Psalms 56 Study Notes: Trust in God Amid Fear at Gath
Set during David's capture by the Philistines at Gath, this psalm answers fear with trust in God and His word. David describes enemies twisting his words, asks God to keep account of his tears, and vows thank offerings for his deliverance from death.
General
For what purpose does David say God rescued his life from death and kept his feet from stumbling (Psalm 56:13)?
Answer: So he might live his life in God's presence
David says he is bound by vows he made to God and will bring thank offerings (56:12). The reason is that God has saved his life from death and kept his feet from stumbling, so that he may go on living before God's face, in life's light (56:13). Rescue is not an end in itself; it is so that he can spend his remaining years before God. Psalm 116:8 uses almost the same words for God's deliverance, Psalm 50:14 calls God's people to offer thanks and keep their vows, and Jesus promises life-giving light to all who follow Him (John 8:12).
- Psalm 56:12-13 (BSB)“Your vows are upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to You. For You have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”David vows thank offerings because God delivered him so he could walk before Him.
- Psalm 116:8 (BSB)“For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.”Another psalm praises God for delivering the soul from death and the feet from stumbling.
- Psalm 50:14 (BSB)“Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.”God calls His people to offer thanks and fulfill their vows.
- John 8:12 (BSB)“Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.””Jesus promises the light of life to all who follow Him.
Theological
What end does David name for God's deliverance of his life and steps in Psalm 56:13?
Answer: So he might live his life in God's presence
The psalm ends with vows and thank offerings (56:12), grounded in God's rescue of David's life from death and of his steps from stumbling, with the stated purpose that he may live before God in life's light (56:13). Deliverance issues in a life lived before God's face. Psalm 116:8 uses nearly identical language, Psalm 50:14 enjoins thank offering and the paying of vows, and Christ offers life-giving light to all who follow Him (John 8:12).
- Psalm 56:12-13 (BSB)“Your vows are upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to You. For You have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”David vows thank offerings because God delivered him so he could walk before Him.
- Psalm 116:8 (BSB)“For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.”Another psalm praises God for delivering the soul from death and the feet from stumbling.
- Psalm 50:14 (BSB)“Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.”God calls His people to offer thanks and fulfill their vows.
- John 8:12 (BSB)“Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.””Jesus promises the light of life to all who follow Him.
General
What refrain does David repeat in Psalm 56 (verses 3-4 and 10-11)?
Answer: Trusting God, he need not fear what people do
Twice David says the same thing. When fear comes, he puts his trust in God and praises His word, and so he refuses to be afraid, for mere human beings cannot finally harm him (56:3-4, 10-11). He does not claim he never feels afraid; he says what he does when he is afraid. His enemies twist his words and lie in wait for him (56:5-6), yet his confidence rests on God and His word. Psalm 118:6 asks the same confident question, and Hebrews 13:6 quotes that verse for believers. Jesus also tells His disciples not to fear those who can kill only the body (Matthew 10:28).
- Psalm 56:3-4 (BSB)“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”David answers his fear by trusting in God and His word.
- Psalm 56:10-11 (BSB)“In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”The refrain repeats David's trust in God's word and his freedom from fear.
- Psalm 118:6 (BSB)“The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”Another psalm voices the same confidence that no man can prevail against the one God helps.
- Hebrews 13:6 (BSB)“So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?””Hebrews quotes Psalm 118:6, this same confession, for believers facing hostility.
- Matthew 10:28 (BSB)“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”Jesus tells His followers not to fear those who can only kill the body.
Theological
What is the burden of the refrain repeated in Psalm 56:3-4 and 56:10-11?
Answer: Trusting God, he need not fear what people do
The refrain (56:3-4, 10-11) answers fear with trust: when afraid, the psalmist trusts God and praises His word, and so what can any mortal do to him? Fear is not denied but overcome by faith anchored in God's promise, even while enemies distort his words and plot his death (56:5-6). The same confession appears in Psalm 118:6, which Hebrews 13:6 applies to believers, and Christ grounds the disciples' fearlessness in the fear of God alone (Matthew 10:28).
- Psalm 56:3-4 (BSB)“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”David answers his fear by trusting in God and His word.
- Psalm 56:10-11 (BSB)“In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”The refrain repeats David's trust in God's word and his freedom from fear.
- Psalm 118:6 (BSB)“The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”Another psalm voices the same confidence that no man can prevail against the one God helps.
- Hebrews 13:6 (BSB)“So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?””Hebrews quotes Psalm 118:6, this same confession, for believers facing hostility.
- Matthew 10:28 (BSB)“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”Jesus tells His followers not to fear those who can only kill the body.
General
True or False: In Psalm 56:9, David says that when his enemies turn back on the day he calls for help, he will know God is for him.
Answer: True
This is true. David expects that when he cries to God, his enemies will turn back, and by this he will know God is on his side (56:9). His confidence does not rest on his own strength but on God's commitment to him. Paul draws the same conclusion for believers: since God is on the side of His people, no opponent can prevail (Romans 8:31), and another psalm says the LORD gives light and salvation to His servant, so there is no one to fear (Psalm 27:1).
- Psalm 56:9 (BSB)“Then my enemies will retreat on the day I cry for help. By this I will know that God is on my side.”David expects his enemies to retreat when he calls, proving God is on his side.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”Paul says that if God is for His people, no one can stand against them.
- Psalm 27:1 (BSB)“Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?”David grounds his fearlessness in the LORD as his light and salvation.
Theological
True or False: Psalm 56:9 presents the enemies' retreat when David calls as the confirmation that God is for him.
Answer: True
This is true. The enemies' turning back when David cries out is the sign by which he will recognize God is for him (56:9). The assurance rests on God's disposition toward His servant, not on circumstances alone. Paul draws the same inference for the elect: with God on their side, no opponent can prevail (Romans 8:31), and David elsewhere grounds fearlessness in the LORD as his light and salvation (Psalm 27:1).
- Psalm 56:9 (BSB)“Then my enemies will retreat on the day I cry for help. By this I will know that God is on my side.”David expects his enemies to retreat when he calls, proving God is on his side.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”Paul says that if God is for His people, no one can stand against them.
- Psalm 27:1 (BSB)“Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?”David grounds his fearlessness in the LORD as his light and salvation.
General
What situation does the heading of Psalm 56 describe?
Answer: He was held by the Philistines at Gath
The heading links the psalm to a time when the Philistines took hold of David in Gath, a Philistine city (56:1). First Samuel tells how David ran from Saul to the court of Achish at Gath, where the king's servants recognized him as the David whose victories Israel celebrated in song. David became very afraid and acted like a madman to escape (1 Samuel 21:10-13), and afterward he hid in a cave at Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1). The heading of Psalm 34 also refers to David acting like a madman, and there the king is named Abimelech (Psalm 34:1). Psalm 56 is a prayer of trust spoken from a place of fear among enemies.
- Psalm 56:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be merciful to me, O God, for men are hounding me; all day they press their attack.”The heading ties the psalm to David's seizure by the Philistines in Gath.
- 1 Samuel 21:10-13 (BSB)“That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard.”David fled to Achish of Gath, was recognized, feared greatly, and feigned madness.
- 1 Samuel 22:1 (BSB)“So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.”After leaving Gath, David took refuge in the cave of Adullam.
- Psalm 34:1 (BSB)“Of David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, so that the king drove him away. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.”Another psalm's heading refers to David pretending to be insane before a king.
Theological
What historical setting does the superscription of Psalm 56 give?
Answer: He was held by the Philistines at Gath
The superscription sets the psalm in David's seizure by the Philistines in Gath (56:1). The narrative records his flight from Saul to Achish of Gath, his recognition by Achish's servants, his great fear, and his feigned madness (1 Samuel 21:10-13), followed by his escape to Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1). The superscription of Psalm 34 also recalls the feigned madness, naming the king as Abimelech (Psalm 34:1). The psalm is thus a song of trust composed amid fear in hostile territory.
- Psalm 56:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be merciful to me, O God, for men are hounding me; all day they press their attack.”The heading ties the psalm to David's seizure by the Philistines in Gath.
- 1 Samuel 21:10-13 (BSB)“That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard.”David fled to Achish of Gath, was recognized, feared greatly, and feigned madness.
- 1 Samuel 22:1 (BSB)“So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.”After leaving Gath, David took refuge in the cave of Adullam.
- Psalm 34:1 (BSB)“Of David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, so that the king drove him away. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.”Another psalm's heading refers to David pretending to be insane before a king.
General
What does David express when he asks God to keep his tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8)?
Answer: God notes and remembers each of his sorrows
David says God has kept count of his wanderings as a fugitive, and he asks God to store his tears in a bottle, confident that they are already written in God's book (56:8). The picture is of God treasuring and remembering every sorrow of His servant. None of David's suffering is unseen or forgotten. Malachi describes a written record of remembrance kept before the LORD about those who fear Him (Malachi 3:16), David elsewhere says every one of his days was recorded in God's book (Psalm 139:16), and Revelation promises that God will one day dry every tear (Revelation 21:4).
- Psalm 56:8 (BSB)“You have taken account of my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle—are they not in Your book?”David asks God to keep his tears, confident they are recorded in God's book.
- Malachi 3:16 (BSB)“At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name.”God keeps a scroll of remembrance for those who fear Him.
- Psalm 139:16 (BSB)“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.”All of David's days were written in God's book before they came to be.
- Revelation 21:4 (BSB)“‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.””God will finally wipe away every tear from His people's eyes.
Theological
What does the image of tears kept in God's bottle and book convey in Psalm 56:8?
Answer: God notes and remembers each of his sorrows
God has recorded the psalmist's wanderings, and David asks that his tears be stored in God's bottle and inscribed in His book (56:8). The image expresses God's meticulous, personal knowledge of His servant's afflictions: nothing is lost. Scripture speaks of a book of remembrance for those who fear the LORD (Malachi 3:16) and of God's book in which all the believer's days are ordained (Psalm 139:16), and it promises the final wiping away of every tear (Revelation 21:4).
- Psalm 56:8 (BSB)“You have taken account of my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle—are they not in Your book?”David asks God to keep his tears, confident they are recorded in God's book.
- Malachi 3:16 (BSB)“At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name.”God keeps a scroll of remembrance for those who fear Him.
- Psalm 139:16 (BSB)“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.”All of David's days were written in God's book before they came to be.
- Revelation 21:4 (BSB)“‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.””God will finally wipe away every tear from His people's eyes.