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Psalms 55

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A Prayer for Deliverance from Distress 1–8

1
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. ​
2
Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; ​
3
Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
4
My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5
Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. ​
7
Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. ​
8
I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

The Violence of the City and the Betrayal 9–15

9
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city. ​
10
Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
11
Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
12
For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: ​
13
But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. ​
14
We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
15
Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. ​

Trusting God for Vindication 16–23

16
As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. ​
17
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. ​
18
He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
19
God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. ​
20
He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
21
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords. ​
22
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. ​
23
But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 55

Verse 1

Give ear to my prayer — Azan, to broaden out the ear, i.e. to listen closely. The title calls the psalm maskil, a didactic poem, set 'on Neginoth', stringed instruments. 'Hide not thyself' is alam, to veil from sight; compare 'Hide not thy face far from me' (Ps 27:9).

Verse 2

I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise — 'Complaint' is siach, a meditation or musing uttered; 'mourn' is rud, to roam restlessly; 'make a noise' is hum, to be in uproar. The same cry of grief is in Hezekiah's 'I did mourn as a dove' (Isa 38:14).

Verse 6

Oh that I had wings like a dove — Yonah, dove, with ever, a pinion. The wish 'fly away, and be at rest' follows the fear of vv.4–5. The 'rest' is shakan, to settle and dwell. Jeremiah voices a like longing for 'a lodging place of wayfaring men' in the wilderness (Jer 9:2).

Verse 7

wander far off, and remain in the wilderness — Nadad, to rove or flee, and midbar, open wilderness. David's flight from Absalom was real: 'Arise, and let us flee' (2 Sam 15:14), and he crossed the Jordan by morning light (2 Sam 17:22). Selah marks a pause.

Verse 9

divide their tongues — Palag, to split; 'Destroy' is bala, to swallow up. The prayer echoes Babel, 'let us go down, and there confound their language' (Gen 11:7). It matches David's prayer that the counsel of Ahithophel be turned 'into foolishness' (2 Sam 15:31).

Verse 12

it was not an enemy that reproached me — Charaph, to taunt or expose; open enemies could be 'borne' or avoided. The wound comes from a trusted friend, as in 'mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted… hath lifted up his heel against me' (Ps 41:9), which Christ applies to Judas (John 13:18).

Verse 13

a man mine equal, my guide — Erek, one of like estimate or rank, and alluph, a familiar companion or chieftain. Ahithophel was 'David's counsellor' (2 Sam 15:12), whose counsel was 'as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God' (2 Sam 16:23); he joined Absalom's conspiracy.

Verse 15

go down quick into hell — Sheol, the place of the dead, with chay, alive. The sentence matches Korah's: 'they go down quick into the pit' (Num 16:30). The reason given is that 'wickedness is in their dwellings' (magur, place of lodging) 'and among them'.

Verse 16

I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me — The verse turns from the wicked to 'As for me'. Qara, to call, answers the LORD's own word, 'call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee' (Ps 50:15); yasha is to bring into a wide place, to save.

Verse 17

Evening, and morning, and at noon — Tsohar, noon, is literally a double light, the brightness of midday. 'Pray' is siach, to meditate aloud; 'cry aloud' is hamah, to moan or murmur. Daniel likewise 'kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed' (Dan 6:10).

Verse 19

they have no changes — Chaliphah, alternation or change: the wicked have known no reversals. 'Afflict' is anah, tagged as the same word as 'hear' in v.2. A like ease is told of Moab, who 'hath settled on his lees' (Jer 48:11). 'He that abideth of old' is qedem, from antiquity.

Verse 21

smoother than butter — Chalaq, smooth, and pethichah, a drawn sword. Soft speech with war in the heart is described also in Ps 28:3: 'which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts', and 'their tongue a sharp sword' (Ps 57:4).

Verse 22

Cast thy burden upon the LORD — Yehab is what is given, one's lot or burden. Peter takes up the call: 'Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you' (1 Pet 5:7). 'Moved' is mot, the verb rendered 'cast' in v.3, where enemies cast iniquity on David.

Verse 23

not live out half their days — Chatsah, to halve. 'Pit' is beer, a well or pit, and 'destruction' is shachath, a pit or ruin. 'Bloody and deceitful' recalls 'the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man' (Ps 5:6). The psalm ends on batach, 'I will trust', after the 'Cast thy burden' of v.22.