Bible Strands
Psalms 59:6
They return in the evening, snarling like dogs and prowling around the city.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the LORD God of Hosts, pleading for divine intervention against enemies actively plotting violence. This declaration occurs at a moment of immediate peril, directly following a command for God to rouse Himself and punish the wicked nations.
The words — The Hebrew יָשׁ֣וּבוּ (ya.shuvu) translates literally as "they return," while יֶהֱמ֥וּ (ye.hemu) means "they growl" or "snarl." These verbs describe the enemies' nocturnal, predatory movement as they circle the city.
The thread — The image of enemies returning at dusk like snarling dogs appears again in Psalm 59:14 and mirrors the hostile encirclement in Psalm 22:16. The pattern of adversaries waiting to strike also aligns with the political ambush detailed in 1 Samuel 19:11.
Why it lands — The text records the enemies' relentless, animalistic pursuit before demanding God's punitive response. It requires the reader to accept that persistent hostility against God's purposes invites direct divine judgment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
Cross-references
- Psalms 59:14 They return in the evening, snarling like dogs and prowling around the city.
- Psalms 22:16 For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.
- 1 Samuel 19:11 Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!”