Psalms 55:4-14

4 My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me.

5 Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking.

6 Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!

7 I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. Interlude

8 How quickly I would escape— far from this wild storm of hatred.

9 Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city.

10 Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city.

11 Everything is falling apart; threats and cheating are rampant in the streets.

12 It is not an enemy who taunts me— I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me— I could have hidden from them.

13 Instead, it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend.

14 What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God.

Psalms 55:4-14 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.