The term ‏למנצח‎ is qualified by ‏על נגינת‎ “on a stringed instrument,” ‏נגינת‎ being the particular instrument of the Levites, of whom this ‏מנצח‎ was the master. The term ‏בנגינות‎ which in several psalms follows the word ‏למנצח‎ is grammatically unconnected with the latter; it means “on stringed instruments,” and is the instruction for the ‏מנצח‎. There were several kinds of such instruments; two kinds are named ‏שמינית‎ and ‏גתית‎ “the neginath with eight strings” or “chords,” and “the gittith” coming from Gath, a town in the land of the Philistines. Other kinds of musical instruments are ‏נהילות‎ (v.), ‏מחלת‎ (liii.), and ‏עלמות‎ (xlvi.); these are hollow flute-like instruments, also called ‏נבלים‎ (1 Chron. xv. 20). In some cases the division of Levites is named instead of the instrument: ‏ידותון‎ “Jeduthun” (xxxix., lxii. and lxxvii.; comp. 1 Chron. xxv. 3); ‏לבני קרח‎ “to the sons of Korah” (xlii. to xlix., and lxxxiv. to lxxxviii.); once the direction occurs ‏לענות‎ (lxxxviii.), “to sing alternately,” referring to the two divisions of Levites headed by ‏הימן האזרחי‎ and ‏איתן האזרחי‎ “the Ezrahite Heman,” and “the Ezrahite Ethan” (lxxxviii. and lxxxix.). A few terms are met with in the headings which describe the contents of the psalm in a poetical style. Such are (a.) ‏שושן עדות‎, ‏ששנים עדות‎ and ‏ששנים‎ (lx., lxxx., xlv., and lxix.), “Testimony for the lily or lilies,” or “for lilies.” The poet calls by this name the flower of the nation, the meek and God-fearing, who are under the special protection of God, and are destined to be crowned in the end with glory and victory, (b.) ‏אילת השחר‎ (xxii.), “The strength of the dawn.” The phrase refers to the strength given to the sufferer in the darkness of his despair by the awakening of his faith in God, which is compared by the poet to the dawn as the forerunner of daylight, (c.) ‏אל תשחת‎ “Do not destroy” (lvii., lviii., lix., and lxxv.). By this heading the author indicates that the psalm is a protest against the self-confidence of the wicked in the success of their wickedness, either with reference to their evil designs against the author himself, or to their plans in general. (d.) ‏יונת אלם רחקים‎ “Dove in the force of those far,” scil., from God (lvi.). The psalm contains the expression of David’s faith in God when he was caught by the Philistines in Gath. In some of the headings the event is mentioned which prompted the Psalmist to compose the psalm: David’s flight from Jerusalem when Absalom rebelled against him (iii.); the slander of the Benjamite Kush (vii.); the death of Labben (ix.); rescue from the hands of Saul and other enemies (xiii.); dedication of the house (xxx.); David’s escape from Abimelech, king of the Philistines (xxxiv.); his capture by the Philistines in Gath (lvi.); his stay in the cave of Adullam (lvii., cxlii.); danger of being put to death by the servants of Saul (lix.); war with Aram and Edom (lx.); sojourn in the wilderness of Judah (lxiii.).