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Psalm 56

Psalm 56 brings fear and relentless human threats before God, whose word sustains trust and whose care includes every tear.

David appeals to God while enemies attack him, twist his words, and watch for a chance to take his life. The heading places this prayer when the Philistines seized him in Gath. His plea for mercy moves between descriptions of danger and declarations of trust. He asks God to judge his attackers and speaks of God keeping account of his tears. The psalm closes with vows, thank offerings, and praise for deliverance from death.

anxiety or panicfear for the futureinjustice and anger
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1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A poem by David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.
2My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me.
3When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
4In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
5All day long they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6They conspire and lurk, watching my steps. They are eager to take my life.
7Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, God.
8You count my wanderings. You put my tears into your container. Aren’t they in your book?
9Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call. I know this: that God is for me.
10In God, I will praise his word. In the LORD, I will praise his word.
11I have put my trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
12Your vows are on me, God. I will give thank offerings to you.
13For you have delivered my soul from death, and prevented my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected. Tap a number for its page.
Key verses
Psalm 56:3David names his fear without concealment and makes that moment the occasion for placing his trust in God.
Psalm 56:11This repeated declaration sets the power of human enemies beneath the God in whom David has placed his trust.
Psalm 56:4Praise for God's word anchors David's first declaration of confidence before he returns to describing the threats against him.
Where this chapter reaches

The heading connects David's danger in Gath with the account in 1 Samuel, where he fears the Philistine king and escapes. Romans shares the assurance of God being for his people, while Hebrews shares the language of confidence in God despite what people may do.

Psalm 56's chapter linksAll strongest linksHover or tap a book
Notice

After reading the whole chapter

How does David's return to describing danger after declaring trust shape your understanding of faith?

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What would you want to name before God in light of his attention to David's tears?

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Questions people ask about Psalm 56

What does Psalm 56:3 mean about fear and trust?

David acknowledges fear while committing himself to trust God. The surrounding verses describe attacks and threats to his life, so his fear has a concrete cause. His later declarations of confidence rest on God and his word. The psalm moves between distress and trust rather than presenting an unbroken calm.

What does Psalm 56:8 mean by God collecting tears?

The container and book are poetic images of God's attention to David's suffering. Alongside the statement that God counts his wanderings, they portray his tears as known and remembered. The verse does not explain a literal storage place for tears; its emphasis falls on God's care for the threatened speaker.

Why did David write Psalm 56?

The heading identifies the poem as David's and places it when the Philistines seized him in Gath. The prayer describes enemies seeking his life and asks God for mercy and judgment. Although 1 Samuel recounts David's danger in Gath, the psalm does not identify each attacker or explain every detail of the event.

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Psalms · 150 chapters
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What the Bible says about anxiety →What the Bible says about fear →What the Bible says about anger →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).