Psalm 56:5

5 All day long they twist my words; all their schemes are for my ruin.

Psalm 56:5 in Other Translations

5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.

5 All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil.

5 They are always twisting what I say; they spend their days plotting to harm me.

5 They don't let up - they smear my reputation and huddle to plot my collapse.

5 All the day long they wrest my words: All their thoughts are against me for evil.

5 All day long my enemies twist my words. Their every thought is an evil plan against me.

5 They twist my words all day long; all their thoughts are against me for evil.

5 All day long they twist my words. They are always making plans to harm me.

Psalm 56:5 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 56:5

Every day they wrest my words
Form, fashion, and shape them at their pleasure; construe them, and put what sense upon them they think fit. The word ^F21 is used of the formation of the human body, in ( Job 10:8 ) ; They put his words upon the rack, and made them speak what he never intended; as some men wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction, ( 2 Peter 3:16 ) ; and as the Jews wrested the words of Christ, ( John 2:19 ) ( Matthew 26:60 Matthew 26:61 ) . The word has also the sense of causing vexation and grief, ( Isaiah 63:10 ) ; and so it may be rendered here, "my words cause grief" ^F23; to his enemies; because he had said, in the preceding verses, that he would trust in the Lord, and praise his word, and not be afraid of men; just as the Sadducees were grieved at the apostles preaching, through Jesus, the resurrection of the dead, ( Acts 4:1 Acts 4:2 ) . Or they caused grief to himself; for because of these his enemies reproached him, cursed him, and distressed him. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin render it, "they cursed my words"; or despised them, as the Ethiopic and Arabic versions:

all their thoughts [are] against me for evil;
their counsels, schemes, and contrivances, were all formed to do him all the hurt and mischief they could.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (wbuey) "fingunt mea verba", Cocceius, Gusset. p. 628. "They painfully form and frame my words", Ainsworth.
F23 "Dolore afficient", Montanus, Gejerus, Vatablus.

Psalm 56:5 In-Context

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

4 In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

5 All day long they twist my words; all their schemes are for my ruin.

6 They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, hoping to take my life.

7 Because of their wickedness do not let them escape; in your anger, God, bring the nations down.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 41:7; 2 Peter 3:16