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Psalm 57 Bible study: In the shadow of your wings

Psalm 57's prayer "Be exalted, God, above the heavens" comes in the middle, between the lions and the net (57:4-6), not only at the end. And the net they "prepared" (57:6) and the heart that is "steadfast" (57:7) are one Hebrew verb, kun.

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“For your great loving kindness reaches to the heavens, and your truth to the skies.”
Psalm 57:10 · World English Bible

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“In Psalm 57, the words "Be exalted, God, above the heavens" come twice: in the middle of the psalm and at its end.”

Is that in Psalm 57, or not? Make your call.

What's really going on

Mercy twice, refuge twice

In the text

The title is "For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave" (57:1), and it says no more than that; these notes don't explain the tune. Then the psalm asks twice: "Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me" (57:1) (tap merciful). In Hebrew each be merciful to me is one word, the same both times. Then it says refuge twice: "for my soul takes refuge in you. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed" (57:1) (tap take refuge). Takes refuge and take refuge are one Hebrew verb, chasah: first what his soul does, then what he says he will do. And the verse says for how long: "until disaster has passed" (tap disaster). The shadow of your wings (tap shadow, wings) comes in other psalms too; the chapters on Psalm 17 and Ruth 2 trace those words, and these notes don't repeat them.

Honest questions

Questions people ask about Psalm 57

That was a taste

The rest of Psalm 57 is waiting in Favor

  • The same prayer, in the middle and at the end
  • They prepared, and my heart is steadfast
  • Wake up, three times
  • Psalm 57 and Psalm 108, side by side
  • "Glory to God in the highest"
  • 8 questions as you read
  • 14 more Hebrew words
  • A short check at the end
  • Your notes, saved as you go
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The Hebrew word behind it

כּוּןkunsay KOON

Brown-Driver-Briggs: "prob. be firm"; for the form in 57:7, "be set up, established, fixed", and among its senses for the form in 57:6, "make ready, prepare". Strong's: "properly, to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular)". "They have prepared a net for my steps" (57:6), and then "My heart is steadfast, God. My heart is steadfast" (57:7): prepared and steadfast are this one verb, one verse apart. They make ready a net; his heart is fixed, and he says so twice. Psalm 108 says it once (Psalm 108:1). Psalm 112 has 57:7's Hebrew words, with his for my: "His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD" (Psalm 112:7). The Psalms have the verb 52 times in Hebrew.

For your group

Psalm 57 Bible study questions

  1. 1"In the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed" (57:1). What would it look like for you to take refuge in God while something hard in your life hasn't passed yet?
  2. 2The psalm prays "Be exalted, God, above the heavens!" (57:5) right after "My soul is among lions" (57:4), before its trouble is over. What helps you turn to God's glory when your own trouble isn't over yet?
  3. 3"Wake up, my glory! Wake up, lute and harp! I will wake up the dawn" (57:8). What could it look like for you to meet God first thing this week: a time, a place, a song?

Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Psalm 57 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.

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Questions

What is Favor?

Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home