Psalms 55

General context

The speaker asks God to give ear to his prayer and not hide from his supplication; he mourns and makes a noise because of the voice of the enemy and the oppression of the wicked, who cast iniquity on him and hate him in wrath. His heart is sore pained; the terrors of death, fearfulness, trembling and horror overwhelm him. He wishes for wings like a dove to fly away and rest in the wilderness, Selah, escaping the windy storm and tempest. He asks the Lord to destroy and divide their tongues, for he has seen violence and strife in the city; day and night they go about its walls, and mischief, wickedness, deceit and guile fill its streets. It was not an enemy who reproached him, which he could have borne, but a man his equal, his guide and acquaintance, with whom he took sweet counsel and walked to the house of God. He asks that death seize them and they go down quick into hell. As for him, he will call on God, who will save him; evening, morning and noon he will pray, and God will hear. God has delivered his soul in peace from the battle, for many were with him; God will hear and afflict them, Selah, for having no changes they do not fear God. A single he has put forth his hands against those at peace with him and broken his covenant; his words were smoother than butter and softer than oil, but war was in his heart and they were drawn swords. The hearer is told to cast his burden on the Lord, who will sustain him. God will bring them down into the pit of destruction, bloody and deceitful men will not live out half their days, but the speaker will trust in God.

Cited passages: Psalms 55:1, Psalms 55:2, Psalms 55:3, Psalms 55:4, Psalms 55:5, Psalms 55:6, Psalms 55:7, Psalms 55:8, Psalms 55:9, Psalms 55:10, Psalms 55:11, Psalms 55:12, Psalms 55:13, Psalms 55:14, Psalms 55:15, Psalms 55:16, Psalms 55:17, Psalms 55:18, Psalms 55:19, Psalms 55:20, Psalms 55:21, Psalms 55:22, Psalms 55:23

Psalms 55 (KJV)

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Historical context

The text as printed here carries no heading; verse 1 opens with "Give ear to my prayer, O God", so this source names no author, occasion or musical direction. The speaker is a single "I" who addresses God, then in verse 13 turns to address a man as "thou", and in verse 22 addresses a hearer with "Cast thy burden upon the Lord". The enemies are plural, "the wicked" and "bloody and deceitful men", while the betrayer is one man, "mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance", never named. The city where the speaker has seen violence is not named. Verse 18 says the deliverance has already happened, "He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me", while verses 1 to 5 describe present terror; the text does not say how these fit in time. Verse 20's "he hath broken his covenant" is singular; the text does not name this he, though the nearest single man is the friend of verse 13, and the covenant is with "such as be at peace with him", not with God. The phrase "they have no changes" is stated without explanation. Selah stands twice, after verse 7 and inside verse 19.

Cited passages: Psalms 55:1, Psalms 55:13, Psalms 55:22, Psalms 55:23, Psalms 55:9, Psalms 55:18, Psalms 55:20, Psalms 55:19, Psalms 55:7

Literary context

The psalm moves between three kinds of speech: prayer to God, a wish spoken to no one, and a direct accusation of one man. The dove wish is set against the storm, rest and wilderness against "the windy storm and tempest", and the city that follows is pictured as walled and patrolled by mischief, "Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof". The centre is a reversal of expectation: "For it was not an enemy that reproached me", and the hurt is measured by intimacy, "sweet counsel" and walking "unto the house of God in company". A single man is described twice, at verses 12 to 14 and again at verses 20 and 21, the second time as an unnamed he, where the contrast of surface and depth is drawn in food and weapons, "smoother than butter" against "war was in his heart", "softer than oil" against "drawn swords". Between those two portraits the speaker sets his own routine of prayer, "Evening, and morning, and at noon". The psalm closes with two futures side by side, the pit for bloody men and "but I will trust in thee" for the speaker. The plea of verse 1 continues the previous psalm's "Hear my prayer, O God".

Cited passages: Psalms 55:8, Psalms 55:10, Psalms 55:12, Psalms 55:14, Psalms 55:21, Psalms 55:17, Psalms 55:23, Psalms 54:2

Key moments

1. Give ear to my prayer (Psalms 55:1). The speaker asks God to hear his prayer and not hide from his supplication.
2. Wings like a dove (Psalms 55:6). He wishes for wings to fly away and be at rest.
3. Violence in the city (Psalms 55:9). He asks the Lord to divide their tongues, having seen violence and strife in the city.
4. Not an enemy but my equal (Psalms 55:13). The one who reproached him was his equal, guide and acquaintance.
5. Evening, morning and noon (Psalms 55:17). He resolves to pray and cry aloud three times a day and says God will hear.
6. Smoother than butter (Psalms 55:21). The man's words were smooth as butter and soft as oil, but war was in his heart.
7. Cast thy burden upon the Lord (Psalms 55:22). The hearer is told to cast his burden on the Lord, who will sustain him.

For reflection

The speaker says an enemy's reproach could have been borne, but not the reproach of the friend who walked with him to the house of God; what is it about shared counsel that turns its loss into terrors of death?

People in this chapter

• David