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The Bible · 535 of 1189
Psalms 57
1.Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
2.I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
3.He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4.My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5.Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
6.They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
7.My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
8.Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
9.I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
10.For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
11.Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.
Asked of Guide
Why does the psalmist keep repeating trust in God's mercy and exaltation across the Psalm?
The psalmist frames danger and deliverance together: he pictures being “among lions” and trapped in nets, then returns to trust—“in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge”—to insist that praise is his operative stance even amid threat. The repeated pleas for mercy and the double refrain “Be thou exalted… let thy glory be above all the earth” turn petition into proclamation, shaping fear into worship.
That movement matches themes in other psalms like Psalm 23, where confidence in God accompanies vulnerability, and in Habakkuk 3, where the prophet vows praise despite calamity. Here praise functions as both petition and public witness: trusting mercy, the speaker sings for personal rescue and for God’s universal exaltation.
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