The Bible — World English Bible

Psalm 56

In brief

Psalm 56 is a prayer of David, according to its title, written when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Enemies harass him all day and are eager to take his life. David admits his fear, then chooses to put his trust in God and in his word. The refrain asks what mere people can do to him. God counts his wanderings, gathers his tears in a container and records them in his book. The psalm ends with thanksgiving: God has delivered him so that he can walk before God in the light of the living.

The chapter in 3 parts

  1. v. 1-7Enemies who harass, and fear admitted honestly
  2. v. 8-11God counts the wanderings and gathers the tears
  3. v. 12-13Thanksgiving: walking before God in the light of the living

1Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.

2My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me.

3When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

4In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

5All day long they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil.

6They conspire and lurk, watching my steps. They are eager to take my life.

7Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, God.

8You count my wanderings. You put my tears into your container. Aren’t they in your book?

9Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call. I know this: that God is for me.

10In God, I will praise his word. In Yahweh, I will praise his word.

11I have put my trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

12Your vows are on me, God. I will give thank offerings to you.

13For you have delivered my soul from death, and prevented my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

Key verses

Verse 3-4
When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

David does not say he is never afraid. He says what he does when fear comes: he turns to God and to his word, and that is what loosens the grip.

Verse 8
You count my wanderings. You put my tears into your container. Aren’t they in your book?

The image of the container shows that God leaves no tear unnoticed. He knows the path of your wandering days and he takes it into account.

Verse 9
Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call. I know this: that God is for me.

At the moment David cries out, something changes in his heart: he knows that God is for him. This is a certainty of faith, not a passing feeling.

Verse 12-13
Your vows are on me, God. I will give thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, and prevented my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

Deliverance calls for a response: keeping his promises and walking before God. The psalm ends on life rather than on the threat.

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What the sermons say

20 Bible Verses Against Anxiety and StressVerse 3 is quoted among the verses against anxiety: David, in the hands of his enemies, does not deny his fear, he chooses to trust God in the very middle of it.Read the summary →Luke 11: Praying with Audacity That Doesn't Let GoIn a series on prayer, the sermon recalls that weeping is a biblical way of praying, and that the God who sees gathers our tears, as in verse 8.Read the summary →Fear of Man or Trust in the Lord (Proverbs 29:25)The preacher quotes verses 3 and 4: David does not pretend to ignore fear, he says that when he is afraid, he trusts. An answer to the fear of what others think.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about Psalm 56

What does Psalm 56 mean?

Psalm 56 is the prayer of David seized by the Philistines in Gath. In it he admits his fear, declares his trust in God and in his word, and remembers that God counts his wanderings and gathers his tears. It ends with thanksgiving for deliverance. Its message: you can be afraid and trust God at the same time.

Who wrote Psalm 56 and in what circumstances?

The title of the psalm attributes it to David and says he wrote it when the Philistines seized him in Gath. It is an episode where David, hunted by Saul, finds himself in enemy territory. The psalm keeps the trace of that real fear, and also of the trust he chose to place in God.

How do you pray Psalm 56 when you are afraid?

Start as David does, with honesty: name your fear to God without hiding it. Then read verses 3 and 4 slowly and say them again in your own words, naming what worries you. You can also bring your tears to God, thinking of verse 8, then thank him for a past deliverance, as in verses 12 and 13.

Articles quoting Psalm 56

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World English Bible translation — public domain.