17
Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.
18
He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.
19
God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change— he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God.
20
My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.
21
His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.
22
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
23
But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust 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.