Psalms 53:6

A Final Cry That Israel/Judah Might Be Freed From The Yoke That is Upon Them (Psalms 53:6).

Psalms 53:6

‘Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!

When God brings back the captivity of (or ‘restores the fortunes of') his people,

Then will Jacob rejoice,

Israel will be glad.'

These words bring the Psalm back on track as parallel with Psalms 14, being almost word for word the same. The psalmist finishes on a note of longing for Israel's final deliverance when their king will rule to the ends of the earth (Psalms 2:8) and they will thus experience such invasions no more. ‘O that Israel's deliverance had come'. This confirms that they are here seen as having been under some kind of misfortune. In Job 42:10 the verb is translated ‘restores the fortunes' and clearly signifies a restoring of fortunes to Job. He is only a captive to his misery. And this fits all the other places where the verb is used. Thus it is possibly the best translation here. It could therefore refer to a period of subjection under the Philistines, or some other enemy of Israel, and a prayer for deliverance from it. But the prayer is finally not just for deliverance but for final deliverance when God's final purpose of deliverance for His people comes about through the establishing of God's everlasting rule Psa 2:8-9; 2 Samuel 7:13; 2 Samuel 7:16; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 11:1. And as a consequence of the restoring of their fortunes Jacob (Israel) will rejoice, and Israel will be glad.

But even if we translate as being in ‘captivity', it would not necessarily mean exile. It could equally signify being in subjection in the land. So we are possibly to see them here as being under the iron rule of some foreign monarch, subject to tribute and in a period when they were being treated badly. ‘From Zion' probably has in mind Mount Zion from which, speaking in an earthly way, God will act. Or the thought may be that the psalmist was looking to Zion's king, the anointed of YHWH, to bring about the deliverance. Either way the deliverance will be of God. And that is the final certainty, that God will restore His people. And then they will be glad and rejoice.

‘Brings back the captivity', or ‘restores the fortunes', of His people.' See for the use of the phrase Job 42:10; Hosea 6:11; Amos 9:14; Ezekiel 16:53; Zephaniah 2:7.

So the message of the Psalm is of God's calling to account the folly of the nations, both as regards Himself, and especially as revealed in their attitude towards His people, having very much in mind here His true people. The thought is that His being and nature are so obvious in the light of creation and conscience, and His people so precious, that humanly speaking, from the psalmist's point of view, God could only question the behaviour of the world in its treatment of Him and His people and see it as folly. And it ends on the positive note that salvation is yet coming for His people.