They stalk David, but God remains his sure defense.
They attack, they lurk, They watch my steps, As they have waited to take my life. (v.6)
In this verse, David laments the relentless pursuit of his enemies who are actively plotting his demise. The language of “attack” and “lurk” conveys the hostility pressing in on him from all sides. David pictures these adversaries watching each of his moves with malicious intent, seeking any opportunity to strike. This cry arises from a situation when David was in grave peril—historically linked to the time he was seized by the Philistines in Gath (1 Samuel 21:12). Psalm 56 captures David’s thoughts and prayers during this captivity, painting a vivid image of his desperation and trust in God in the midst of danger. According to the superscript of this psalm, it is “A Mikhtam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.”David was anointed as Israel’s king around the time of 1025-1010 BC, and he ruled until approximately 970 BC. This period in David’s life—on the run from Saul and forced to dwell among the Philistines—was fraught with fear and deception. The Philistines were Israel’s perpetual foes, and Gath was one of their major cities. Faced with desperate straits, David had to feign insanity just to survive. Verse 6 highlights how thoroughly his adversaries scrutinized him, as though any step he took might be his last. Feeling surrounded by watchful foes, David cries out to God, devoting himself to the Lord’s protection rather than his own craftiness or strength.
Even in this grim predicament, David’s faith undergirds the psalm. The lurking presence of enemies is stark, but there is always an underlying tone of trust that God is near and will deliver him, despite humanly impossible odds. David’s example points forward to the pattern of trust in hardship and can remind believers to cling to the Lord when beset by trials.
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Psalms 56:6 meaning
They attack, they lurk, They watch my steps, As they have waited to take my life. (v.6)
In this verse, David laments the relentless pursuit of his enemies who are actively plotting his demise. The language of “attack” and “lurk” conveys the hostility pressing in on him from all sides. David pictures these adversaries watching each of his moves with malicious intent, seeking any opportunity to strike. This cry arises from a situation when David was in grave peril—historically linked to the time he was seized by the Philistines in Gath (1 Samuel 21:12). Psalm 56 captures David’s thoughts and prayers during this captivity, painting a vivid image of his desperation and trust in God in the midst of danger. According to the superscript of this psalm, it is “A Mikhtam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.”David was anointed as Israel’s king around the time of 1025-1010 BC, and he ruled until approximately 970 BC. This period in David’s life—on the run from Saul and forced to dwell among the Philistines—was fraught with fear and deception. The Philistines were Israel’s perpetual foes, and Gath was one of their major cities. Faced with desperate straits, David had to feign insanity just to survive. Verse 6 highlights how thoroughly his adversaries scrutinized him, as though any step he took might be his last. Feeling surrounded by watchful foes, David cries out to God, devoting himself to the Lord’s protection rather than his own craftiness or strength.
Even in this grim predicament, David’s faith undergirds the psalm. The lurking presence of enemies is stark, but there is always an underlying tone of trust that God is near and will deliver him, despite humanly impossible odds. David’s example points forward to the pattern of trust in hardship and can remind believers to cling to the Lord when beset by trials.