Psalms 55:22

22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Images for Psalms 55:22

Psalms 55:22 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
New Living Translation (NLT)
22 Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
The Message Bible (MSG)
22 Pile your troubles on God's shoulders - he'll carry your load, he'll help you out. He'll never let good people topple into ruin.
American Standard Version (ASV)
22 Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
22 Turn your burdens over to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will never let the righteous person stumble.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will support you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
22 Turn your worries over to the Lord. He will keep you going. He will never let godly people fall.

Psalms 55:22 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 55:22

Cast thy burden upon the Lord
These are either the words of the Holy Ghost to David, according to Jarchi; or of David to his own soul in distress, and may be directed to any good man in like circumstances. The word rendered "burden" signifies a gift and so the words are translated by many, "cast thy gift upon the Lord" F6; what he has given in a way of providence and of grace, acknowledge him to be the author of it; pray for a continuance of mercies, and for fresh supplies, and expect them; and also what he gives in a way of trial, the cross, with all afflictions and troubles: which sense seems most agreeable to the context; and these may be said to be "the gift" of God, as the cup of sorrow Christ drank of is said to be "given" him by his Father, ( John 18:11 ) . These are given by the Lord to bring his people to a sense of sin, and acknowledgment of it; to humble them for it, and cause them to return from it; and to try their graces: and then do they cast them upon him, when they acknowledge them as coming from him; wait the removal of them in his time; desire a sanctified use of them, and expect deliverance from them by him. Or the sense is, whatever thou desirest should be given thee by the Lord, cast it on him; that is, leave it with him to do as he pleases, who works all things after the counsel of his own will. The Targum renders it,

``cast thy hope upon the Lord;''

as an anchor on a good bottom, to which hope is compared, ( Hebrews 6:19 ) . This is done when persons make the Lord the object of their hope, and expect all from him they hope to enjoy here and hereafter. The Septuagint version is, "cast thy care upon the Lord"; of thy body, and all the temporal concerns of thy family, and everything relating thereunto; and of thy soul, and its everlasting welfare and salvation; see ( 1 Peter 5:7 ) . But Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and Kimchi, interpret the word by (Kavm) , "thy burden", which is learnt from the use of it in the Arabic language. The Rabbins did not know the meaning of the word, till one of them heard an Arabian merchant say F7,

``take up (Kybhy) , "thy burden", and cast it upon the camels.''

The burden here meant is either the burden of afflictions, which is sometimes very heavy; see ( Job 6:23 ) ( 23:2 ) ; no affliction is joyous, but grievous; but some are heavier in their own kind and nature than others, and become so through the multiplicity of them, as in the case of Job; or through the long continuance of them, and especially when attended with the hidings of God's face, or with the temptations of Satan: or else the burden of sin and corruption, which is an heavy burden, and a very disagreeable one; under which the saints groan, and by which they are hindered in running their Christian race, and which they are like to carry with them to their graves; their only relief under it is to look to Christ, who has borne it and took it away; which may be meant by casting it on the Lord:

and he shall sustain thee;
in being, both natural and spiritual; and supply with all things necessary both to the temporal and spiritual life, and support under all trials and difficulties;

he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved;
to be shaken and stagger so as to fall, especially totally and finally; for the words may be rendered, "he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved for ever" F8; or so to be moved by their afflictions as to desert the cause in which they are engaged; nor shall they ever be moved by men or devils, or anything whatever, from their spiritual estate, in which they are by grace; nor from the love of God and covenant of grace; nor out of the hands of Christ; nor from their state of justification, adoption, and sanctification.


FOOTNOTES:

F6 (Kbhy) "donum tuum", Montanus; "quicquid dat tibi", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F7 T. Bab. Roshhashanah, fol. 26. 2. Megillah, fol. 18. 1. Bereshit Rabba, s. 79. fol 69. 4.
F8 (Mlwel) "in aeternum", Musculus, Gussetius, p. 460. "perpetuo", Tigurine version, Lutherus, Gejerus; so Ainsworth.

Psalms 55:22 In-Context

20 My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.
21 His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.
22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you.

Cross References 2

  • 1. S Psalms 18:35; Psalms 37:5; Matthew 6:25-34; 1 Peter 5:7
  • 2. Psalms 15:5; Psalms 21:7; Psalms 37:24; Psalms 112:6
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