What does Psalms Chapter 56 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The Latin incipit is Miserere mei, Deus. The speaker’s petitions, recollections and future declarations retain their distinct wording. Edition interpretations remain separate from verse speech; no universal safety or clinical guarantee is established.

Chapter breakdown

The Latin incipit is Miserere mei, Deus. The heading describes prayer in affliction and praise for delivery. The inscription is unto the end, destroy not, for David, when he fled Saul into the cave, with a 1 Kings 24 reference. A separate note explains destroy not as a request not to be destroyed. No darkness or siege of the cave is supplied. The speaker asks mercy twice, names his soul's trust and will hope under wings until iniquity passes. He will cry to the Most High who has done good to him. He says God sent from heaven, delivered him, made those treading on him a reproach and sent mercy and truth.

He recalls soul delivery from young lions and troubled sleep, depicting men's teeth as weapons and arrows and tongue as sharp sword. He asks God's exaltation above heavens and glory above earth. Enemies prepared a snare, bowed his soul, dug a pit before his face and have fallen into it. These images are not expanded into a witnessed cave battle.

His heart is ready to sing and rehearse a psalm. He calls his glory, psaltery and harp to arise and says he will rise early. He will praise among people and nations, with mercy magnified to heavens and truth to clouds, repeating the exaltation refrain. This resolve does not supply a universal guarantee that refuge prevents all harm.

The story inside

Opening: The Latin incipit is Miserere mei, Deus. Development: The speaker’s petitions, recollections and future declarations retain their distinct wording. Conclusion: Edition interpretations remain separate from verse speech; no universal safety or clinical guarantee is established.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The Latin incipit is Miserere mei, Deus.
2
The speaker’s petitions, recollections and future declarations retain their distinct wording.
3
Edition interpretations remain separate from verse speech; no universal safety or clinical guarantee is established.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 61013–61016
56:1. Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a title, when he fled from Saul into the cave. [1 Kings 24.] Destroy not.... Suffer me not to be destroyed.
Lines 61018–61020
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me: for my soul trusteth in thee. And in the shadow of thy wings will I hope, until iniquity pass away.
Lines 61027–61029
And he hath delivered my soul from the midst of the young lions. I slept troubled. The sons of men, whose teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
Lines 61034–61035
They prepared a snare for my feet; and they bowed down my soul. They dug a pit before my face, and they are fallen into it.
Lines 61037–61040
My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready: I will sing, and rehearse a psalm. 56:9. Arise, O my glory, arise psaltery and harp: I will arise early.
Lines 61048–61049
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth.