1
To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David the servant of the LORD. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, [that there is] no fear of God before his eyes.
2
For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity is found to be hateful.
3
The words of his mouth [are] iniquity and deceit: he hath ceased to be wise, [and] to do good.
4
He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way [that is] not good; he abhorreth not evil.
5
Thy mercy, O LORD, [is] in the heavens; [and] thy faithfulness [reacheth] to the clouds.
6
Thy righteousness [is] like the great mountains; thy judgments [are] a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.
To the chief Musician, [a Psalm] of David, the servant of the Lord. This title, which the psalmist takes to himself, regards him not only as a creature, every man being the servant of the Lord as such, of right, though not in fact; but as a king, he being a minister of God for good to good men, and for evil to evil men; and also may respect him as a renewed man; and it is here used in opposition to and distinction from the wicked, who are the servants of sin and Satan, of whom he speaks in this psalm. The Syriac and Arabic versions in their titles suggest that this psalm was written when David was persecuted by Saul, and which is the sense of some interpreters; but R. Obadiah thinks Ahithophel is designed by the wicked man in it; and so it was penned on account of Absalom's rebellion.