13
But it is you, a man my equal, My 1companion and my 2familiarfriend;
14
We whohadsweetfellowshiptogether3Walked in the house of God in the throng.
15
Let deathcome4deceitfully upon them; Let them 5godownalive to Sheol, For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.
16
As for me, I shall 6call upon God, And the LORD will save me.
17
7Evening and 8morning and at 9noon, I will complain and murmur, And He will hear my voice.
18
He will 10redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me, For they are 11many who strive with me.
19
God will 12hear and answer them- Even the one 13who sitsenthroned from of old - Selah. With whomthere is nochange, And who 14do not fearGod.
20
He has putforth his hands against 15those who were at peace with him; He has 16violated his covenant.
21
His speech was 17smootherthanbutter, But his heart was war; His words were 18softerthanoil, Yet they were drawn19swords.
22
20Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; 21He will never*allow the righteous to 22be shaken.
23
But You, O God, will bring them down to the 23pit of destruction; 24Men of bloodshed and deceit will 25not live out half their days. But I will 26trust in You.
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil [A Psalm] of David. The occasion of this psalm was either the persecution of Saul, or the conspiracy of Absalom. Some think it was written when David understood that the inhabitants of Keilah would deliver him into the hands of Saul, 1 Samuel 23:12; and others when the Ziphites attempted a second time to do the same, 1 Samuel 26:1; but since a single person is spoken of that magnified himself against him, Psalm 55:12; and Ahithophel seems to be designed; it may be thought rather to be written on account of Absalom's rebellion, and Ahithophel's counsel against him; who is considered by many Christian interpreters as a type of Judas, the betrayer of our Lord; and, indeed, there are many things in this psalm, if not the whole, which may be truly applied to Christ, as will be seen in the following exposition of it.