Psalms 59:6 · Clearspring

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Other translations

WEBBE

They return at evening, howling like dogs, and prowl around the city.

BSB

They return in the evening, snarling like dogs and prowling around the city.

KJV

They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

ASV

They return at evening, they howl like a dog, And go round about the city.

BBE

They come back in the evening; they make a noise like a dog, and go round the town.

Original Hebrew

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יָשׁוּבוּ ya·shu·vu they return H7725 לָעֶרֶב la·'e·rev to (the) evening H6153 יֶהֱמוּ ye·he·mu they growl H1993 כַכָּלֶב kha·ka·lev like (the) dog H3611 וִיסוֹבְבוּ vi·so·vu so they may go around H5437 עִיר 'ir [the] city H5892

The early church

"Let them be converted at the evening" [Psalm 59:6]. Of certain men he is speaking that were once workers of iniquity, and once darkness, being converted in the evening. What is, "in the evening"? Afterward. What is "at the evening"? Later. For before, before that they crucified Christ, they ought to have acknowledged their Physician. Wherefore, when He had been crucified— rising again, into Heaven ascending— after that He sent His Holy Spirit, wherewith were fulfilled they that were in one house, and they began to speak with the tongues of all nations, there feared the crucifiers of Christ; they were pricked through with their consciences, they besought counsel of safety from the Apostles, they heard, "Repent, and be baptized each one of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and your sins shall be remitted unto you." [Acts 2:38] After the slaying of Christ, after the shedding of the blood of Christ, remitted are your sins...."Let these be converted," therefore, they also "at evening." Let them yearn for the grace of God, perceive themselves to be sinners; let those strong men be made weak, those rich men be made poor, those just men acknowledge themselves sinners, those lions be made dogs. "Let them be converted at evening, and suffer hunger as dogs. And they shall go around the city." What city? That world, which in certain places the Scripture calls "the city of standing round:" that is, because in all nations everywhere the world had encompassed the one nation of Jews, where such words were being spoken, and it was called "the city of standing round." Around this city shall go those men, now having become hungry dogs. In what manner shall they go around? By preaching. Saul out of a wolf was made a dog at evening, that is, being late converted by the crumbs of his Lord, in His grace he ran, and went around the city.

Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Expositions on the Psalms

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–7

In these words we hear the voice of David when a prisoner in his own house; the voice of Christ when surrounded by his merciless enemies; the voice of the church when under bondage in the world; and the voice of the Christian when under temptation, affliction, and persecution. And thus earnestly should we pray daily, to be defended and delivered from our spiritual enemies, the temptations of Satan, and the corruptions of our own hearts. We should fear suffering as evil-doers, but not be ashamed of the hatred of workers of iniquity. It is not strange, if those regard not what they themselves say, who have made themselves believe that God regards not what they say. And where there is no fear of God, there is nothing to secure proper regard to man.

Read Matthew Henry on Psalm 59 →

Spurgeon · Verse 6

They return at evening. Like wild beasts that roam at night, they come forth to do mischief. If foiled in the light, they seek the more congenial darkness in which to accomplish their designs. They mean to break into the house in the dead of might. They make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Howling with hunger for their prey, they sneak round and round the walls, prowling with stealthy footstep, and barking in unamiable concert. David compares his foes to Eastern dogs, unowned, loathsome, degraded, lean, and hungry, and he represents them as howling with disappointment, because they cannot find the food they seek. Saul's watchmen and the cruel king himself must have raved and raged fiercely when they found the image and the pillow of goat's hair in the bed instead of David. Vain were their watchings, the victim had been delivered, and that by the daughter of the man who desired his blood. Go, ye dogs, to your kennels and gnaw your bones, for this good man is not meat for your jaws.

Read Spurgeon on Psalm 59 →

Cross-references

4

Topics

Wicked (People)Malice Animals