Psalm 57:6 - In You My Soul Takes Refuge

Audio Bible

Context

In You My Soul Takes Refuge
…5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; may Your glory cover all the earth. 6They spread a net for my feet; my soul was despondent. They dug a pit before me, but they themselves have fallen into it! Selah 7My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make music.…

Cross References

Psalm 7:15-16
He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. / His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.Psalm 9:15-16
The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. / The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion SelahProverbs 26:27
He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.Ecclesiastes 10:8
He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.Psalm 35:7-8
For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul. / May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.Psalm 141:10
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.Proverbs 28:10
He who leads the upright along the path of evil will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit what is good.Jeremiah 18:20-23
Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them. / Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle. / Let a cry be heard from their houses when You suddenly bring raiders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet. ...Esther 7:10
So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.Daniel 6:24
At the command of the king, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they and their children and wives. And before they had reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.Matthew 7:2
For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.Matthew 26:52
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.Luke 6:37-38
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. / Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.Romans 2:1-3
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. / And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. / So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?

Psalm 7:15,16
He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made…

Psalm 9:15,16
The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken…

Psalm 35:7,8
For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul…

my soul

Psalm 42:6
O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.

Psalm 142:3
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

Psalm 143:4
Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

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Psalm 57

They spread a net for my feet;
This phrase reflects a common metaphor in ancient Near Eastern literature, where enemies are depicted as hunters setting traps for their prey. The imagery of a net suggests a deliberate and cunning attempt to ensnare the psalmist. In biblical context, this can be seen as a representation of the schemes and plots of adversaries against the righteous. The net is often used in Scripture to symbolize the deceitful plans of the wicked (e.g., Psalm 140:5). This imagery is also reminiscent of the spiritual warfare described in Ephesians 6:11, where believers are warned to stand against the schemes of the devil.

my soul was despondent.
The psalmist's expression of despondency indicates a deep emotional and spiritual struggle. This reflects the human experience of feeling overwhelmed by adversity and opposition. In the historical context, David, the attributed author of this psalm, often faced life-threatening situations, such as when he fled from Saul. The despondency here can be likened to the "valley of the shadow of death" mentioned in Psalm 23:4, where the psalmist relies on God's presence for comfort. This phrase also connects to the New Testament, where Jesus experienced deep sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:38), highlighting the shared human experience of distress.

They dug a pit before me,
The act of digging a pit is another metaphor for the malicious intentions of the psalmist's enemies. In ancient times, pits were used as traps for animals or as prisons for captives. This imagery suggests premeditated harm and echoes other biblical passages where the wicked are described as setting traps for the righteous (e.g., Psalm 7:15). The pit can also symbolize the grave or Sheol, representing the ultimate threat of death. This phrase underscores the persistent danger faced by the psalmist, akin to the threats faced by Jesus during His earthly ministry.

but they themselves have fallen into it!
This statement reveals a reversal of fortune, a common theme in biblical literature where the plans of the wicked backfire. It reflects the justice of God, who turns the schemes of the wicked against them, as seen in Proverbs 26:27. This divine retribution is a recurring theme in the Psalms, where the righteous are vindicated by God's intervention. Theologically, this can be seen as a foreshadowing of Christ's victory over sin and death, where the ultimate trap set by Satan—crucifixion—becomes the means of salvation for humanity.

Selah
The term "Selah" is often interpreted as a pause for reflection or a musical interlude. Its exact meaning is uncertain, but it serves as an invitation for the reader or listener to contemplate the preceding verses. In this context, it encourages reflection on the faithfulness of God in delivering the righteous from the schemes of the wicked. This pause allows for meditation on the themes of divine justice and protection, reinforcing the assurance that God is in control, even amidst adversity.

Persons / Places / Events

1. David
The author of this psalm, David is expressing his trust in God amidst persecution. This psalm is traditionally linked to the time when David fled from Saul and hid in a cave.

2. Enemies
The adversaries of David who are plotting against him, symbolized by the spreading of a net and digging of a pit.

3. Cave of Adullam
While not mentioned directly in this verse, the context of the psalm is often associated with David's time hiding in the Cave of Adullam, a place of refuge and reflection.

Teaching Points

Divine Justice
Trust in God's justice, knowing that He sees the schemes of the wicked and will ultimately bring about justice.

Faith in Adversity
Like David, we can find solace in God during times of persecution or when others plot against us. Our response should be one of faith and patience.

The Pitfall of Malice
Those who plot evil against others often fall into their own traps. This serves as a warning against harboring malice or deceit.

Selah - Pause and Reflect
The use of "Selah" invites us to pause and reflect on God's faithfulness and the assurance of His protection.

(6) A net.--For this image, so common in Hebrew hymns, see Psalm 9:15, &c, and for that of the pit, Psalm 7:15, &c

My soul is bowed down.--The verb so rendered is everywhere else transitive. So LXX. and Vulg. here, "And have pressed down my soul." Despite the grammar, Ewald alters "my soul" into "their soul." But no conjecture of the kind restores the parallelism, which is here hopelessly lost. We expect,

They have prepared a net for my steps;

They are caught in it themselves.

Verses 6-11. - The strophe of "triumphant confidence" now begins, but with an echo from the strophe of complaint. The enemy is still at work, still plotting against the psalmist, still seeking to do him a mischief; but the efforts made are in vain. They only bring the enemy himself into trouble (ver. 6), and cause the psalmist to pour forth a song of joy (vers. 7-11). Verse 6. - They have prepared a net for my steps (comp. Psalm 9:15; Psalm 10:10; Psalm 25:15; Psalm 31:4; Psalm 35:7). These metaphors from the chase are peculiarly appropriate at the time when Saul was "hunting David upon the mountains" (1 Samuel 26:20). My soul is bowed down; rather, they have bowed down my soul; literally, he has bowed down; but the alternate use of the singular and the plural, without any real change of subject, is very common. They have digged a pit before me (comp. Psalm 7:15; Psalm 119:85). Into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Here is the first note of triumph - a very familiar note (Psalm 7:15; Psalm 9:15; Psalm 39:8; Psalm 141:10), but one always sounded with marked satisfaction. Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

They spread
הֵכִ֣ינוּ (hê·ḵî·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3559: To be erect

a net
רֶ֤שֶׁת ׀ (re·šeṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7568: A net

for my feet;
לִפְעָמַי֮ (lip̄·‘ā·may)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6471: A beat, foot, anvil, occurrence

my soul
נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י (nap̄·šî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

was despondent.
כָּפַ֪ף (kā·p̄ap̄)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3721: To bend, bend down, be bent or bowed

They dug
כָּר֣וּ (kā·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3738: To dig, to plot, to bore, open

a pit
שִׁיחָ֑ה (šî·ḥāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7882: A pit-fall

before me,
לְפָנַ֣י (lə·p̄ā·nay)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6440: The face

but they themselves have fallen
נָפְל֖וּ (nā·p̄ə·lū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

into it!
בְתוֹכָ֣הּ (ḇə·ṯō·w·ḵāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

Selah
סֶֽלָה׃ (se·lāh)
Interjection
Strong's 5542: Suspension, pause

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Psalm 57:6 Catholic BibleOT Poetry: Psalm 57:6 They have prepared a net for my (Psalm Ps Psa.)