Psalms 55:20-23

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.

Psalms 55:20-23 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.

Cross References

• 1. Acts 12:1
• 2. See Psalms 28:3
• 3. Proverbs 5:3, 4
• 4. See Psalms 57:4
• 5. See Psalms 37:5
• 6. Psalms 10:6
• 7. ver. 15; Psalms 56:7; Psalms 59:11
• 8. Psalms 69:15; Psalms 94:13
• 9. Psalms 5:6
• 10. Proverbs 10:27; See Job 15:32
• 11. See Psalms 11:1

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew He