This psalm (title) is inscribed "To the chief Musician upon Neginah." On the meaning of the expression, "To the chief Musician," see the notes at the title to Psalm 4:1-8, where also we have the following word in another form, - "on Neginoth" - the plural, instead of the singular. The word means a stringed instrument; and the idea is, that the psalm was committed to the leader of those who played on stringed instruments in the sanctuary.
The psalm is ascribed to David, but the occasion on which it was composed is not specified. From the psalm itself it is evident that it was composed by one who was in exile Psalm 61:2, and by one who was a king Psalm 61:6. The supposition which best agrees with all the circumstances alluded to in the psalm is, that it was composed by David when he was driven into exile on the rebellion of Absalom, and that it was composed when he was still beyond the Jordan 2-Samuel 17:22, and when his life was yet in danger. Psalm 42:1-11 and Psalm 43:1-5 refer to the same period, and have the same general characteristics.
The psalm consists of the following parts:
I. A prayer for the divine interposition, Psalm 61:1-2. The psalmist was far away from his home - in exile - and his heart was overwhelmed.
II. A reference to former mercies, and to the divine interposition in other days, as a ground of hope and of pleading now, Psalm 61:3-5.
III. An expression of confident assurance that his prayer would be heard; that his life would be preserved; that his days would be lengthened out, and that he would be delivered from danger, Psalm 61:6-7.
IV. The result of this deliverance; or, as an expression of gratitude for it, a purpose to devote himself to God, in a life spent in the daily performance of his vows, Psalm 61:8.

The psalmist's prayer for those who mere banished from their own land, and from the ordinances of God, Psalm 61:1, Psalm 61:2. He praises God for his past mercies, Psalm 61:3; purposes to devote himself entirely to his service, Psalm 61:4, Psalm 61:5. He prays for the king, Psalm 61:6, Psalm 61:7; and promises to perform his vow to the Lord daily, Psalm 61:8.
The title, To the chief Musician upon Neginath, נגינת. The verb נגן nagan signifies to strike or play on a musical instrument, especially one of the stringed kind; but the נגינות neginoth, as it is written in about thirty MSS., may signify either the players on the instruments or the instruments themselves. The Psalm appears to have been written about the close of the captivity, and the most judicious interpreters refer it to that period. On this supposition the notes are formed.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 61
To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David. "Neginah" is either the beginning of a song, as Aben Ezra; or the musical note or tune of one: or rather the name of a musical instrument, which was touched by the hand, or with a quill or bow. It is the singular of "neginoth", See Gill on Psalm 4:1. This psalm was written by David, when at the end of the earth, or land of Judea, as appears from Psalm 61:2; either when he was fighting with the Syrians, as R. Obadiah, and so was composed about the same time with the former; or when he was in the land of the Philistines, being obliged to fly there from Saul, as Kimchi and others: or rather after he himself was king, since mention is made of the king in it; and when he fled from his son Absalom, and passed over to the other side of Jordan, and came to Mahanaim, 2-Samuel 17:22; where very probably he wrote this psalm. In it respect is had to the Messiah, as in Psalm 61:2; though Arama thinks it was composed after the prophecy came to Nathan that David should not build the temple; see Psalm 61:4.

(Psalm 61:1-4) David seeks God upon former experience.
(Psalm 61:5-8) He vows to serve God.

Prayer and Thanksgiving of an Expelled King on His Way Back to the Throne
The Davidic Michtammı̂m are now ended, and there follows a short Davidic song על־נגינת. Does this expression mean "with the accompaniment of stringed instruments?" Not strictly, for this is expressed by the inscription בּנגינות (Psalm 4:1, cf. Isaiah 30:29, Isaiah 30:32). But the formula may signify "upon the music of stringed instruments," i.e., upon stringed instruments. And this is more probable than that נגינת is the beginning of a standard song. The termination ath is not necessarily the construct state. It was the original feminine termination; and the prevailing one in Phoenician.
Some expositors, like Kster, Ewald, Hitzig, and Olshausen, feel themselves here also bound, by reason of the לדוד of the inscription, to seek a place for this Psalm as far down as the Babylonian exile and the times of the Ptolemies and the Seleucidae. Hupfeld deals somewhat more kindly with the לדוד in this instance, and Bttcher (De Inferis, p. 204) refutes the hypotheses set up in its stead in order finally to decide in favour of the idea that the king of whom the Psalm speaks is Cyrus - which is only another worthless bubble. We abide by the proudly ignored לדוד, and have as our reward a much more simple interpretation of the Psalm, without being obliged with Ewald to touch it up by means of a verse of one's own invention interwoven between Psalm 61:5 and Psalm 61:6. It is a Psalm of the time of Absalom, composed in Mahanaim or elsewhere in Gilead, when the army of the king had smitten the rebels in the wood of Ephraim. It consists of two parts of eight lines.