20
My companion[a]1 stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant.
21
His 2speech was 3smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were 4drawn swords.
22
5Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; 6he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
23
But you, O God, 7will cast them down into 8the pit of destruction; men of 9blood and treachery shall not 10live out half their days. But I will 11trust 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.