Psalms 55:18-23

18 He will ¹redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me, For they are ²many who strive with me.

19 God will ³hear and answer them- Even the one ⁴who sits enthroned from of old - Selah. With whom there is no change, And who ⁵do not fear God.

20 He has put forth his hands against ⁶those who were at peace with him; He has ⁷violated his covenant.

21 His speech was ⁸smoother than butter, But his heart was war; His words were ⁹softer than oil, Yet they were drawn ¹⁰swords.

22 ¹¹Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; ¹²He will never * allow the righteous to ¹³be shaken.

23 But You, O God, will bring them down to the ¹⁴pit of destruction; ¹⁵Men of bloodshed and deceit will ¹⁶not live out half their days. But I will ¹⁷trust in You.

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Psalms 55:18-23 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 17

1. Psalms 103:4
2. Psalms 56:2
3. Psalms 78:59
4. Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 90:2; Psalms 93:2
5. Psalms 36:1
6. Psalms 7:4; Psalms 120:7
7. Numbers 30:2; Psalms 89:34
8. Psalms 12:2; Psalms 28:3; Proverbs 5:3, 4
9. Psalms 12:2; Psalms 28:3; Proverbs 5:3, 4
10. Psalms 57:4; Psalms 59:7
11. Psalms 37:5; 1 Peter 5:7
12. Psalms 37:24
13. Psalms 15:5; Psalms 112:6
14. Psalms 73:18; Isaiah 38:17; Ezekiel 28:8
15. Psalms 5:6
16. Job 15:32; Proverbs 10:27
17. Psalms 25:2; Psalms 56:3

Footnotes 9

[a]. Or "so that none may approach me"
[b]. Or "afflict"
[c]. Or "abides from"
[d]. Lit "are no changes"
[e]. Lit "profaned"
[f]. Lit "mouth"
[g]. Or "what He has given you"
[h]. Or "totter"
[i]. Or "lowest pit"