Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Defend me from those who rise up against me.
Parallel translations
- WEB For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David, when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, my God. Set me on high from those who rise up against me.
- KJV Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.
- BSB For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise against me.
- NASB Rescue me from my enemies, my God; Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
- NLT Rescue me from my enemies, O God. Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David, hunted by Saul's men who watched his house to kill him, pleads for God to deliver and protect him. It models turning to God first in mortal danger.
Overview
The heading sets this psalm against the historical backdrop of 1 Samuel 19, when Saul sought David's life. David's opening cry asks God to rescue and set him on high, beyond the reach of his attackers. His instinct to seek refuge in God rather than in his own strength foreshadows the trust believers place in the Lord who is our deliverer.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- 1 Sam 19:11–24Saul sent messengers to David’s house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you don’t save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.”
- Ps 18:48He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.
- Ps 57:1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave. Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, for my soul takes refuge in you. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed.
- Isa 33:16he will dwell on high. His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure.
- Luke 1:74–75to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,
- 2 Cor 11:32–33In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of the Damascenes desiring to arrest me.
- Ps 143:9Deliver me, Yahweh, from my enemies. I flee to you to hide me.
- Ps 7:1–2A meditation by David, which he sang to Yahweh, concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite. Yahweh, my God, I take refuge in you. Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,
- Ps 71:4Rescue me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
- 2 Tim 4:17–18But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
- Ps 12:5“Because of the oppression of the weak and because of the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says Yahweh; “I will set him in safety from those who malign him.”
- Ps 20:1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high,
- Ps 143:12In your loving kindness, cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul, For I am your servant.
- Judg 16:2–3The Gazites were told, “Samson is here!” They surrounded him, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, “Wait until morning light, then we will kill him.”
- Ps 91:14“Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known my name.
- Ps 58:1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 59:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.