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Commentary on Psalms 55 verses 16–23
In these verses,
I. David perseveres in his resolution to call upon God, being well assured that he should not seek him in vain (Psa 55:16): "As for me, let them take what course they please to secure themselves, let violence and strife be their guards, prayer shall be mind; this I have found comfort in, and therefore this will I abide by: I will call upon God, and commit myself to him, and the Lord shall save me;" for whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, in a right manner, shall be saved, Rom 10:13. He resolves to be both fervent and frequent in this duty. 1. He will pray fervently: "I will pray and cry aloud. I will meditate" (so the former word signifies); "I will speak with my own heart, and the prayer shall come thence." Then we pray aright when we pray with all that is within us, think first and then pray over our thoughts; for the true nature of prayer is lifting up the heart to God. Having meditated, he will cry, he will cry aloud; the fervour of his spirit in prayer shall be expressed and yet more excited by the intenseness and earnestness of his voice. 2. He will pray frequently, every day, and three times a day - evening, and morning, and at noon. It is probable that this had been his constant practice, and he resolves to continue it now that he is in his distress. Then we may come the more boldly to the throne of grace in trouble when we do not then first begin to seek acquaintance with God, but it is what we have constantly practised, and the trouble finds the wheels of prayer going. Those that think three meals a day little enough for the body ought much more to think three solemn prayers a day little enough for the soul, and to count it a pleasure, not a task. As it is fit that in the morning we should begin the day with God, and in the evening close it with him, so it is fit that in the midst of the day we should retire awhile to converse with him. It was Daniel's practice to pray three times a day (Dan 6:10), and noon was one of Peter's hours of prayer, Act 10:9. Let not us be weary of praying often, for God is not weary of hearing. "He shall hear my voice, and not blame me for coming too often, but the oftener the better, the more welcome."
II. He assures himself that God would in due time give an answer of peace to his prayers.
1.That he himself should be delivered and his fears prevented; those fears with which he was much disordered (Psa 55:4, Psa 55:5) by the exercise of faith were now silenced, and he begins to rejoice in hope (Psa 55:18): God has delivered my soul in peace, that is, he will deliver it; David is as sure of the deliverance as if it were already wrought. His enemies were at war with him, and the battle was against him, but God delivered him in peace, that is, brought him off with as much comfort as if he had never been in danger. If he did not deliver him in victory, yet he delivered him in peace, inward peace. He delivered his soul in peace; by patience and holy joy in God he kept possession of that. Those are safe and easy whose hearts and minds are kept by that peace of God which passes all understanding, Phi 4:7. David, in his fright, thought all were against him; but now he sees there were many with him, more than he imagined; his interest proved better than he expected, and this he gives to God the glory of: for it is he that raises us up friends when we need them, and makes them faithful to us. There were many with him; for though his subjects deserted him, and went over to Absalom, yet God was with him and the good angels. With an eye of faith he now sees himself surrounded, as Elisha was, with chariots of fire and horses of fire, and therefore triumphs thus, There are many with me, more with me than against me, Kg2 6:16, Kg2 6:17.
2.That his enemies should be reckoned with, and brought down. They had frightened him with their menaces (Psa 55:3), but here he says enough to frighten them and make them tremble with more reason, and no remedy; for they could not ease themselves of their fears as David could, by faith in God.
(1.)David here gives their character as the reason why he expected God would bring them down. [1.] They are impious and profane, and stand in no awe of God, of his authority or wrath (Psa 55:19): "Because they have no changes (no afflictions, no interruption to the constant course of their prosperity, no crosses to empty them from vessel to vessel) therefore they fear not God; they live in a constant neglect and contempt of God and religion, which is the cause of all their other wickedness, and by which they are certainly marked for destruction." [2.] They are treacherous and false, and will not be held by the most sacred and solemn engagements (Psa 55:20): "He has put forth his hand against such as are at peace with him, that never provoked him, nor gave him any cause to quarrel with them; nay, to whom he had given all possible encouragement to expect kindness from him. He has put forth his hand against those whom he had given his hand to, and has broken his covenant both with God and man, has perfidiously violated his engagement to both," than which nothing makes men riper for ruin. [3.] They are base and hypocritical, pretending friendship while they design mischief (Psa 55:21): "The words of his mouth" (probably, he means Ahithophel particularly) "were smoother than butter and softer than oil, so courteous was he and obliging, so free in his professions of respect and kindness and the proffers of his service; yet, at the same time, war was in his heart, and all this courtesy was but a stratagem of war, and those very words had such a mischievous design in them that they were as drawn swords designed to stab." They smile in a man's face, and cut his throat at the same time, as Joab, that kissed and killed. Satan is such an enemy; he flatters men into their ruin. When he speaks fair, believe him not.
(2.)David here foretels their ruin. [1.] God shall afflict them, and bring them into straits and frights, and recompense tribulation to those that have troubled his people, and this in answer to the prayers of his people: God shall hear and afflict them, hear the cries of the oppressed and speak terror to their oppressors, even he that abides of old, who is God from everlasting, and world without end, and who sits Judge from the beginning of time, and has always presided in the affairs of the children of men. Mortal men, though ever so high and strong, will easily be crushed by an eternal God and are a very unequal match for him. This the saints have comforted themselves with in reference to the threatening power of the church's enemies (Hab 1:12): Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord? [2.] God shall bring them down, not only to the dust, but to the pit of destruction (Psa 55:23), to the bottomless pit, which is called destruction, Job 26:6. He afflicted them (Psa 55:19) to see if that would humble and reform them; but, they not being wrought upon by that, he shall at last bring them to ruin. Those that are not reclaimed by the rod of affliction will certainly be brought down into the pit of destruction. They are bloody and deceitful men (that is, the worst of men) and therefore shall not live out half their days, not half so long as men ordinarily live, and as they might have lived in a course of nature, and as they themselves expected to live. They shall live as long as the Lord of life, the righteous Judge, has appointed, with whom the number of our months is; but he has determined to cut them off by an untimely death in the midst of their days. They were bloody men, and cut others off, and therefore God will justly cut them off: they were deceitful men, and defrauded others of the one-half perhaps of what was their due, and now God will cut them short, though not of that which was their due, yet of that which they counted upon.
III. He encourages himself and all good people to commit themselves to God, with confidence in him. He himself resolves to do so (Psa 55:23): "I will trust in thee, in thy providence, and power, and mercy, and not in my own prudence, strength, or merit; when bloody and deceitful men are cut off in the midst of their days I shall still live by faith in thee." And this he will have others to do (Psa 55:22): "Cast thy burden upon the Lord," whoever thou art that art burdened, and whatever the burden is. "Cast thy gift upon the Lord" (so some read it); "whatever blessings God has bestowed upon thee to enjoy commit them all to his custody, and particularly commit the keeping of thy soul to him." Or, "Whatever it is that thou desirest God should give thee, leave it to him to give it to thee in his own way and time. Cast thy care upon the Lord," so the Septuagint, to which the apostle refers, Pe1 5:7. Care is a burden; it makes the heart stoop (Pro 12:25); we must cast it upon God by faith and prayer, commit our way and works to him; let him do as seemeth him good, and we will be satisfied. To cast our burden upon God is to stay ourselves on his providence and promise, and to be very easy in the assurance that all shall work for good. If we do so, it is promised, 1. That he will sustain us, both support and supply us, will himself carry us in the arms of his power, as the nurse carries the sucking-child, will strengthen our spirits so by his Spirit as that they shall sustain the infirmity. He has not promised to free us immediately from that trouble which gives rise to our cares and fears; but he will provide that we be not tempted above what we are able, and that we shall be able according as we are tempted. 2. That he will never suffer the righteous to be moved, to be so shaken by any troubles as to quit either their duty to God or their comfort in him. However, he will not suffer them to be moved for ever (as some read it); though they fall, they shall not be utterly cast down.
"Therefore to the Lord I have cried out" [Psalm 55:16]. The Body of Christ and the oneness of Christ in anguish, in weariness, in uneasiness, in the tribulation of its exercise, that One Man, Oneness in One Body set, when He was wearying His soul in crying out from the ends of the earth; says, "From the ends of the earth to You I have cried out, when My heart was being vexed." Himself one, but a oneness that One! And Himself one, not in one place one, but from the ends of the earth is crying as one. How from the ends of the earth should there cry one, except there were one? "I to the Lord have cried out." Rightly do thou cry out to the Lord, cry not to Donatus: lest for you he be instead of the Lord a lord, that under the Lord would not be a fellow-servant.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 55:16 stands as a profound declaration of unwavering faith and resolute trust in God amidst profound distress, particularly the anguish of betrayal. Within a psalm otherwise steeped in expressions of overwhelming fear and lament, this verse marks a pivotal and conscious decision by the psalmist to turn from despair to active, earnest prayer and confident expectation of divine deliverance. It highlights the transformative power of personal commitment to God as the ultimate source of salvation and refuge, asserting a defiant trust in the Almighty even when human relationships fail and circumstances seem overwhelmingly hostile.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several potent literary devices that amplify its impact. The most prominent is Personal Declaration, signaled by the emphatic "As for me," which immediately establishes the psalmist's individual resolve and sets his response in stark contrast to the surrounding turmoil and the actions of his enemies. This creates a powerful sense of Contrast between the psalmist's steadfast faith and the world's chaos, the betrayer's treachery, or the general human tendency towards despair. The verse also functions as a profound Affirmation of Faith, transforming the tone of the psalm from one of lament to one of confident expectation. The use of the future tense in "shall save me" imbues the statement with Anticipation and certainty, portraying God's deliverance not as a mere possibility but as a guaranteed outcome of sincere prayer and trust. This concise declaration serves as a pivotal turning point, demonstrating the transformative power of faith in the face of adversity and offering a model of spiritual resilience.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 55:16 encapsulates a profound theological truth: that in moments of profound personal distress, heart-wrenching betrayal, or overwhelming opposition, the believer's most potent and appropriate response is to turn to God in earnest, active prayer. This verse affirms God's sovereignty, His active involvement in the lives of His people, and His unwavering promise of deliverance to those who call upon Him in faith. It highlights the deeply personal nature of faith, where an individual's conscious decision to trust and appeal to the Almighty can fundamentally shift their perspective from despair to confident expectation. The psalmist's unwavering conviction that "the LORD shall save me" is a powerful testament to God's character as a faithful deliverer, a truth reiterated throughout Scripture, assuring believers that their cries are heard and answered by a God who is both able and willing to rescue comprehensively.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 55:16 offers timeless encouragement and a powerful model for believers navigating the complexities and heartaches of life. In a world where betrayal, injustice, and overwhelming circumstances are common, this verse reminds us that our first and most effective recourse is not to despair, retaliate, or flee, but to consciously and actively "call upon God." It challenges us to cultivate a faith that is not contingent on favorable circumstances or the faithfulness of others, but is anchored firmly in the unchanging character and redemptive power of the LORD. When we face our own "Ahithophels"—those who betray our trust—or overwhelming anxieties that threaten to consume us, this verse calls us to make a personal declaration, "As for me," choosing to trust that God, our ultimate Deliverer, will indeed save us. This salvation may manifest as physical rescue, emotional healing, vindication, or spiritual fortitude to endure. It is a call to courageous prayer and confident expectation, knowing that our God hears and acts on behalf of those who sincerely seek Him, transforming our lament into a testimony of His faithfulness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "save me" in this verse always mean physical deliverance from immediate danger?
Answer: While "save" (Hebrew: yashaʻ, H3467) certainly can include physical deliverance from danger, as seen in many biblical narratives of God rescuing His people from enemies or peril, its meaning is much broader and more comprehensive. In Psalms 55:16, "save me" encompasses holistic deliverance, including emotional relief from profound distress, vindication from false accusations, protection from spiritual attack, and ultimate salvation from sin and its consequences. The psalmist is seeking rescue from his deep anguish and the treachery he faces, which may involve physical threats but primarily concerns his emotional and spiritual well-being. God's salvation is often multifaceted, addressing the full scope of human need, as demonstrated by His promise to deliver the righteous from all their troubles. It speaks to God's ability to bring about wholeness and peace in every dimension of life.
How can I "call upon God" when I feel too overwhelmed or betrayed to pray?
Answer: The psalmist's experience in Psalm 55 is a raw portrayal of feeling utterly overwhelmed, yet his "calling upon God" is presented as a determined act amidst deep anguish, not a calm, easy prayer. When you feel too overwhelmed, "calling upon God" can simply mean crying out to Him in your brokenness, even if your words are few or your emotions are chaotic. It's the act of turning your gaze and your heart towards Him, acknowledging your need and His power. The Bible assures us that God understands our groans, even when we cannot articulate them, and that the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (see Romans 8:26-27). You can start by simply saying, "God, I'm overwhelmed, help me," or by repeating the very words of this psalm. The sincerity of your heart, not the eloquence of your words, is what matters to God, who invites us to cast all our anxieties on Him, because He cares for us.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 55:16, with its declaration of personal resolve to call upon God for salvation amidst profound betrayal and distress, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the perfect Man, experienced betrayal far more acutely and comprehensively than any psalmist, being abandoned by His closest disciples and delivered up by a trusted friend, Judas Iscariot, for thirty pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:47-50). Yet, in His deepest anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane, He did not succumb to despair but "called upon God" with fervent prayer, crying out, "Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done" (see Luke 22:42). His entire earthly life was an act of "calling upon God," lived in perfect dependence on the Father. Ultimately, His cry from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (see Matthew 27:46), was the ultimate "call upon God" on behalf of a fallen humanity, bearing the weight of our sin and separation. Through His suffering, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, Jesus became the embodiment of "the LORD shall save me." He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, offering not merely temporary deliverance from earthly distress, but eternal salvation from sin, death, and the power of darkness. Thus, when we, as believers, "call upon God" in our distress, we do so through Christ, knowing that He has secured our ultimate deliverance and that in Him, God has indeed "saved us by grace through faith" (see Ephesians 2:8). He is our faithful High Priest, interceding for us, and our ultimate Deliverer.