1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; And hide not thyself from my supplication.
2 Attend unto me, and answer me: I am restless in my complaint, and moan,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they cast iniquity upon me, And in anger they persecute 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! Then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7 Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah
8 I would haste me to a shelter From the stormy wind and tempest.
9 Destroy, O Lord, `and' divide their tongue; For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: Iniquity also and mischief are in the midst of it.
11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: Oppression and guile depart not from its 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 companion, and my familiar friend.
14 We took sweet counsel together; We walked in the house of God with the throng.
15 Let death come suddenly upon them, Let them go down alive into Sheol; For wickedness is in their dwelling, in the midst of them.
16 As for me, I will call upon God; And Jehovah will save me.
17 Evening, and morning, and at noonday, will I complain, and moan; And he will hear my voice.
18 He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me; For they were many `that strove' with me.
19 God will hear, and answer them, Even he that abideth of old, Selah `The men' who have no changes, And who fear not God.
20 He hath put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him: He hath profaned his covenant.
21 His mouth was smooth as butter, But his heart was war: His words were softer than oil, Yet were they drawn swords.
22 Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
23 But thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in thee. Psalm 56 For the Chief Musician; set to Jonath elem rehokim. `A Psalm' of David. Michtam: when the Philistines took him in Gath.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 55
Commentary on Psalms 55 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 55
Ps 55:1-23. In great terror on account of enemies, and grieved by the treachery of a friend, the Psalmist offers an earnest prayer for relief. He mingles confident assurances of divine favor to himself with invocations and predictions of God's avenging judgments on the wicked. The tone suits David's experience, both in the times of Saul and Absalom, though perhaps neither was exclusively before his mind.
1. hide not thyself, &c.—(compare Ps 13:1; 27:9), withhold not help.
2. The terms of the last clause express full indulgence of grief.
3. oppression—literally, "persecution."
they … iniquity—literally, "they make evil doings slide upon me."
4, 5. express great alarm.
5. come upon—or literally, "into."
6. be at rest—literally, "dwell," that is, permanently.
7, 8. Even a wilderness is a safer place than exposure to such evils, terrible as storm and tempest.
9. Destroy—literally, "swallow" (Ps 21:9).
divide their tongues—or, "confound their speech," and hence their counsels (Ge 11:7).
the city—perhaps Jerusalem, the scene of anarchy.
10, 11. which is described in detail (compare Ps 7:14-16).
11. Wickedness—literally, "Mischief," evils resulting from others (Ps 5:9; 52:2, 7).
streets—or literally, "wide places," markets, courts of justice, and any public place.
12-14. This description of treachery does not deny, but aggravates, the injury from enemies.
13. guide—literally, "friend" (Pr 16:28; 17:9).
acquaintance—in Hebrew, a yet more intimate associate.
14. in company—literally, "with a crowd," in a festal procession.
15. Let death, &c.—or, "Desolations are on them."
let them go—literally, "they will go."
quick—or, living in the midst of life, death will come (compare Nu 16:33).
among them—or, "within them," in their hearts (Ps 5:9; 49:11).
16-18. God answers his constant and repeated prayers.
18. many with me—that is, by the context, fighting with me.
19. God hears the wicked in wrath.
abideth—or, "sitteth."
of old—enthroned as a sovereign.
Because … no changes—Prosperity hardens them (Ps 73:5).
20, 21. The treachery is aggravated by hypocrisy. The changes of number, Ps 55:15, 23, and here, enliven the picture, and imply that the chief traitor and his accomplices are in view together.
22. thy burden—literally, "gift," what is assigned you.
he shall sustain—literally, "supply food," and so all need (Ps 37:25; Mt 6:11).
to be moved—from the secure position of His favor (compare Ps 10:6).
23. bloody … days—(compare Ps 5:6; 51:14), deceit and murderous dispositions often united. The threat is directed specially (not as a general truth) against the wicked, then in the writer's view.