Psalms 55

King James Version

Full text for Psalms Chapter 55

1¶ To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, [A Psalm] of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.

2Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;

3Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.

4My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

5Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

6And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! [for then] would I fly away, and be at rest.

7Lo, [then] would I wander far off, [and] remain in the wilderness. Selah.

8I would hasten my escape from the windy storm [and] tempest.

9¶ Destroy, O Lord, [and] divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

10Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow [are] in the midst of it.

11Wickedness [is] in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

12For [it was] not an enemy [that] reproached me; then I could have borne [it]: neither [was it] he that hated me [that] did magnify [himself] against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

13But [it was] thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

14We took sweet counsel together, [and] walked unto the house of God in company.

15Let death seize upon them, [and] let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness [is] in their dwellings, [and] among them.

16¶ As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.

17Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

18He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle [that was] against me: for there were many with me.

19God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

20He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.

21[The words] of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war [was] in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet [were] they drawn swords.

22Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

23But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

David cries out to God in deep distress, overwhelmed by the oppression of his enemies and the terror of death. His greatest pain stems from the profound betrayal by a trusted friend, an equal with whom he shared close fellowship. Despite his initial desire to flee, David resolves to call upon the Lord, confident that God will hear his prayer, deliver him, and bring judgment upon the wicked and deceitful.

Medium Summary

The psalm opens with David's fervent plea for God to hear his prayer amidst intense suffering and fear, wishing he could escape like a dove to a place of rest. He describes the city as rife with violence, strife, mischief, and deceit, and calls for divine destruction upon the wicked. The core of his anguish is the profound betrayal by a close companion, someone he considered an equal, with whom he shared intimate counsel and worshipped. This treachery inflicted deeper pain than an open enemy. Despite this despair, David declares his unwavering commitment to pray to the Lord continually, trusting that God will save him and bring swift judgment upon those who are deceitful and break covenants, while sustaining the righteous.

Long Summary

Psalm 55 begins with David's earnest supplication to God, imploring Him to attend to his prayer and not hide from his complaint. He expresses profound inner turmoil, describing his heart as sore pained, overwhelmed by the terrors of death, fearfulness, trembling, and horror, brought on by the voice and oppression of the wicked. In his despair, David wishes for wings like a dove to fly away and find rest in the wilderness, escaping the violent storm of his circumstances. He then calls upon the Lord to destroy the wicked and divide their tongues, having witnessed pervasive violence, strife, mischief, sorrow, wickedness, deceit, and guile within the city. The psalm's emotional climax reveals the source of his deepest agony: it was not an enemy who reproached him, which he could have borne, but a man of his own equal, his guide and acquaintance, with whom he had shared sweet counsel and walked to the house of God. This profound betrayal leads him to an imprecatory prayer, asking that death seize his betrayers and they go down quickly into hell due to their wickedness. Despite this intense pain and desire for vengeance, David shifts his focus, declaring his personal resolve to call upon God, trusting that the Lord will save him. He commits to praying evening, morning, and noon, confident that God will hear his voice and deliver him in peace from his battles. He asserts that God, who abides of old, will hear and afflict those who are unchanging in their wickedness and fear not God, specifically condemning the betrayer whose words were smooth but whose heart was full of war and deceit. The psalm concludes with an exhortation to cast one's burden upon the Lord, who will sustain the righteous, and a final declaration of trust in God, who will bring bloody and deceitful men to destruction, cutting short their days.

Core Concepts

  • Prayer in DistressDavid earnestly cries out to God, detailing his profound emotional and physical suffering caused by his enemies and the terror of death, seeking divine intervention.
  • Desire for EscapeOverwhelmed by fear and oppression, David expresses a longing to flee like a dove to a remote wilderness, seeking rest from the storm of his troubles.
  • Betrayal by a Close FriendThe psalm highlights David's deepest pain, which stems from the treachery of a trusted companion, an equal with whom he shared intimate fellowship and worship, rather than an open enemy.
  • Imprecation Against the WickedDavid calls upon God to destroy his enemies, particularly those who are deceitful and violent within the city, and specifically wishes for swift judgment upon his betrayer.
  • Trust in God's DeliveranceDespite his initial despair and imprecatory prayers, David reaffirms his unwavering faith in God, committing to constant prayer and believing that the Lord will hear him and provide salvation.
  • Deceitful SpeechThe psalm vividly describes the betrayer's words as smoother than butter and softer than oil, yet concealing a heart full of war and intentions like drawn swords.
  • Divine JudgmentDavid expresses confidence that God will ultimately hear and afflict the wicked, bringing them down into the pit of destruction and ensuring that deceitful men will not live out their full days.