Psalms 57 (ASV)

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Chapter Text

57:1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me; For my soul taketh refuge in thee: Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I take refuge, Until [these] calamities be overpast.

57:2 I will cry unto God Most High, Unto God that performeth [all things] for me.

57:3 He will send from heaven, and save me, [When] he that would swallow me up reproacheth; Selah God will send forth his lovingkindness and his truth.

57:4 My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.

57:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; [Let] thy glory [be] above all the earth.

57:6 They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down: They have digged a pit before me; They are fallen into the midst thereof themselves. Selah

57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing, yea, I will sing praises.

57:8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early.

57:9 I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the peoples: I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

57:10 For thy lovingkindness is great unto the heavens, And thy truth unto the skies.

57:11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; [Let] thy glory [be] above all the earth. Psalm 58 For the Chief Musician; [set to] Al-tashheth. [A Psalm] of David. Michtam.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "merciful", "soul", "taketh", "refuge", "thee", "shadow", and "wings". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "merciful", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local ASV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "all things" and "merciful" carries the first interpretive weight. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "all things" and "merciful" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.