Psalm 55:1-9

1 Au maître-chantre. Cantique de David, sur les instruments à cordes.

2 O Dieu, prête l'oreille à ma prière, et ne te cache pas loin de ma supplication!

3 Écoute-moi et réponds-moi; je m'agite dans ma plainte, et je gémis,

4 A la voix de l'ennemi, devant l'oppression du méchant; car ils font tomber sur moi le malheur, et me poursuivent avec furie.

5 Mon cœur frémit au-dedans de moi, et des frayeurs mortelles sont tombées sur moi.

6 La crainte et le tremblement viennent sur moi; l'effroi m'enveloppe.

7 Et j'ai dit: Oh! qui me donnera les ailes de la colombe? Je m'envolerais, et j'irais me poser ailleurs.

8 Voilà, je m'enfuirais bien loin, je me tiendrais au désert. (Sélah.)

9 Je me hâterais de m'échapper, loin du vent violent, loin de la tempête.

Psalm 55:1-9 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.