What does Psalm 59:2 mean?

In another "imprecatory" psalm (Psalm 5:6), calling on God's judgment against evil, David also refers to his enemies as violent. This uses the Hebrew term for "blood" as a descriptive term for these foes: they are "men of bloodshed" or "bloodthirsty" opponents. Their goals are evil, so David prays for the Lords' protection (Psalm 59:1). Later verses will describe how these men conspire to ambush David without due cause (Psalm 59:3). This corresponds to an incident where Saul sent assassins to wait for David, who escaped with help from his wife, Michal (1 Samuel 19:11–16).

Among these men who seek violence is Saul, who was then king. Saul was not always evil, but his life changed dramatically for the worse when he disobeyed the Lord. The Lord told him to eliminate a depraved enemy and spare nothing (1 Samuel 15:1–3). Contrary to what the Lord told him, Saul spared the king of the Amalekites and kept the choicest livestock (1 Samuel 15:9). This was an early, overt sign that Saul was committed to himself, and not to God (1 Samuel 15:11). Eventually, it seems, Saul surrounded himself with those who were killers at heart. Saul sank to an all-time low when he tried to kill not only David (1 Samuel 19:9–10), but even lashed out at his own son (1 Samuel 20:30–33).