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Psalms 57:3

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

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 fulfll the promises or engagements his mercy has made, both to saints and sinners.

Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

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 Psalm 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 Psalm 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 Psalm 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 Psalm 40:11.

Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary
All David's dependence is upon God. The most eminent believers need often repeat the publican's prayer, "God be merciful to me a sinner." But if our souls trust in the Lord, this may assure us, in our utmost dangers, that our calamities will at length be overpast, and in the mean time, by faith and prayer, we must make him our refuge. Though God be most high, yet he condescends so low, as to take care that all things are made to work for good to his people. This is a good reason why we should pray earnestly. Look which way we will on this earth, refuge fails, no help appears; but we may look for it from heaven. If we have fled from the wrath to come, unto Jesus Christ, he that performed all things needful to purchase the salvation of his people, will do for us and in us all things needful for our enjoyment of it. It made David droop to think there should be those that bore him so much ill-will. But the mischief they designed against him, returned on themselves. And when David was in the greatest distress and disgrace, he did not pray, Lord, exalt me, but, Lord, exalt thine own name. Our best encouragement in prayer, is taken from the glory of God, and to that, more than to our own comfort, we should have regard in all our petitions for mercy.