\\INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 61\\ \\<>\\. "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 "Ps 4:1"\\. This psalm was written by David, when at the end of the earth, or land of Judea, as appears from \\#Ps 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, \\#2Sa 17:22,24\\; where very probably he wrote this psalm. In it respect is had to the Messiah, as in \\#Ps 61:2,6\\; though Arama thinks it was composed after the prophecy came to Nathan that David should not build the temple; see \\#Ps 61:4\\.