This purports to be a psalm of David, and there is no sufficient reason for doubting the correctness of its being thus attributed to him. DeWette indeed thinks that the contents of the psalm do not well agree with the circumstances of David's life, and especially with that period of his life referred to in the title, and supposes that it was composed by some Hebrew in exile in the time of the captivity. But this is evidently mere conjecture. There "were" times in the life of David to which all that is said in this psalm would be applicable; and it is not difficult to explain all the allusions in it with reference to the circumstances specified in the title.
On the words "To the chief Musician," see Introduction to Psalm 4:1-8. In the expression in the title "upon Jonath-elem-rechokim," the first word - "Jonath" - means a "dove," a favorite emblem of suffering innocence; and the second - אלם 'êlem - means "silence," dumbness, sometimes put for uncomplaining submission; and the third - רחוקים râchôqiym - means "distant" or "remote," agreeing here with places or persons, probably the latter, in which sense it is applicable to the Philistines, as aliens in blood and religion from the Hebrews. Thus understood, the whole title is an enigmatical description of David as an innocent and uncomplaining sufferer among strangers. See Prof. Alexander. DeWette, however, renders it, "The dove of the far-off terebinth trees." The Septuagint and the Vulgate render it, "for the people who are made remote from their sanctuary." The common rendering of the phrase is, "Upon, or respecting the dove of silence, in remote plaaes," or "far-off from its nest," or "in distant groves."
Gesenius (Lexicon) renders it, "the silent dove among strangers," and applies it to the people of Israel in the time of the exile, as an uncomplaining, unmurmuring people. This explanation of the "words," "the silent dove among strangers," is probably the true one; but it is applicable here, not to the people of Israel, as Gesenius, the Septuagint, and the Vulgate, render it, but to David, as an exile and a wanderer - one who was driven away from country and home, as a dove wandering from its nest. Whether it was the title of a "tune" or a piece of music already known, or whether it was music that was composed for this occasion, and with reference to this very psalm, it is not practicable now to determine. It is very "possible" that there was already a piece of music in existence, and in common use, to which this beautiful title of "A silent dove among strangers," or "A patient dove driven from her nest into remote p aces," was given - plaintive, tender, pensive music, and therefore especially appropriate for a psalm composed to describe the feelings of David when driven from home, and compelled to seek a place of safety in a remote region, like a dove driven from its nest.
On the meaning of the word "Michtam," see the notes at the introduction to Psalm 16:1-11. The portion of the title "When the Philistines took him in Gath," evidently refers to the event recorded in 1-Samuel 21:10 ff when David, fleeing from Saul, took refuge in the country of Achish, king of Gath, and when the "servants" of the king of Gath made him known to Achish, whose fears they so aroused as to lead him to drive the stranger away. The words "took him in Gath," refer not to their "apprehending" him, or "seizing" him, but to their following him, or overtaking him, to wit, by their calumnies and reproaches, so that he found no safety there. He was persecuted by Saul; he was also persecuted by the Philistines, among whom he sought refuge and safety.
The psalm embraces the following points:
I. An earnest prayer for the divine interposition in behalf of the author of the psalm, Psalm 56:1-2.
II. An expression of his trust in God in times of danger, Psalm 56:3-4.
III. A description of his enemies: of their wresting his words; of their evil thoughts against him; of their gathering together; of their watching his steps; of their lying in wait for his life, Psalm 56:5-6.
IV. His confident belief that they would not escape by their iniquity; that God knew all his wanderings; that God remembered his tears, as if He put them in His bottle; and that his enemies would know that God was with him, Psalm 56:7-9.
V. His entire trust in God, and his firm assurance that he would yet be kept from falling, and would walk before God in the light of the living. Psalm 56:10-13.
The general "subject" of the psalm, therefore, is "confidence or trust in God in the time of danger."

David prays for support against his enemies, whose wickedness he describes, Psalm 56:1-6; and foretells their destruction, Psalm 56:7; expresses his confidence in God's mercy, expects deliverance, and promises thanksgiving and obedience, Psalm 56:8-13.
The title of this Psalm is very long: "To the conqueror, concerning the dumb dove in foreign places: golden Psalm of David." The Vulgate translates the original thus: "to the end. For the people who were afar off from holy things." "This inscription David placed here for a title when the Philistines - took him in Gath;" so the Septuagint and Ethiopic. The Chaldee is profuse: "To praise, for the congregation of Israel, which are compared to the silence of a dove, when they were afar off from their cities but being returned, they praise the Lord of the world, like David, contrite and upright, when the Philistines kept him in Gath." The Syriac: "A thanksgiving of the righteous man, because he was delivered from his enemy, and from the hand of Saul. Also concerning the Jews and Christ." Bochart translates, "To the tune of the dove in the remote woods."
If the title be at all authentic, David may mean himself and his companions by it, when he escaped from the hands of the Philistines; particularly from the hands of Achish, king of Gath. אלם elem signifies to compress or bind together; also, a small band or body of men: and יונת yonath, from ינה yanah, to oppress or afflict, is properly applied to the dove, because of its being so defenseless, and often becoming the prey of ravenous birds. It is possible, therefore, that the title may imply no more than - "A prayer to God in behalf of himself and the oppressed band that followed him, and shared his misfortunes in distant places." Others will have it to mean a simple direction "To the master of the band, to be sung to the time of a well-known ode, called 'The dumb dove, in distant places.'" There is no end to conjectures, and all the titles in the whole book are not worth one hour's labor. Perhaps there is not one of them authentic. They may have been notices that such a Psalm was to be sung to such and such a tune; giving the catch-words of some well-known song or ode: a custom that prevails much among us in songs and hymns, and is to be found even among the Asiatics.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 56
To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David when the Philistines took him in Gath. The words "jonathelemrechokim" are by our translators left untranslated. Aben Ezra takes them to be the beginning of a song; and others think they are the name of a musical instrument: but they seem rather to design the subject matter of the psalm, and may be rendered, "concerning the mute dove among them that are afar off" (m), or "in far places" (n); and refer to David, who, when he wrote this psalm, was among the Philistines, who were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, afar off from God and his law, and from righteousness; and when David was there, he was at a distance from his native country, his father's house, the king's court, and, what gave him most concern, from the house and worship of God; and here he was as a mute dove. He may be compared to a dove for his innocence in the case of Saul; and to a silly dove, for his acting the part of a fool or madman before Achish king of Gath; and was mute to what the servants of Achish said, and was dumb before the Lord, who had suffered him to fall into their hands, and into this distress he was now in. They are also applicable to Christ, who is comparable to a dove for his harmlessness, innocence, meekness and humility; and was as a mute one before Pontius Pilate the Roman governor, when his enemies accused him, and he answered not a word; and when among the Roman soldiers, who mocked at him and reviled him, and he reviled not again; and when he was led to be crucified, he opened not his mouth either against God or man. They may be also applied to the church of God, which is often called a dove in Song 4:1; and is in the wilderness, and among wicked men, that are afar off from God, and is silent under all afflictions and persecutions; see Song 2:14. The Targum paraphrases the words thus;
"concerning the congregation of Israel, which is like to a silent dove, at the time they are removed afar off from their cities.''
Moreover, the words may be applied to any truly gracious soul, that is sensible of sin, and mourns as a dove for it; has fled to Christ, as doves to their windows; and is harmless and humble; and living among men, aliens from God, is vexed and afflicted by them, yet patiently bears all that is said and done unto it. The fact which occasioned the writing of this psalm is related in 1-Samuel 21:10. Of the word "michtam", See Gill on Psalm 16:1, title; and Gussetius (o) is of opinion, that every psalm that has this title belongs to Christ.
(m) "De columba muta procul inter alienos constituta", Musculus; "inter longinquos", Piscator, Pfeiffer. (n) "Remotis", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus; so Ainsworth. (o) Ebr. Comment p. 410.

(Psalm 56:1-7) David seeks mercy from God, amidst the malice of his enemies.
(Psalm 56:8-13) He rests his faith on God's promises, and declares his obligation to praise him for mercies.

Cheerful Courage of a Fugitive
To Ps 55, which is Psalm 56:7 gives utterance to the wish: "Oh that I had wings like a dove," etc., no Psalm could be more appropriately appended, according to the mode of arrangement adopted by the collector, than Psalm 56:1-13, the musical inscription of which runs: To the Precentor, after "The silent dove among the far off," by David, a Michtam. רחקים is a second genitive, cf. Isaiah 28:1, and either signifies distant men or longiqua, distant places, as in Psalm 65:6, cf. נעימים, Psalm 16:6. Just as in Psalm 58:2, it is questionable whether the punctuation אלם has lighted upon the correct rendering. Hitzig is anxious to read אלם, "Dove of the people in the distance;" but אלם, people, in spite of Egli's commendation, is a word unheard of in Hebrew, and only conjectural in Phoenician. Olshausen's אלם more readily commends itself, "Dove of the distant terebinths." As in other like inscriptions, על does not signify de (as John. Campensis renders it in his paraphrase of the Psalm [1532] and frequently): Praefecto musices, de columba muta quae procul avolaverat), but secundum; and the coincidence of the defining of the melody with the situation of the writer of the Psalm is explained by the consideration that the melody is chosen with reference to that situation. The lxx (cf. the Targum), interpreting the figure, renders: ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων (from the sanctuary) μεμακρυμμένου, for which Symmachus has: φύλου ἀπωσμένου. The rendering of Aquila is correct: ὑπὲρ περιστερᾶς ἀλάλου μακρυσμῶν. From Ps 55 (Psalm 56:7, cf. Psalm 38:14) we may form an idea of the standard song designated by the words יונת אלם רחקים; for Ps 55 is not this song itself, and for this reason, that it belongs to the time of Absalom, and is therefore of later date than Psalm 56:1-13, the historical inscription of which, "when the Philistines assaulted him in Gath" (cf. בּידם, 1-Samuel 21:14), carries us back into the time of Saul, to the same time of the sojourn in Philistia to which Ps 34 is assigned. Psalm 56:1-13 exhibits many points of the closest intermingling with the Psalm of this period, and thus justifies its inscription. It is a characteristic possessed in common by these Psalm, that the prospect of the judgment that will come upon the whole of the hostile world is combined with David's prospect of the judgment that will come upon his enemies: Psalm 56:8; Psalm 7:9; Psalm 59:6 (12). The figure of the bottle in which God preserves the tears of the suffering ones corresponds to the sojourn in the wilderness. As regards technical form, Psalm 56:1-13 begins the series of Davidic Elohimic Michtammı̂m, Psalm 56:1. Three of these belong to the time of Saul. These three contain refrains, a fact that we have already recognised on Psalm 16:1 as a peculiarity of these "favourite-word-poems." the favourite words of this Psalm 56:1-13 are (באלהים אהלל דבר)ו and לי (אדם) מה־יּעשׂה בשׂר.