Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 57:3
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.
3. He shall send from heaven ] There is no need to supply an object to the verb here. The object is introduced when the verb is repeated according to the characteristic peculiarity of this Psalm. For the meaning cp. Psa 20:2, and perhaps Psa 18:16, though see note there.
from the reproach &c.] Better, (For) he that would swallow me up (or, crush me, Psa 56:1, note) hath reproached. The object of the verb may be God, Whom the enemy blasphemes in denying His willingness to help His servant (Isa 37:23-24); or the Psalmist, whom he taunts with being deserted by his God (Psa 42:10; Psa 55:12). The rendering of A.V. marg., he reproacheth him that would swallow me up, is contrary to usage, for the word is never used of God rebuking men.
Selah here is probably misplaced, cp. Psa 55:19. In the LXX it follows Psa 57:2.
God shall send forth &c.] God’s lovingkindness and truth (cp. Psa 42:8, Psa 43:3) are almost personified as “ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation.” It is in virtue of the lovingkindness which is the foundation of His covenant, and of the faithfulness which is an inalienable attribute of His nature, that God will send help to His servant.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He shall send from heaven – That is, from himself; or, he will interpose to save me. The psalmist does not say how he expected this interposition – whether by an angel, by a miracle, by tempest or storm, but he felt that help was to come from God alone, and he was sure that it would come.
And save me from the reproach … – This would be more correctly rendered, He shall save me; he shall reproach him that would swallow me up. So it is rendered in the margin. On the word rendered would swallow me up, see the notes at Psa 56:1. The idea here is, that God would rebuke or reproach, to wit, by overthrowing him that sought to devour or destroy him. God had interposed formerly in his behalf Psa 57:2, and he felt assured that he would do it again.
Selah – This seems here to be a mere musical pause. It has no connection with the sense. See the notes at Psa 3:2.
God shall send forth his mercy – In saving me. He will manifest his mercy.
And his truth – His fidelity to his promise; his faithfulness to those who put their trust in him. He will show himself true to all the promises which he has made. Compare Psa 40:11.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. He shall send from heaven, and save me] Were there no human agents or earthly means that he could employ, he would send his angels from heaven to rescue me from my enemies. Or, He will give his command from heaven that this may be done on earth.
Selah] I think this word should be at the end of the verse.
God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.] Here mercy and truth are personified. They are the messengers that God will send from heaven to save me. His mercy ever inclines him to help and save the distressed. This he has promised to do; and his truth binds him to fulfil the promises or engagements his mercy has made, both to saints and sinners.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He shall send, either,
1. His angels, as Dan 3:28. Or,
2. His help. Or,
3. His hand; which is understood after this verb, 2Sa 6:6, by comparing 1Ch 13:9, where it is expressed. Or rather,
4. His mercy and his truth as it here follows, where also this verb is repeated before those words. Save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up, i.e. from that shameful destruction which they design to bring upon me. Or rather, as it is rendered in the margin of our Bible, and by many others, and as it is in the Hebrew, he hath reproached (i.e. he will certainly put to shame or reproach) him that would swallow me up, by disappointing his expectation, and delivering me from his rage.
Shall send forth his mercy and his truth, i.e. shall discover them by their proper fruits, to wit, by affording his gracious help in pursuance of his promises.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. from . . . swallow me upthatpants in rage after me (Ps 56:2).
mercy and . . . truth(Psa 25:10; Psa 36:5),as messengers (Ps 43:3) sent todeliver him.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He shall send from heaven, and save me,…. His angel, as the Targum adds; or his angels, as Kimchi; who are ministering spirits, sent forth by him, to encamp about his people, and guard them, as they did Jacob when in fear of Esau, Ge 32:1; or to deliver them out of trouble, as Peter when in prison, Ac 12:7; or rather the sense may be, that David did not expect any help and deliverance in an human way, by means of men on earth; but he expected it from above, from heaven, from God above, and which he believed he should have; and he might have a further view to the mission of Christ from heaven to save him, and all the Lord’s people; and which he may mention, both for his own comfort, and for the strengthening of the faith of others in that important article;
[from] the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Meaning Saul; see
Ps 56:1. The Targum renders it,
“he hath reproached him that would swallow me up for ever;”
and to the same sense the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, Arabic, and Syriac versions; disappointed them, and filled them with reproach, shame, and confusion.
Selah; on this word, [See comments on Ps 3:2].
God shall send forth his mercy and his truth; shall manifest and display the glory of these his perfections, his mercy and grace, his truth and faithfulness, in his deliverance and salvation; and which are remarkably glorified in salvation by Christ Jesus; and who himself may be called “his grace and his truth” n, as the words may be rendered; he being the Word of his grace, and truth itself, and full of both; and by whom, when sent forth, grace and truth came, Joh 1:14; it may also intend a constant supply of grace, whereby God would show forth the truth of his promises to him.
n “gratiam et veritatem suam”, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
3 He shall send from heaven, and save me. David, as I have repeatedly had occasion to observe, interlaces his prayers with holy meditations for the comfort of his own soul, in which he contemplates his hopes as already realised in the event. In the words before us, he glories in the divine help with as much assurance as if he had already seen the hand of God interposed in his behalf. When it is said, he shall send from heaven, some consider the expression as elliptical, meaning that he would send his angels; but it seems rather to be an indefinite form of speech, signifying that the deliverance which David expected was one not of a common, but a signal and miraculous description. The expression denotes the greatness of the interposition which he looked for, and heaven is opposed to earthly or natural means of deliverance. What follows admits of being rendered in two different ways. We may supply the Hebrew preposition מ, mem, and read, He shall save me from the reproach; or it might be better to understand the words appositively, He shall save me, to the reproach of him who swallows me up. (340) The latter expression might be rendered, from him who waits for me. His enemies gaped upon him in their eagerness to accomplish his destruction, and insidiously watched their opportunity; but God would deliver him, to their disgrace. He is said to strike his enemies with shame and reproach, when he disappoints their expectations. The deliverance which David anticipated was signal and miraculous; and he adds, that he looked for it entirely from the mercy and truth of God, which he represents here as the hands, so to speak, by which his assistance is extended to his people.
(340) In this all the ancient versions agree: They make חרף, chereph, a verb, and not a noun, regarding it as applicable to God, and conveying the idea that He would deliver David, having put to shame, or to reproach, his enemies. Thus, in the Septuagint, it is “ ἔδωκεν εἰς ὄνειδος ” and in the Vulgate, “ dedit in opprobrium,” “he gave to reproach;” and in like manner in the Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) He shall send . . .The selah in the middle of this verse is as much out of place as in Psa. 55:19. The LXX. place it after Psa. 57:2. The marginal correction of the second clause is decidedly to be adopted, the word reproach is here being used in the sense of rebuke. For the verb send, used absolutely, comp. Psa. 18:16.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. He shall send from heaven David steadfastly refused to take vengeance into his own hands against Saul and his evil counsellors, but left the questions of his vindication and of his promised accession to the throne wholly with God.
The reproach The slander of his enemies was the keenest edge of his sufferings.
Swallow me up See on Psa 56:1-2.
Mercy and truth See on Psa 25:10, and compare “light and truth,” Psa 43:3-4. David asked and desired no mercy which was against truth; but in the triumph of these lay all his hope.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 57:3. He shall send from heaven, and save me, &c. He will send from heaven, and save me: He defieth him who cometh upon me with open mouth: God shall send forth his favour and truth: though I lie with my soul among lions: Psa 57:4. The sons of men are all on fire: their teeth spears, &c. Mudge. Others read, He hath put to shame him who would swallow me up, &c. Psa 57:4. My soul, I lie among lions: the sons of men are set on fire, their teeth are spears, &c. compare Psa 59:7. The reader will observe, that mercy and truth are here poetically represented as ministers of God; standing in his presence, ready to execute his pleasure, and employed by him in the salvation of his people.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 57:3 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.
Ver. 3. He shall send from heaven and save me ] Rather than fail, I shall have an angel to rescue me; for although the Lord usually worketh by means, yet he can work by miracles, and will do it if there be a just occasion; howsoever, his mercy and his truth he will be sure to send, and that is enough, He will be seen in the mount, he will repent for his servants when he seeth their power is gone, Deu 32:36 , when there is dignus vindice nodus, an extremity fit for Divine power to interpose.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
swallow me up. See note on Psa 56:1.
Selah. Connecting and emphasizing by repetition David’s confidence (that God would assuredly send deliverance), with and because of His lovingkindness and truth. See App-66.
mercy = lovingkindness, or grace. Note the Structure “-3. “and “10”, above.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
send: Psa 18:6-50, Psa 144:5-7, Mat 28:2-6, Act 12:11
from the reproach of him: or, he reproacheth him, etc. swallow. Psa 56:1, Psa 56:2, Psa 61:7, Num 23:24, Job 31:31, Mic 3:2, Mic 3:3
send: Psa 40:11, Psa 43:3, Joh 1:17
Reciprocal: 2Sa 2:6 – the Lord 2Sa 15:20 – mercy 2Sa 17:16 – be swallowed Psa 18:16 – He sent Psa 25:10 – mercy Psa 35:25 – We have Psa 39:8 – make Psa 55:18 – He hath Psa 89:51 – footsteps Psa 119:39 – Turn Psa 119:121 – leave me Psa 124:3 – Then they Psa 142:6 – for they Pro 1:12 – swallow Lam 2:16 – We have swallowed 2Co 2:7 – swallowed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 57:3. He shall send from heaven Either his angels, as Dan 3:28, or his power and help in some less extraordinary way. As if he had said, There are greater armies in heaven than those that here surround me; and rather than I should perish, he will send them for my deliverance; and save me from the reproach of him, &c. From that shameful destruction which Saul designs to bring upon me. The Hebrew, however, , cheereeph shoapi, may be properly rendered, as in the margin, he reproacheth, or hath reproached, that is, he will certainly put to shame, or reproach him that would swallow me up, by disappointing his expectation, and delivering me from his rage. God shall send forth his mercy and truth Shall discover them by their proper fruits, namely, by affording his gracious help in pursuance of his promises. The reader will observe, that mercy and truth are here poetically represented as ministers of God, standing in his presence, ready to execute his pleasure, and employed by him in the salvation of his people. Dodd.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
57:3 He shall send from {d} heaven, and save me [from] the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
(d) He would rather deliver me by a miracle, than that I should be overcome.