Psalms 56:1
in Psalms 56Be merciful to me, O God, for men are hounding me; all day they press their attack.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Be merciful unto me, O God; for man would swallow me up: All the day long he fighting oppresseth me.
KJV
Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
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This verse in Psalms 56
Commentary
13 notes on this verseI have adhered to the common translation of lchm, lacham, though it also signifies to eat up, which might consist better with the metaphor already used in the preceding part of the verse. It is found, however, in the sense to fight against, and I was unwilling to depart from the received rendering.
This site's exposition
all day they press their attack
on Psalms 56:1-2
Be merciful is the whole of the request, and all day is the whole of the trouble. The men are counted twice, men in verse 1 and many in verse 2, and both verses press and pursue him all day. All day long comes a third time at verse 5.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
And what is the drift of what we have just been singing to the Lord in the psalm? "Have mercy on me, Lord, because man has trampled on me." "Man" means whoever lives according to merely human criteria. Well, anyway, those who live according to God's standards are told, "You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High." But to the reprobate, who were called to be children of God but preferred rather merely to be human, that is, to live only according to human standards, "you," it says, "shall die like people and fall like one of the princes." Surely the fact that we human beings are mortal should serve to teach us our place, not to make us boastful. What does a worm, which is due to die tomorrow, have to boast about?
Let whatsoever holy men therefore that are suffering pressing from those that have been put afar off from the saints, give heed to this Psalm, let them perceive here themselves, let them speak what here is spoken, that suffer what here is spoken of....Private enmities therefore let no one think of, when about to hear the words of this Psalm: "Know ye that for us the wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against princes and powers, and spiritual things of wickedness," [Ephesians 6:12] that is, against the devil and his angels; because even when we suffer men that annoy us, he is instigating, he is inflaming, as it were his vessels he is moving. Let us give heed therefore to two enemies, him whom we see, and him whom we see not; man we see, the devil we see not; man let us love, of the devil beware; for man pray, against the devil pray, and let us say to God, "Have pity on me, O Lord, for man has trodden me down" [Psalm 56:1]. Fear not because man has trodden you down: have thou wine, a grape you have become in order that you should be trodden. "All day long warring he has troubled me," every one that has been put afar off from the saints. But why should not here be understood even the devil himself? Is it because mention is made of "man"? does therefore the Gospel err, because it has said, "A man that is an enemy has done this"? [Matthew 13:28] But by a kind of figure may he also be called a man, and yet not be a man. […]
"Have mercy upon me, Lord, because man has trampled me underfoot; all day long he wages war and afflicts me." The virgin mother Church, who gives birth to the faithful people and yet does not lose her virginity, asks her heavenly bridegroom with pious tears …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He prays that he might find mercy with God, for with men he could find no mercy. When he fled from the cruel hands of Saul he fell into the cruel hands of the Philistines. "Lord" (says he), "be thou merciful to me now, or I am undone." The mercy of God is what we may flee to and trust to, and in faith pray for, when we are surrounded on all sides with difficulties and dangers.
This triumphant word, so expressive of a holy magnanimity, the apostle puts into the mouth of every true believer, whom he makes a Christian hero, Heb. xiii. We may each of us boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and then I will not fear what man shall do unto me; for he has no power but what he has given him from above. That he was in bonds to God (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Be merciful unto me, O God,....
He confides in God, being assured that he took his part, comforting himself with this, that therefore he was safe and should be victorious, and that while he lived he should praise God,
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
Be merciful unto me, O God. In my deep distress my soul turns to thee, my God. Man has no mercy on me, therefore double thy mercy to me. If thy justice has let loose my enemies, let thy mercy shorten their chain. It is sweet to see how the tender dove like spirit of the psalmist flies to the most tender attribute for succour in the hour of peril. For man would swallow me up.
Be merciful unto me, O God. In my deep distress my soul turns to thee, my God. Man has no mercy on me, therefore double thy mercy to me. If thy justice has let loose my enemies, let thy mercy shorten their chain. It is sweet to see how the tender dove like spirit of the psalmist flies to the most tender attribute for succour in the hour of peril. For man would swallow me up. He is but thy creature, a mere man, yet like a monster he is eager for blood, he pants, he gapes for me; he would not merely wound me, or feed on my substance, but he would fain swallow me altogether, and so make an end of me. The open mouths of sinners when they rage against us should open our mouths in prayer. We may plead the cruelty of men as a reason for the divine interposition—a father is soon aroused when his children are shamefully entreated. He fighting daily oppresseth me. He gives me no interval—he fights daily. He is successful in his unrighteous war—he oppresses me, he crushes me, he presses me sore. David has his eye on the leader of his foes, and lays his complaint against him in the right place. If we may thus plead against man, much more against that great enemy of souls, the devil. We ask the Lord to forgive us our trespasses, which is another way of saying, "Be merciful to me, O God, "and then we may say, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." The more violent the attack of Satan the stronger our plea for deliverance.
Be merciful unto me - I am assailed both at home and abroad. I can go nowhere without meeting with enemies: unless thou who art the Fountain of mercy and the Most High, stand up in my behalf, my enemies will most undoubtedly prevail against me. They fight against me continually, and I am in the utmost danger of being swallowed up by them.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Be merciful unto me, O God - See the notes at Psa 51:1. For man would swallow me up - The word used here means properly to breathe hard; to pant; to blow hard; and then, to pant after, to yawn after with open mouth. The idea is, that people came upon him everywhere with open mouth, as if they would swallow him down whole. He found no friend in man - in any man. Everywhere his life was sought. There was no “man,” wherever he might go, on whom he could rely, or whom he could trust; and his only refuge, therefore, was in God. He fighting daily - Constantly; without intermission. That is, all people seemed to be at war with him, and to pursue him always. Oppresseth me - Presses hard upon me; so presses on me as always to endanger my life, and so that I feel no security anywhere.
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| חָנֵּ֣נִי | choneni | show favor to me | H2603 → | 78 times |
| אֱ֭לֹהִים | ʾelohim | O God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שְׁאָפַ֣נִי | sheafani | he has crushed me | H7602 → | 14 times |
| אֱנ֑וֹשׁ | ʾenoosh | man | H582 → | 566 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַ֝יּ֗וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לֹחֵ֥ם | lochem | [one who] fights | H3898 → | 177 times |
| יִלְחָצֵֽנִי׃ | yilchatzeni | he oppresses me | H3905 → |
חָנֵּ֣נִיshow favor to me
choneniH2603 →78 times
אֱ֭לֹהִיםO God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
שְׁאָפַ֣נִיhe has crushed me
sheafaniH7602 →14 times
אֱנ֑וֹשׁman
ʾenooshH582 →566 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַ֝יּ֗וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
לֹחֵ֥ם[one who] fights
lochemH3898 →177 times
יִלְחָצֵֽנִי׃he oppresses me
yilchatzeniH3905 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 16:1Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge.
it leads to
- Isaiah 26:3–4
You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.
- Psalms 31:23
Love the LORD, all His saints. The LORD preserves the faithful, but fully repays the arrogant.
- Psalms 17:8
Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings
- 2 Timothy 1:12
For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have…
- Psalms 116:6
The LORD preserves the simplehearted; I was helpless, and He saved me.
- Isaiah 26:3–4
Through
Psalms 59:1Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise against me.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 19:11–24
Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will…
- Psalms 18:48
who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.
- Psalms 57:1
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy, for in You my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of Your wings I will take shelter until the danger has passed.
- 1 Samuel 19:11–24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 97:2; Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 56; Cassiodorus, EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 55:2; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.