Psalm 59 is the 59th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me". In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 56. In Latin, it is known as "Eripe me de inimicis meis Deu".[1][2] It is described as "a prayer composed when Saul sent messengers to wait at the house in order to kill him",[3] and commentator Cyril Rodd describes it as a "vigorous plea for the destruction of the psalmist's enemies".[4]
| Psalm 59 | |
|---|---|
| "Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God" | |
Inscription of a line from the psalm at a bridge in Hochosterwitz
| |
| Other name |
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| Language | Hebrew (original) |
| Psalm 59 | |
|---|---|
← Psalm 58 Psalm 60 → | |
| 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.
The following table shows the Hebrew text[5][6] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
| Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ אַל־תַּשְׁחֵת֮ לְדָוִ֢ד מִ֫כְתָּ֥ם בִּשְׁלֹ֥חַ שָׁא֑וּל וַֽיִּשְׁמְר֥וּ אֶת־הַ֝בַּ֗יִת לַהֲמִיתֽוֹ׃ | For the Leader; Al-tashheth. [A Psalm] of David; Michtam; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. |
| 2 | הַצִּילֵ֖נִי מֵאֹיְבַ֥י ׀ אֱלֹהָ֑י מִֽמִּתְקוֹמְמַ֥י תְּשַׂגְּבֵֽנִי׃ | Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God; set me on high from them that rise up against me. |
| 3 | הַ֭צִּילֵנִי מִפֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן וּֽמֵאַנְשֵׁ֥י דָ֝מִ֗ים הֽוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי׃ | Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from the men of blood. |
| 4 | כִּ֤י הִנֵּ֪ה אָרְב֡וּ לְנַפְשִׁ֗י יָג֣וּרוּ עָלַ֣י עַזִּ֑ים לֹֽא־פִשְׁעִ֖י וְלֹא־חַטָּאתִ֣י יְהֹוָֽה׃ | For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul; the impudent gather themselves together against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD. |
| 5 | בְּֽלִי־עָ֭וֺן יְרֻצ֣וּן וְיִכּוֹנָ֑נוּ ע֖וּרָה לִקְרָאתִ֣י וּרְאֵֽה׃ | Without my fault, they run and prepare themselves; awake Thou to help me, and behold. |
| 6 | וְאַתָּ֤ה יְהֹוָֽה־אֱלֹהִ֥ים ׀ צְבָא֡וֹת אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הָקִ֗יצָה לִפְקֹ֥ד כׇּֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם אַל־תָּחֹ֨ן כׇּל־בֹּ֖גְדֵי אָ֣וֶן סֶֽלָה׃ | Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, arouse Thyself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to any iniquitous traitors. Selah |
| 7 | יָשׁ֣וּבוּ לָ֭עֶרֶב יֶהֱמ֥וּ כַכָּ֗לֶב וִיס֥וֹבְבוּ עִֽיר׃ | They return at evening, they howl like a dog, and go round about the city. |
| 8 | הִנֵּ֤ה ׀ יַבִּ֘יע֤וּן בְּפִיהֶ֗ם חֲ֭רָבוֹת בְּשִׂפְתֽוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם כִּי־מִ֥י שֹׁמֵֽעַ׃ | Behold, they belch out with their mouth; swords are in their lips: 'For who doth hear?' |
| 9 | וְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה תִּשְׂחַק־לָ֑מוֹ תִּ֝לְעַ֗ג לְכׇל־גּוֹיִֽם׃ | But Thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; Thou shalt have all the nations in derision. |
| 10 | עֻ֭זּוֹ אֵלֶ֣יךָ אֶשְׁמֹ֑רָה כִּֽי־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים מִשְׂגַּבִּֽי׃ | Because of his strength, I will wait for Thee; for God is my high tower. |
| 11 | אֱלֹהֵ֣י (חסדו) [חַסְדִּ֣י] יְקַדְּמֵ֑נִי אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים יַרְאֵ֥נִי בְשֹׁרְרָֽי׃ | The God of my mercy will come to meet me; God will let me gaze upon mine adversaries. |
| 12 | אַל־תַּהַרְגֵ֤ם ׀ פֶּֽן־יִשְׁכְּח֬וּ עַמִּ֗י הֲנִיעֵ֣מוֹ בְ֭חֵילְךָ וְהוֹרִידֵ֑מוֹ מָגִנֵּ֣נוּ אֲדֹנָֽי׃ | Slay them not, lest my people forget, make them wander to and fro by Thy power, and bring them down, O Lord our shield. |
| 13 | חַטַּאת־פִּ֗ימוֹ דְּֽבַר־שְׂפָ֫תֵ֥ימוֹ וְיִלָּכְד֥וּ בִגְאוֹנָ֑ם וּמֵאָלָ֖ה וּמִכַּ֣חַשׁ יְסַפֵּֽרוּ׃ | 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. |
| 14 | כַּלֵּ֥ה בְחֵמָה֮ כַּלֵּ֢ה וְֽאֵ֫ינֵ֥מוֹ וְֽיֵדְע֗וּ כִּֽי־אֱ֭לֹהִים מֹשֵׁ֣ל בְּֽיַעֲקֹ֑ב לְאַפְסֵ֖י הָאָ֣רֶץ סֶֽלָה׃ | Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they be no more; and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob, unto the ends of the earth. Selah |
| 15 | וְיָשֻׁ֣בוּ לָ֭עֶרֶב יֶהֱמ֥וּ כַכָּ֗לֶב וִיס֥וֹבְבוּ עִֽיר׃ | And they return at evening, they howl like a dog, and go round about the city; |
| 16 | הֵ֭מָּה (ינועון) [יְנִיע֣וּן] לֶאֱכֹ֑ל אִם־לֹ֥א יִ֝שְׂבְּע֗וּ וַיָּלִֽינוּ׃ | They wander up and down to devour, and tarry all night if they have not their fill. |
| 17 | וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ אָשִׁ֣יר עֻזֶּךָ֮ וַאֲרַנֵּ֥ן לַבֹּ֗קֶר חַ֫סְדֶּ֥ךָ כִּֽי־הָיִ֣יתָ מִשְׂגָּ֣ב לִ֑י וּ֝מָנ֗וֹס בְּי֣וֹם צַר־לִֽי׃ | But as for me, I will sing of Thy strength; yea, I will sing aloud of Thy mercy in the morning; for Thou hast been my high tower, and a refuge in the day of my distress. |
| 18 | עֻ֭זִּי אֵלֶ֣יךָ אֲזַמֵּ֑רָה כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים מִ֝שְׂגַּבִּ֗י אֱלֹהֵ֥י חַסְדִּֽי׃ | O my strength, unto Thee will I sing praises; for God is my high tower, the God of my mercy. |
This text, connected with an incident recorded in 1 Samuel 19:11–17, may be an editorial addition.[4] "Do Not Destroy", or Altaschith, may refer to an ancient song whose tune was to be used in singing the psalms.[8]
Psalm 59 is one of the ten Psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.[9][3]
Verse 18 (verse 17 in English translations) is found in the repetition of the Amidah during Rosh Hashanah.[10]
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the 11th day of the month.[11]
Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 59 in a metred version in German, "Hilf, Herre Gott, errette mich", SWV 156, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628.
