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Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Psalms 56:6

Verse Psalms 56:6. They gather themselves together] They form cabals; have secret meetings and consultations how they may most effectually destroy me, under the pretense of justice and safety to the state.

They hide themselves] They do all secretly.

They mark my steps] They are constantly at my heels.

They wait for my soul.] They lie in wait for my life. Our translators have missed the meaning of נפש nephesh and ψυχε, which generally signify the animal life, not the immortal spirit, - more than any other words in the Old or New Testament.

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See also Psalms 56:6 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THEY GATHER THEMSELVES TOGETHER - That is, they do not attack me singly, but they unite their forces; they combine against me. THEY HIDE THEMSELVES - They lurk in ambush. They do not come upon me ope...

  • 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

    MY SOUL. me. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The second division of the Psalm is similar to the first: a description of present distress, and prayer for help, followed by an expression of perfect confidence in God's protection....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _they hide themselves_ I.e., lie in wait for me; or according to the Kthibh, _set an ambush._Cp. Psalms 59:3; Psalms 10:8-9. _they mark my steps_ Like hunters tracking their game. "Go, I pray you," sa...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THEY GATHER THEMSELVES TOGETHER— _They secretly gather together_ to ensnare me: _they observe my steps, for they wait for my life._ That is, "they have their secret meetings and consultations how they...

  • 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

    _THEY GATHER THEMSELVES TOGETHER, THEY HIDE THEMSELVES, THEY MARK MY STEPS, WHEN THEY WAIT FOR MY SOUL._ They gather themselves together. So the Hebrew х_ GUWR_ (H1481)] is rendered, Psalms 59:3; Isa...

  • 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

    THEY HIDE THEMSELVES. — Better, _they set spies._ MARK MY STEPS. — Literally, _watch my heels._ (See Psalms 49:5; Psalms 89:51.)...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Psalms 56:7]_ יָג֤וּרוּ׀ _יִצְפֹּ֗ונוּ_† הֵ֭מָּה עֲקֵבַ֣י יִשְׁמֹ֑רוּ...

  • 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...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (e) They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. (e) As all the world against one man, and cannot be satisfied unless they have my life....

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Surely we must see Christ here eminently set forth. Not only at his trial, but upon many occasions, we are told they sought to catch him in his words. Matthew 26:59, etc. Luke 20:20, etc....

  • 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

    THEY GATHER THEMSELVES TOGETHER,.... And meet in some one place, to contrive ways and means to do hurt, and then assemble together again to put them in execution; as did the Jews with respect to Chris...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. Ver. 6. _They gather themselves together_] They convene and combine to do me mischief; and shoul...

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

    _They wrest my words_ They misconstrue and pervert my most innocent expressions, and turn them into matter of calumny, in order that they may incense Saul against me. Hebrew, יעצבו, _jegnatzeebu, they...

  • 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

    They gather themselves together, after the manner of cowardly adversaries, THEY HIDE THEMSELVES, to lie in wait, THEY MARK MY STEPS, WHEN THEY WAIT FOR MY SOUL, their object being to take his life....

  • 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

    THEY GATHER THEMSELVES TOGETHER; after they have severally employed their thoughts against me, they meet together to compare their thoughts, and to put them in execution. THEY HIDE THEMSELVES; they lu...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 56:6 together H1481 (H8799) hide H6845 (H8799) (H8675) H6845 (H8686) mark H8104 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    A DESCRIPTION OF HIS ENEMIES TACTICS AS THEY CLOSE IN ON HIM (PSALMS 56:5). These words could still refer to his enemies in Israel, but it seems more likely that they have his current situation in min...

  • 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 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

    Acts 23:12; Acts 4:5; Acts 4:6; Daniel 6:4; Jeremiah 20:10;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    They gather — After they have severally employed their thoughts against me, they meet together to compare them, and to put them in execution. Hide — They lurk secretly, that they may pry into my most...

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