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56. Psalm 56

1 Be merciful to me, my God,
   for my enemies are in hot pursuit;
   all day long they press their attack.

2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;
   in their pride many are attacking me.

    3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
   
4 In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
   What can mere mortals do to me?

    5 All day long they twist my words;
   all their schemes are for my ruin.

6 They conspire, they lurk,
   they watch my steps,
   hoping to take my life.

7 Because of their wickedness do not Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not. let them escape;
   in your anger, God, bring the nations down.

    8 Record my misery;
   list my tears on your scroll Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin
   are they not in your record?

9 Then my enemies will turn back
   when I call for help.
   By this I will know that God is for me.

    10 In God, whose word I praise,
   in the LORD, whose word I praise—

11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
   What can man do to me?

    12 I am under vows to you, my God;
   I will present my thank offerings to you.

13 For you have delivered me from death
   and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
   in the light of life.


10 In God will I praise his word In the original the pronoun is not expressed, but we are left to infer, from the parallel verse which went before, that it is understood. The repetition adds an emphasis to the sentiment, intimating, that though God delayed the sensible manifestation of his favor, and might seem to deal hardly in abandoning him to the word — giving him nothing more, he was resolved to glory in it with undiminished confidence. When in a spirit such as this we honor the word of God, though deprived of any present experience of his goodness or his power, we “set to our seal that God is true,” (John 3:33.) The repetition amounts to an expression of his determination that, notwithstanding all circumstances which might appear to contravene the promise, he would trust in it, and persist in praising it both now, henceforth, and for ever. How desirable is it that the Lord’s people generally would accustom themselves to think in the same manner, and find, in the word of God, matter of never-failing praise amidst their worst trials! They may meet with many mercies calling for the exercise of thanksgiving, but can scarcely have proceeded one step in life before they will feel the necessity of reliance upon the naked promise. A similar reason may be given for his repetition of the sentiment in the 11th verse — In God have I hoped, etc. We shall find men universally agreed in the opinion that God is an all-sufficient protector; but observation proves how ready we are to distrust him under the slightest temptation. When exposed to the opposition of assailants formidable for strength, or policy, or any worldly advantages, let us learn with David to set God in opposition to them, and we shall speedily be able to view the mightiest of them without dismay.


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