What does Psalm 59:6 mean?

At one point, King Saul set men in an ambush to assassinate David at his own home (1 Samuel 19:11–16). This plot was foiled, in part, with help from David's wife, Michal. Here, David portrays his enemies as a pack of wild dogs. In that culture, dogs were considered unclean and unworthy animals. They were almost never kept as pets; they were feral animals roaming in packs to scavenge or attack the weak (1 Kings 14:11). Even in the modern world, packs of feral dogs can be dangerous within a city at night. The "bloodthirsty" men coming to attack David (Psalm 59:1–4) act like this type of beast. This description is not merely negative, but also insulting.

David also points out how these men act by night. Scripture uses the concept of "light" as a summary of truth and goodness. This makes darkness a symbol of lies, ignorance, or rebellion against God. Scripture notes that heinous crimes are often done at night, when people feel they can hide their actions (Job 24:13–17). While Jesus brought God's truth into the world, the world preferred darkness and evil (John 3:19). This parallels the way in which evil is often committed in the dark, where it can be hidden (John 3:20).

This exact criticism will be repeated near the end of the psalm (Psalm 59:14).