What does Psalm 59:5 mean?

David is praying for rescue (Psalm 59:1–2) from assassins lurking to kill him, sent by his enemy, King Saul (1 Samuel 19:11–16). These evil, violent men attack him for no good reason (Psalm 59:3–4). Here, the psalm begins making "imprecatory" statements: wishing harm, calamity, or judgment on someone. Other psalms make similar emotional appeals for the Lord to express His wrath against evil (Psalm 5; 58; 137). A key aspect of these statements is that they are not plans to enact revenge nor excuses for reprisal. Instead, they appeal to God for His intervention.

This verse names God as the "Lᴏʀᴅ God of hosts" and "God of Israel." Each word in this phrase carries meaning. David applies them one after the other to emphasize the immense power and authority of the Lord. The original Hebrew phrase is YHWH Elōhim sebāot' Elōhe' Yisrāēl'. The first term is the title God used when speaking to Moses (Exodus 3:15). The second two words define the Lord as the "God of Armies," and the last two identify Him as the "God of Israel." This inspires confidence, by evoking the unstoppable power of the Creator (Matthew 16:18; Hebrews 13:6).

David calls on the Lord to strike out at "the nations," a common reference to the non-Israelite kingdoms of the world. In this case, the emphasis is not so much on Gentiles—non-Jews—but on the scope of God's wrath: the entire world. Echoing the plea of the last verse, David asks God to "rouse" Himself into acting.

This verse includes the Hebrew term selah, which likely indicates a reflective pause.