He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The real power here isn't just that God will save the psalmist, but that God will personally send out his "steadfast love" and "faithfulness" to do it. These aren't just abstract concepts, but active forces, almost like divine agents, unleashed to rescue and vindicate. This shows how intimately God is involved in delivering us from those who seek our ruin.
He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
English Standard Version (ESV)
David is crying out to God amidst extreme danger, feeling like he's being pursued and threatened with utter destruction. He's already expressed his deep trust in God's protection, even seeking refuge "in the shadow of your wings." This verse is his confident declaration that God will intervene from heaven to rescue him, not only saving him but also shaming the one who is aggressively trying to destroy him.
When enemies seem ready to devour, where does real help come from? David cries out for rescue, not from human armies, but from a divine source.
God's Direct Action
David is confident that God will 'send from heaven and save me.' This isn't just a passive hope; it's an assurance of God's active intervention. The original language doesn't specify how God will send help – it could be through angels, natural events, or even the ultimate sending of His Son.
Shaming the Enemy
The verse also promises that God will 'put to shame him who tramples on me.' This means God's rescue won't just be a quiet deliverance; it will be a public declaration of His power, leaving the oppressor disgraced and defeated. The shame falls on those who thought they could crush God's beloved.
What are the divine resources God deploys for our salvation? It's not just raw power, but deeply personal attributes that secure our victory.
The Power of Mercy
Following the promise of intervention, David emphasizes that 'God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!' The original Hebrew speaks of 'hesed,' often translated as steadfast love, lovingkindness, or covenant loyalty. This isn't just a fleeting emotion; it's a deep, abiding commitment rooted in God's unchanging character.
The Guarantee of Faithfulness
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Coupled with steadfast love is God's faithfulness. This speaks to His reliability and the certainty that He will fulfill His promises. Because God is loving and true, His help is not a gamble; it's a guaranteed outcome for those who trust Him.
Personified Messengers
These divine attributes – love and faithfulness – are poetically presented as active agents, almost like messengers God 'sends forth.' They are the very essence of God's character, unleashed to bring about deliverance and vindicate His people.
Understand the original words
Selah · Hebrew Noun/Particle
A Hebrew term, likely musical or liturgical, used to signal a pause for reflection or an increase in intensity.
chesed · Hebrew Noun
God's loyal, covenantal love; a foundational term for His steadfast, unfailing, and committed kindness toward His people.
emeth · Hebrew Noun
Truthfulness, dependability, and constancy; the character of God who remains true to His promises and character.
This psalm vividly captures David's desperate situation while being hunted by King Saul. The plea for heaven's intervention and the confident declaration of God's steadfast love and faithfulness reflect a soul under immense pressure, yet holding onto divine promises.
c. 1025-1015 BC— this verse
Saul Hunts David
King Saul, driven by intense jealousy and fear, relentlessly pursues David, whom he sees as a threat to his throne. David is forced to flee and hide in various wilderness locations.
c. 1025 BC
David in the Wilderness of Ziph
David and his men are hiding in the wilderness of Ziph, a period marked by extreme danger and uncertainty. The Ziphites even betrayed David's location to Saul.
c. 1025 BC
David Flees to En Gedi
After narrowly escaping Saul's pursuit, David seeks refuge in the rugged caves of the wilderness of En Gedi, a stark and secluded environment.
c. 1015 BC
Death of Saul
Saul's reign ends tragically in battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa. This event marks the end of David's long period of persecution.
This passage describes a moment of extreme danger where God's intervention, like in Psalms 57:3, is necessary to prevent disaster, highlighting the theme of divine action in critical moments.
Daniel 3:28Here, God sends an angel to save His servants from a fiery furnace, illustrating the 'sending from heaven' mentioned in Psalms 57:3 and demonstrating God's direct intervention to protect His people.
John 1:14This verse speaks of God sending forth His Son, Jesus, who is full of grace and truth, directly correlating with God sending forth His 'steadfast love and faithfulness' for salvation.
Acts 12:7This passage shows an angel being sent by God to rescue Peter from prison, mirroring the idea of divine help being dispatched from heaven to save someone from imminent danger and reproach.
Hebrews 1:14This verse explains that angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation, aligning with the concept of heavenly help being dispatched as described in Psalms 57:3.
poolePsalms 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."
He shall send, either, 1. His angels, as Daniel 3:28 . Or, 2. His help. Or, 3. His hand; which is understood after this verb, 2 Samuel 6:6 , by comparing 1 Chronicles 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…
ellicottPsalms 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 . . . —The selah in the middle of this verse is as much out of place as in Psalm 55:19 . The LXX. place it after Psalm 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. Psalm 18:16 .
The real power here isn't just that God will save the psalmist, but that God will personally send out his "steadfast love" and "faithfulness" to do it. These aren't just abstract concepts, but active forces, almost like divine agents, unleashed to rescue and vindicate. This shows how intimately God is involved in delivering us from those who seek our ruin.
David is crying out to God amidst extreme danger, feeling like he's being pursued and threatened with utter destruction. He's already expressed his deep trust in God's protection, even seeking refuge "in the shadow of your wings." This verse is his confident declaration that God will intervene from heaven to rescue him, not only saving him but also shaming the one who is aggressively trying to destroy him.
David is crying out to God amidst extreme danger, feeling like he's being pursued and threatened with utter destruction. He's already expressed his deep trust in God's protection, even seeking refuge "in the shadow of your wings." This verse is his confident declaration that God will intervene from heaven to rescue him, not only saving him but also shaming the one who is aggressively trying to destroy him.
"He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!" — The real power here isn't just that God will save the psalmist, but that God will personally send out his "steadfast love" and "faithfulness" to do it. These aren't just abstract concepts, but acti…
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Last reviewed October 2026