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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Psalms 56:3

What time&c. Lit., In the day that I am afraid. David's sojourn in Gath is the only occasion on which he is recorded to have been afraid of man (1 Samuel 21:12; but cp. Psalms 18:4).

I will trust in thee R.V., I will put my trust in thee, as in A.V. Psalms 56:4. Iis emphatic; theytrust in their own might, but Iwill trust in Thee. The preposition, which is different from that in Psalms 56:4, gives a delicate shade of meaning, -I will trustfully betake myself to Thee." "Each day of peril should be to him a discipline of faith." Kay.

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See also Psalms 56:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    WHAT TIME I AM AFRAID - literally, “the day I am afraid.” David did not hesitate to admit that there were times when he was afraid. He saw himself to be in danger, and he had apprehensions as to the r...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    Psalms 56 The Faithfulness of God, the Comfort of His People _ 1. Trust and Comfort (Psalms 56:1)_ 2. Praise for anticipated deliverance (Psalms 56:10) These five Psalms which are grouped together...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    LVI. A PRAYER AGAINST STRONG, NUMEROUS, AND CRAFTY FOES. Psalms 56:2. For enemies read they that lie in wait for me (_mg.),_ PROUDLY: read bitterly. Psalms 56:4. Will praise his word, _i.e._ the fulf...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    TRUST. confide. Hebrew. _batah._ App-69....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 56 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE A Song by David in Captivity. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 56:1-3, In a few words, David Describes his Captive Condition, and Composes a _Refrain_ of Praise, Stanza II., P...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _WHAT TIME I AM AFRAID, I WILL TRUST IN THEE._ What, time I am afraid, I will trust in thee - literally, 'what, day.' As 'man daily oppresseth me' (Psalms 56:1), so 'everyday, when I am afraid, I tru...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Title.—(RV) 'For the Chief Musician; set to Jonath elem rehokim. A _Psalm_ of David: Michtam: when the Philistines took him in Gath.' For Michtam see on Psalms 16. JONATH ELEM REHOKIM ('the dove of th...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    PSALMS 42:72 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ Words in boxes are from the Bible. Words marked with a *star are described in the word list at the end. The translated Bible text has yet to go through Advanced Che...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    What time. — Heb., _yôm,_ apparently with same meaning as _beyôm_ in Psalms 56:10, “in the day.” I AM AFRAID... — No doubt the right reading: is, “I cry.”...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Psalms 56:4]_ יֹ֥ום אִירָ֑א אֲ֝נִ֗י אֵלֶ֥יךָ אֶבְטָֽח׃...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 56:1 THE superscription dates this psalm from the time of David's being in Gath. Probably his first stay there is meant, during which he had recourse to feigned insanity in order to secure his...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “WHAT CAN MAN DO UNTO ME?” Psalms 56:1 This psalm was composed under the same circumstances as Psalms 34:1. See 1 Samuel 21:1. What a strange medley is here shown-David feigning madness and composing...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The keynote of this psalm is the concluding declaration of the previous one, "I will trust in Thee." Here again are evident the same circumstances of oppression (verses Psa 56:5-7). The song opens and...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Reader, do remark how suited this case is to every exercised soul. It corresponds to the case of the Redeemer, and to his church upon all occasions....

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    3._In the day that I was afraid, etc. _In the Hebrew, the words run in the future tense, but they must be resolved into the praeterite. He acknowledges his weakness, in so far as he was sensible of fe...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Psalms 56 expresses the sense of the bitter and relentless enmity of the wicked, but the tears of the godly are put in God's bottle. God is owned as the Most High, the title of promise but not of cove...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    WHAT TIME I AM AFRAID,.... It was a time of fear with him now; he was afraid of Achish king of Gath, 1 Samuel 21:12; so believers have their times of fear; about their interest in the love, and grace,...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Ver. 3. _What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee_] This was bravely resolved: _Quid timet hominem homo in sinu Dei positus?_ Faith quelleth and killet...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _What time I am afraid_, &c. When I have the greatest cause of fear I will rely on thy providence and promise for deliverance. _In God will I praise his word_ I will praise, or boast, in the Lord's wo...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    COMFORT IN THE MIDST OF PERSECUTION. To the chief musician upon Jonathelem-rechokim, the word not only denoting the melody according to which the hymn was to be sung, "The dove of silence of distant p...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    What time I am afraid, for there seems to be good reason for fear, I WILL TRUST IN THEE, for in this trust he could successfully overcome his fear....

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 Be merciful unto me, O God. This petition includes all the good for which we come to throne of grace. If we obtain mercy there, we need no more to make us happy. It implies likewise our best plea...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    When I have the greater cause of fear, I will rely upon thy providence and promise for my deliverance....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 56:3 Whenever H3117 afraid H3372 (H8799) trust H982 (H8799) Trust - PtC H35124 Psalms

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE HEADING (PSALMS 56:1 A). ‘For the Chief Musician; set to Yonath elem rehokim (‘the silent dove of far off places (or ‘men')'). A Psalm of David. Michtam; when the Philistines took him in Gath. Th...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    TRUST (_ See Scofield) - (Psalms 2:12). _...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Psalms 56:3 I. Notice how beautifully there comes out here the occasion of trust. "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee." That goes deep down into the realities of life. It is when we are afrai...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam (a golden Psalm) of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath. Psalms 56:1. _Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up: he figh...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 56:1. _Be merciful unto me, O God for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me._ «Man has no mercy upon me, but, O God, be thou merciful unto me! If thy justice doth for a whil...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: David pours out complaint about enemies. CHARACTERS: God, David. CONCLUSION: When we are surrounded on all sides with difficulties and dangers because of enemies, we have but one retreat t...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    The title of this psalm, which relates to the manner of singing and playing, is upon the remote and silent dove. To which _michtam_ is added, the golden ode of David. In the LXX, the title of this and...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up._ THE DEPRECABLE AND THE DESIRABLE I. The deprecable in relation to man. 1. Craven-heartedness. A man whose heart is morally sound is bold a...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee._ FEAR AND FAITH It is not given to many men to add new words to the vocabulary of religious emotion. But so far as an examination of the Old Testament av...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 56:1. Many take this to be an individual lament, but it could also be a psalm of anticipated thanksgiving. The description of troubles and prayer changes into gratitude that...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION _Superscription_.—“To the Chief Musician upon Jonath-Elem-Rechokim.” The phrase “_Jonath-Elem-Rechokim_” occurs nowhere else in the Bible; and Biblical critics are by no means agreed as t...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THIS and the following have been called "twin psalms." They begin with the same words, are nearly of the same length, and have each a refrain which divides them into two portions. Formally,...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Psa 56:1-13. This is the prayer of David when he heard a mourning dove. That is, a mourning: m-o-u-r-n-i-n-g dove, out in the distant terebinth trees. He no doubt heard these doves cooing off in the d...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 21:10; 1 Samuel 21:12; 1 Samuel 30:6; 2 Chronicles 20:3;...

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