In Psalm 59, David was being pursued by evil men that he compared to prowling bloodthirsty dogs. These evil men lived as if God was unaware of their actions, but David knew they were mistaken. The God of Heaven was looking down at them with distaste, and David knew the day was coming when God would humble them. In the meantime, God was David’s fortress.

Psalm 58 is an imprecatory Psalm in which David rebukes the wicked rulers of the people who pervert justice and oppress others. After describing these wicked men, David unleashes a series of curses against them. David was not personally going to harm these men, but his psalm called on God to deliver judgment to them.

David wrote Psalm 57 when he was hiding from King Saul in a cave. This probably refers to the time when David was at the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1-2). David’s psalm calls for God to be glorified and his oppressors to be thwarted. He rouses his soul to worship God and express unwavering confidence in the Lord’s ability to save him.

Psalm 56 is a prayer of David during a time of distress when he was captured by the Philistines at the city of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10-22:1). He expresses trust in God's awareness of his trouble, writing that God collected his tears in a jar. David had no doubt God would deliver him, and he encouraged his own soul not to fear human adversaries.

In Psalm 55, David was betrayed by a “familiar friend.” Men who had once been his allies had turned against him, and this was a cause of great distress for David. He wanted to flee the situation, like a dove flying away from danger, but instead he put his trust in the Lord and waited patiently for God to deliver him.  

David was repeatedly betrayed by the Ziphites, who reported on his location to murderous King Saul of Israel. In response to this betrayal, David wrote Psalm 54. He calls on God to defeat his enemies for him, and he rejoices in anticipation of his deliverance. He worships God for His faithfulness and for helping him through every trouble.

Psalm 53 is the twin of Psalm 14. The two Psalms are almost identical, with only slight variations in a few verses. They begin with the famous words, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” The Psalm tells how God will punish those who deny His power and will redeem His faithful ones out of the hands of atheist abusers.

When King Saul was trying to kill David, Doeg, one of Saul’s servants met David at a place called Nob. Doeg reported David’s whereabouts to Saul and told Saul that the priests at Nob gave David provisions. Saul was angry with the priests and ordered them to be killed. Doeg killed 85 priests of the Lord and destroyed their city (1 Samuel 21-22). Psalm 52 is a condemnation of Doeg’s evil actions.

Psalm 51 is a psalm of repentance. It was written after David’s sins with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12). Having been confronted by God’s prophet, Nathan, David grieved his sin, asked the Lord to cleanse him, and to restore the joy of His fellowship. David’s repentance was genuine and the text says he came to God with a broken spirit and a contrite heart.

Psalm 50 opens with a description of God as a great and glorious judge. God was determined to judge hypocrisy amongst His people. Some of the people were offering sacrifices to Him, but their hearts were in love with sin. God warned these men to repent or else they would face His righteous judgement.

Psalm 49 is a meditation on the vanity of riches. The Psalmist didn’t want his listeners to stress over corrupt rich men, because their lives were short, and they would die like all other men. Their wealth couldn’t save their souls, and in the resurrection the righteous would rule over them.

Psalm 48 was written in honor of the city of Jerusalem and the God who protected it. The sons of Korah invited their readers to observe the city’s architecture and recall God’s generational faithfulness so they could teach their children about the Lord. Many nations had opposed Jerusalem over the years, but God had made it into a fortress.  

Psalm 47 is a psalm of worship, written by the Sons of Korah. The author encourages his hearers to clap their hands and sing songs of joy to the Lord. Although there were many reasons to praise God, two are highlighted in Psalm 47, (1) God’s special favor towards the nation of Israel, and (2) God’s power and rule over all nations of the earth.

Psalm 46 is a psalm of worship in which the author praises God for being a refuge to His people when the world around them is in chaos. He begins with the well-known words, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (46:1). The psalmist’s confidence in God was resilient even in the face of the world’s worst calamities.

Psalm 45 describes a praiseworthy king and his admirable bride. The psalmist praises the king for standing for righteousness and justice. He is a glorious king without compare. The bride is counselled to be faithful to her king, and in return she is promised honor and sons who will be princes. There are many parallels in Psalm 45 between the king and Jesus, and the king’s bride and Jesus’ Church.

The sons of Korah, who wrote Psalm 44, recounted God’s great deeds in supporting the nation of Israel during the time of their forefathers. They trusted in God, but their faith was being tested because God had allowed them to lose some military battles, and they couldn’t figure out why. They asked God to “Rise up” and come to their aid against their enemies.

The psalmist asked the Lord to vindicate him from his enemies as he fought off discouragement due to constant opposition. The author’s confidence was in God, but the persistence of his enemies made him wonder why God hadn’t acted more quickly and decisively against them. In the end, he chose to “hope in God,” believing that God would come through for him in the end.

Psalm 42, attributed to David of Israel, is an expression of longing for God's presence amidst spiritual despair. The psalmist compares this longing to a panting deer’s thirst for water. David fights for joy in God amidst attacks from his enemies who laugh at him for his trust in the divine. David reminisces on past worship experiences as he battles for his faith, ultimately choosing to “Hope in God” for his deliverance.

In Psalm 41, David blesses those who help the poor, promising them God's help during their times of trouble. David then talks about his own suffering, and his hope in God's mercy and healing. He laments the betrayal of friends and the ill will of his enemies. Despite his struggles, David expresses his trust in God's goodness, concluding with a blessing of praise.

The words of Psalm 40 were true of David but even more true of the Messiah. David begins the psalm thanking God for delivering him from a trial. He goes on to publicize God’s goodness and encourage his countrymen to trust in God. In Psalm 40:6-8, David spoke prophetically about Jesus, the one who had ultimate trust in God and who publicized “glad news” to the entire world.