble.” David has moved from asking God to defend him in verse 1 to confessing that God has been his defense in verse 16. Prayer has become praise. Need has become confidence. Trouble has become testimony.

“Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing.” David does not merely receive strength from God. He calls God Himself his strength. That is deeper. God is not only the giver of resources. He is the strength of His people. David’s courage, endurance, survival, and praise are rooted in God Himself.

“For God is my defence, And the God of my mercy.” The psalm ends with the same great truths David has been declaring. God is his defense, his high tower, his safe refuge above the reach of enemies. God is also the God of his mercy, the fountain and source of the mercy that meets him in danger.

The assassins may fill the evening with growling, but David fills the morning with praise. This is the victory of faith. The enemy may still exist, Saul may still be dangerous, and David’s fugitive life may just be beginning, but David’s soul has found its high tower.

The Doctrine of God as High Tower

Psalm 59 repeatedly presents God as David’s defense, meaning his high tower or fortress. This is one of the central doctrines of the psalm. David needed to be lifted above the reach of his enemies. His house was surrounded. His government had turned against him. His earthly security had collapsed. But God was still his high tower.

A high tower gives elevation, protection, visibility, and refuge. Spiritually, God does the same for His people. He lifts them above panic. He protects them according to His will. He gives them the ability to see the situation from the standpoint of faith rather than fear. He becomes the place of refuge when earthly shelters fail.

This does not mean the believer avoids all danger. David still had to flee through a window. He still became a fugitive. Yet God remained his high tower in the danger. The doctrine is not that God prevents every trial, but that God is sufficient refuge in every trial.

The Doctrine of Bloodthirsty Men and Human Evil

Psalm 59 gives a realistic picture of human evil. Saul’s men are called workers of iniquity and bloody men. They lie in wait, gather, run, prepare, return at evening, growl like dogs, belch with their mouths, speak with swords in their lips, curse, lie, and act in pride. Scripture is not naive about wickedness.

The psalm also shows how corrupt leadership can weaponize other men. Saul’s hatred became their mission. Men who wanted royal favor were willing to shed innocent blood. This is the danger of wicked authority. It encourages lesser men to do evil under the cover of orders, loyalty, ambition, or fear.

The believer must not be naive about this. There are times when men do evil not because they misunderstand, but because they are committed to iniquity. David sees them clearly and brings them before God.

The Doctrine of Practical Atheism

The assassins say, “Who hears?” This is the voice of practical atheism. It does not necessarily mean they deny God with formal doctrine. It means they act as though God does not hear, see, care, or judge.

Practical atheism is common. Men may speak religious language, belong to the covenant nation, work in official positions, or claim public legitimacy while living as though God is absent. Saul’s men were Israelites, yet they acted like men who did not believe God heard them.

Psalm 59 answers practical atheism with divine derision and judgment. God hears. God laughs. God rules in Jacob and to the ends of the earth. The wicked question, “Who hears?” Faith answers, “The LORD hears, and the LORD rules.”

The Doctrine of Imprecatory Prayer and God’s Glory

David prays severe prayers against his enemies. He asks God to scatter them, bring them down, take them in their pride, consume them, and make known His rule. These prayers are not driven by small personal irritation. David is facing assassination. Innocent blood is at stake. God’s anointed servant is being hunted. The king of Israel has turned murderous. The issue is public wickedness and rebellion against God.

David’s concern is clearly God’s glory. He says, “Let them know that God ruleth in Jacob Unto the ends of the earth.” He wants judgment to reveal God’s rule. This is the right framework for imprecatory prayer. It must be God centered, justice centered, and free from personal lawlessness.

The New Testament commands believers not to take vengeance into their own hands.

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.”

David’s prayer fits that principle. He does not personally execute revenge. He gives the matter to God. The believer may pray for God to stop wickedness, expose evil, and judge the unrepentant, while still refusing personal vengeance.

The Doctrine of God’s Rule in Jacob and to the Ends of the Earth

Psalm 59 declares that God rules in Jacob and unto the ends of the earth. This means God is both covenantally faithful to Israel and universally sovereign over all nations. He is not a local deity. He is the God of Israel and the Judge of the whole earth.

David’s immediate crisis is personal, but his theology is global. His deliverance will testify that God rules. This reflects the biblical pattern seen when David faced Goliath, that all the earth may know there is a God in Israel. God’s acts among His people are meant to declare His glory beyond His people.

In a dispensational and literal reading, “Jacob” should not be erased. It refers to Israel, the covenant nation. God’s rule in Jacob remains meaningful because His promises to Israel remain rooted in His unchanging character. Yet His rule also extends to the ends of the earth. The God of Israel is the God over all.

The Doctrine of Praise Before Full Relief

David ends by singing, even though his long season of fugitive suffering is just beginning. This is important. Psalm 59 does not end with David sitting safely on the throne. It ends with David trusting and praising God as his defense, strength, and mercy. The immediate assassination plot is answered, but the larger conflict with Saul continues.

This teaches that praise does not require all trouble to be finished. David can sing in the morning because God carried him through the night. There may be more battles ahead, but today’s mercy deserves today’s praise.

The wicked use the night to howl. The righteous use the morning to sing. That is the difference faith makes.

Messianic Foreshadowing in Psalm 59

David was the Lord’s anointed, hated without cause, threatened by rulers, and hunted by men seeking innocent blood. In this, he foreshadows the greater Son of David, Jesus Christ. Jesus was also hated without cause, opposed by rulers, watched by enemies, and handed over to death by wicked men.

John 15:24 to 25, “If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, They had not had sin: But now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, That the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.”

David could say the assassins rose against him not for his transgression or sin. Christ could say that in the fullest and sinless sense. David was innocent of Saul’s charges, but still a sinner before God. Jesus was absolutely without sin.

1 Peter 2:22 to 23, “Who did no sin, Neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; When he suffered, he threatened not; But committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”

Christ perfectly fulfilled the righteous trust David imperfectly displayed. David committed his cause to God and sang of deliverance. Jesus committed Himself to the Father, passed through death, and was raised in victory.

Practical Lessons from Psalm 59

Psalm 59 teaches that the righteous should pray immediately when surrounded by danger. David begins with, “Deliver me.” He does not delay prayer until every human option is exhausted. Prayer is his first instinct.

Psalm 59 teaches that God is personally known by His people. David says, “my God,” “my defence,” “my God of mercy,” and “my strength.” Trouble becomes more bearable when theology becomes personal.

Psalm 59 teaches that wicked men may be diligent in evil. They run, prepare, watch, and return. The zeal of the wicked should rebuke laziness among the righteous.

Psalm 59 teaches that the wicked often act as though God does not hear. Their question, “Who hears?” is the heart of practical atheism. God hears every word.

Psalm 59 teaches that God laughs at arrogant rebellion. The assassins are frightening to David, but they are ridiculous before God. No conspiracy can intimidate the Lord.

Psalm 59 teaches that God’s mercy can meet His people before disaster overtakes them. “The God of my mercy shall prevent me.” God’s mercy goes before, meets, and leads.

Psalm 59 teaches that judgment should aim at God’s glory. David wants the wicked defeated so that men may know God rules in Jacob and to the ends of the earth.

Psalm 59 teaches that praise can rise before every problem is gone. David sings in the morning because God is his defense and refuge in the day of trouble.