Psalms 55:9-15

9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words, for I see violence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they prowl about on its walls; malice and abuse are within it.

11 Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets.

12 If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide.

13 But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend,

14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.

15 Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the realm of the dead, for evil finds lodging among them.

Psalms 55:9-15 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.

Cross References

• 1. Genesis 11:9; Acts 2:4
• 2. Psalms 11:5; Isaiah 59:6; Jeremiah 6:7; Ezekiel 7:11; Habakkuk 1:3
• 3. Genesis 4:17
• 4. 1 Peter 5:8
• 5. Psalms 5:9
• 6. Psalms 10:7
• 7. S 2 Samuel 15:12; Psalms 41:9
• 8. Acts 1:16-17
• 9. Psalms 42:4
• 10. Psalms 64:7; Proverbs 6:15; Isaiah 29:5; Isaiah 47:9,11; 1 Thessalonians 5:3
• 11. Numbers 16:30,33; S Psalms 49:14