Psalm 55

1 Hearken, O God, to my prayer; and disregard not my supplication.

2 Attend to me, and hearken to me: I was grieved in my meditation, and troubled;

3 because of the voice of the enemy, and because of the oppression of the sinner: for they brought iniquity against me, and were wrathfully angry with me.

4 My heart was troubled within me; and the fear of death fell upon me.

5 Fear and trembling came upon me, and darkness covered me.

6 And I said, O that I had wings as those of a dove! then would I flee away, and be at rest.

7 Lo! I have fled afar off, and lodged in the wilderness. Pause.

8 I waited for him that should deliver me from distress of spirit and tempest.

9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen iniquity and gain saying in the city.

10 Day and night he shall go round about it upon its walls: iniquity and sorrow and unrighteousness are in the midst of it;

11 and usury and craft have not failed from its streets.

12 For if an enemy had reproached me, I would have endured it; and if one who hated me had spoken vauntingly against me, I would have hid myself from him.

13 But thou, O man like minded, my guide, and my acquaintance,

14 who in companionship with me sweetened our food: we walked in the house of God in concord.

15 Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into Hades, for iniquity is in their dwellings, in the midst of them.

16 I cried to God, and the Lord hearkened to me.

17 Evening, and morning, and at noon I will declare and make known my wants: and he shall hear my voice.

18 He shall deliver my soul in peace from them that draw nigh to me: for they were with me in many cases.

19 God shall hear, and bring them low, even he that has existed from eternity. Pause.

20 He has reached forth his hand for retribution; they have profaned his covenant.

21 They were scattered at the anger of his countenance, and his heart drew nigh them. His words were smoother than oil, yet are they darts.

22 Cast thy care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee; he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down to the pit of destruction; bloody and crafty men shall not live out half their days; but I will hope in thee, O Lord.

Psalm 55 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.