When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? – Psalm 56:3-4 CSB

Study Notes

56:3-4 Mere mortals is literally “flesh” (Hb basar), which represents man’s weakness and mortality (Is 2:22; 31:3; 40:6). This word is often used to contrast man’s weakness with God’s power (2Ch 32:8). Similar words are repeated in Ps 56:10-11 (CSB Study Bible. (2017). By Holman Bible Publishers. Nashville, Tennessee, USA.)

I also like what the NLT Life Application Study Bible says about these verses.

56:3-4 David stated, “What can mere mortals do to me?” How much harm can people do to us? They can inflict pain, suffering, and death. But no person can rob us of our souls or the future beyond this life. How much harm can we do to ourselves? The worst thing we can do is to reject God and lose a future with him in eternity. Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul” (Matthew 10:28). Instead, we should fear God, who controls this life and the next. (NLT Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition. (2019). By Tyndale House Publishers. Carol Stream, Illinois, USA)

Personal Reflection

  To be honest I used to read this verse and I would rush past the question at the end and try not to focus on it: “What can mere mortals do to me?” In my mind, they can do a lot and that thought alone would cause me fear. I would read this verse and try to focus on the trusting God part and not allow myself to reflect on what people could do to me. It felt safer that way. But when I sat down to dig deeper into this verse, I had to allow my mind to go there. Frankly, there is a lot that people can do to us that is scary and harmful. But in my attempt to avoid the question, I was also missing the point. The point is that no matter the worst that people can do to us, they have no power over our souls, they have no power over our eternity, and they have no say in God’s ultimate plan for our lives. The fact of the matter remains, God is still in control and He can be trusted.