Psalm 63, Thirsty

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

David goes into Judah in I Samuel 22: 5 and again in I Samuel 23: 14-20, where we read a desert escape from Saul and an experience with the Ziphites, an experience where other psalms were written. There are other options for the setting of this psalm -- if David is king at the time of the first writing of this psalm (see the last verse) then this event may record David's thoughts when he is fleeing from Absalom in 2 Samuel 15: 13-23.

Psalm 63: 1-2, Thirsty

 O God, you are my God, 

earnestly I seek you; 

my soul thirsts for you, 

my body longs for you, 

in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary 

and beheld your power and your glory.

In the desert, David understands thirst. Here his soul thirsts for God. The thirst is driven by glimpses of God's power and glory.

Psalm 63: 3-5, Love better than life

 Because your love is better than life, 

my lips will glorify you.

 I will praise you as long as I live, 

and in your name I will lift up my hands.

 

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; 

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

David enjoys God's love and is immersed in God's fellowship, much more valuable than even food. David praises God with both his lips and his uplifted hands.

Psalm 63: 6-8, Through the watches of the night

 On my bed I remember you; 

I think of you through the watches of the night.

 

Because you are my help,

 I sing in the shadow of your wings.

 

My soul clings to you; 

your right hand upholds me.

 

David meditates on God through the night. He knows he is under God's wings and there, in that shelter, he both sings and clings.

Psalm 63: 9-10, Enemies destroyed

They who seek my life will be destroyed;

 they will go down to the depths of the earth.

 They will be given over to the sword 

and become food for jackals.

Not only will David's enemies be destroyed, but their bodies will be left for the jackals to eat, a notoriously humiliating ending.

Psalm 63: 11, But for the king, Joy 

But the king will rejoice in God; 

all who swear by God's name will praise him, 

while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

David rejoices at the victory God gives over his enemies and will promise allegiance to the God of Truth. As in many other psalms, David's personal devotion to God morphs into a royal statement of a king trusting his nation to God.

Caroline Cobb has an album on the psalms. (You can find Caroline Cobb on Spotify here.) Her rendition of Psalm 63 is Better Than Life.

Psalm 62, My Only Fortress

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

The Hebrew word jeduthun is unclear.  It appears in 1 Chronicles 9:16 as a name. Following Alter, we note that in the header to Psalm 39  the Hebrew word is translated "for Jeduthun" but here the Hebrew preposition  al is "on" or "to". The NIV appears to have stayed with the same language as in Psalm 39, translating both as "for" Jeduthun, suggesting that Jeduthun was one of David's musicians. In addition to Psalm 39, Psalm 77 is also "for Jeduthun." 

Psalm 62: 1-2, Rock, Salvation, Fortress

 My soul finds rest in God alone; 

my salvation comes from him.

 He alone is my rock 

and my salvation; 

he is my fortress, 

I will never be shaken.

The shepherd/king who spent years hiding in the hills of Judah views God as a rock and fortress. He relies only on Him for rest and peace.

Psalm 62: 3-4, Tottering fence

 How long will you assault a man? 

Would all of you throw him down--

this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

 They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; 

they take delight in lies. 

With their mouths they bless, 

but in their hearts they curse.

Selah.

It is not just physical violence that assaults David. In all the attacks, the enemies use lies and slander to attack him. While God is rock and fortress, David feels like a leaning wall, a tottering fence which can fall at any moment.

Psalm 62: 5-6, Rock, Salvation, Fortress

 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; 

my hope comes from him.

 He alone is my rock

and my salvation; 

he is my fortress,

I will not be shaken.

Verses 1 and 2 form a refrain, repeated here. Kidner points out that the Hebrew word ak, translated here "only" or "alone", appears five times in the first six verses, adding an emphatic statement of reliance on only God.

Psalm 62: 7-8, Pour out your hearts

 My salvation and my honor depend on God;

 he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

 Trust in him at all times, 

O people; pour out your hearts to him, 

for God is our refuge.

Selah.

Not only is David relying on God for salvation but also for honor, to defend his integrity. After repeating his trust in God as fortress, David turns and speaks to the people, encouraging them to "pour out their hearts" to God.

Psalm 62: 9-10, But a breath

Lowborn men are but a breath, 

the highborn are but a lie; 

if weighed on a balance, they are nothing;

together they are only a breath.

 Do not trust in extortion 

or take pride in stolen goods; 

though your riches increase, 

do not set your heart on them.

Whether lowborn or high, your life is a brief breath.  There is no value in riches, especially those created through corruption. (See James 1: 10-11 for a similar statement in the Old Testament.)

The word translated "breath" here is hebel; it appears throughout Ecclesiastes where it is translated "vanity".

Psalm 62: 11-12, Strong and loving

  One thing God has spoken, 

two things have I heard: 

that you, O God, are strong,

 and that you, O Lord, are loving.

Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

There are two attributes of God described here, two very different attributes: strong and loving. As in many other places in the Psalms, the Hebrew word hesed appears here, translated "loving", representing an everlasting covenantal love.

A final stanza reminds us that God pays attention to our deeds and rewards us according to them.

Psalm 61, Living Enthroned

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

Another psalm of David, intended to go with stringed instruments.

Psalm 61: 1-3, Higher rock

 Hear my cry, O God;

listen to my prayer.

 From the ends of the earth I call to you,

 I call as my heart grows faint; 

lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

 For you have been my refuge,

a strong tower against the foe.

David calls for help as his heart grows faint. He wants to be lifted to a rock above him, a place he can easily be defended; he needs a strong tower.

Psalm 61: 4, A tent under God's wings

 I long to dwell in your tent forever 

and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Selah.

The strong fortress now becomes God's tent, a place under his wings. A picture of God as a mother bird protecting Her chicks under Her wings is a metaphor that shows up in Psalm 57: 1 and  Ruth 2: 12,

Psalm 61: 5, A heritage

 For you have heard my vows, O God; 

you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

 

The psalm is pure commitment and desire. David wants to always be in God's tent, living with, protect by the powerful Creator

Psalm 61: 6-7, Enthroned with God forever 

Increase the days of the king's life, 

his years for many generations.

 May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; 

appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

May the king live forever!  David -- the king -- asks for a long life.  (David, without embarrassment, prays for himself!) As David prays for his kingdom, this psalm turns into a royal psalm, speaking of an eternal kingdom with a future Messiah.

Psalm 61: 8, Every day 

 Then will I ever sing praise to your name

 and fulfill my vows day after day.

David concludes with a promise to sing praises everyday; every day he will keep his vows.

Trees and Rain

On a recent drive I asked my wife for directions.  "Turn left at the tree," she said. I laughed out loud. We were in Michigan where there are LOTS of trees. But, in her defense, when I saw the tree, I understood -- it was a large maple tree that hung out over the road, its silhouette visible from a long way off.  

But, generally, in Michigan, "Turn left at the tree" is probably unclear.

The weather and terrain of the ancient Near East are quite different from that of Michigan or the US Midwest. In the ANE, trees are rare. As is rain.

Rain

Throughout the Old Testament, rain is viewed as a wonderful event, as a gift from God. Travelers want rain. This is a cultural difference between the ANE and the much of the United States. In much of he United States, a "rainy day", is a term for rough times. When Jesus says, in Matthew 5:45, 

"God... sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous,"

Americans tend to nod and say, "Yes, we all have rough times." But for the Jew living in the arid lands of the ANE, Jesus was saying that God gives beautiful rain to both the righteous and the unrighteous. The spring and autumn rains set up the harvests, which were then celebrated with feasts. The timing of these rains was deeply embedded in the ANE culture. See, for example, Jeremiah 5:23-25, where the stubborn person who rejects YHWH does not recognize His provisions; the rebellious person does not know 

"who gives autumn and spring rains in season,

who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest."

There are dozens of Bible promises of rain. Indeed, here is an Open Bible page on Rain. It includes an early promise in Leviticus 26:3-5, 

"I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit...

and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land."

If rain was so precious, then also beautiful were signs of water and moisture. A great tree meant a good source of water nearby.

Trees

In a desert land, the rare tree can be a significant landmark. Years ago, while traveling in the Chihuahan desert of the Texas Big Bend, I was surprised to see a splash of green on the near horizon.  Drawing closer, I realized I was looking at cottonwoods growing along the Rio Grande river. That splash of green is a welcome site in the desert. And so we see trees mentioned as landmarks in the Old Testament. In Genesis 13 Abram and Lot separate and God promises the land of Canaan to Abram. At the end of that chapter is Genesis 13:18, 

So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron.... 

There he built an altar to the Lord.

This is the first mention of Hebron, and it is identified as having "great trees." (There is, even today, a revered oak tree in that region -- see this Wikipedia page on the Great Oak at Mamre.) Later, Deborah's nurse is buried under the terebinth (oak tree) outside Bethel (Genesis 35:8.) Note the definite article; the ancient reader might be expected to recall that landmark; indeed the tree is given a name, "Oak of Weeping".

The splash of green of trees growing in the desert signifies refreshment, a cool oasis. And so a strong healthy tree becomes a metaphor for human success and righteousness. Throughout the Old Testament, God promises to make His followers into healthy trees. See, for example,

The book of Psalms opens with a description of the righteous person, one who meditates on God's Law,  Psalm 1:1-3, comparing that person to a large tree by a stream of water. A similar metaphor occurs in Jeremiah 17:7-8. The kingdom of Assyria is viewed as a great tree in Ezekiel 31:2-9 and King Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a large tree of kingdoms in Daniel 4.

The tree metaphor, as a symbol of success and strength, occurs numerous times throughout the Old Testament. While working through the book of Job recently, I noticed numerous plant/tree metaphors. In Job 8:16-17, the dangerous persistence of the wicked compared to a vine that manages to take ove the garden. In Job 14:7-9 Job laments that mortal life is not like that of a tree, which although it might look dead, will sprout again once water is nearby. In Job 18:16 the wicked man is a dying tree, dying in the branches and the roots while in Job 29:19, Job recalls his confidence of his life as a healthy tree.

And these are just the passages from a study of Job!

If the study of rain and trees were central to the Old Testament culture then, of course, they show up in the teachings of Jesus. I have already mentioned, above, the statement of Jesus on rain in the Sermon on the Mount. As for trees, in John 15:1-8, Jesus says that He is the true vine and that those who follow Him should remain seeking nourishment from that tree, seeking to stay attached to that vine.

Psalm 60, God over Enemy Nations

For the director of music. To [the tune of] "The Lily of the Covenant." A miktam of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

This psalm is intended to be used for teaching! It follows an episode reported in 2 Samuel 10: 15-19.

The header of the psalm appears to describe events that occurred in II Samuel 8, I Kings 11.  See also Psalm 108: 7-13.

Psalm 60: 1-3, Rejected

 You have rejected us, O God,

 and burst forth upon us; 

you have been angry--

now restore us!

 You have shaken the land 

and torn it open; 

mend its fractures, 

for it is quaking.

You have shown your people desperate times; 

you have given us wine that makes us stagger.

The Edomites have turned and attacked David. David sees this as a rebuke. Indeed, God has made Israel stagger around as if drunk, weak and uncoordinated.

Psalm 60: 4, Banner raised 

 But for those who fear you, 

you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.

Selah.

But David sees a banner raised by God against the arrows of his enemies. The psalm then pauses for a change in perspective

Psalm 60: 4-5, Deliver those You love! 

 Save us and help us with your right hand, 

that those you love may be delivered.

Now David begins to concentrate on God's deliverance. This change in viewpoint persists to the end of the psalm.

Psalm 60: 6-7, All Israel is mine

 God has spoken from his sanctuary: 

"In triumph I will parcel out Shechem 

and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

 Gilead is mine, 

and Manasseh is mine; 

Ephraim is my helmet,

Judah my scepter.

God makes claims over Israel and any nearby rival nations. This psalm includes regions on both sides of the Jordan (Shechem, Succoth, Gilead and Manasseh) along with Ephraim and Judah west of the Jordan. The description fits the early kingdom of Israel, before the divided kingdoms. This is an argument in support of the header -- that this is indeed a psalm of David and not written later.

Psalm 60: 8, Parceling out the tribes and nations

 Moab is my washbasin, 

upon Edom I toss my sandal; 

over Philistia I shout in triumph."

Three enemies, Moab, Edom and Philistia are dismissed. David says he can treat Moab as a place to bathe and Edom as a place where he keeps his shoes.

Psalm 60: 9-10, God gives the victory

 Who will bring me to the fortified city? 

Who will lead me to Edom?

 Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us 

and no longer go out with our armies?

The statement at the beginning ("You have rejected us") is turned into a question.  

Psalm 60: 11-12, God gives the victory

 Give us aid against the enemy, 

for the help of man is worthless.

 With God we will gain the victory, 

and he will trample down our enemies.

David calls on God, the same One who has defeated them, to finally give them victory.

Verses 6-12 here are identical with those of Psalm 108: 7-13.

Psalm 59, Nighttime Scavengers

For the director of music. [To the tune of] "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam. When Saul had sent men to watch David's house in order to kill him.

The account of Saul sending men to David's house is reported in I Samuel 19: 11-17.

Psalm 59: 1-4, Deliver me!

 Deliver me from my enemies, O God; 

protect me from those who rise up against me.

 Deliver me from evildoers 

and save me from bloodthirsty men.

 See how they lie in wait for me! 

Fierce men conspire against me 

for no offense or sin of mine, O LORD.

 I have done no wrong, 

yet they are ready to attack me. 

Arise to help me; look on my plight!

David is blameless, yet under attack. He insists that he is innocent yet angry men are waiting to kill him.

The Hebrew has short chiasmus in verses 1 and 2. The Hebrew there is essentially:

• from those who rise up against me
• defend me;
• deliver me
• from workers of inquity.

Psalm 59: 5-7, Rouse!

 O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, 

rouse yourself to punish all the nations; 

show no mercy to wicked traitors.

Selah.

 They return at evening, 

snarling like dogs, 

and prowl about the city.

 See what they spew from their mouths--

they spew out swords from their lips, 

and they say, "Who can hear us?"

David calls, by name, for YHWH Almighty, God of Israel. He wants help and wants the enemy destroyed. The enemies, originally men lying in wait for David, grows to a global perspective and now includes the nations. The psalm alternates between a local and global viewpoint. 

Psalm 59: 8-10, Scoff

 But you, O LORD, laugh at them; 

you scoff at all those nations.

 O my Strength, I watch for you; 

you, O God, are my fortress,

 my loving God. God will go before me 

and will let me gloat over those who slander me.

 

God is not threatened by the nations. David knows that and leans on God's eternal love. (The phrase, in verse 10, translated here "my loving God", describes God with hesed, representing an everlasting covenantal love.)

The Hebrew word translated "watch" in verse 9 is a variant on shamar,  the same word as that occurs in the heading -- just as enemies watch David's house, David watches for God. 

Psalm 59: 11-15, Make them wander 

But do not kill them, O Lord our shield,

or my people will forget. 

In your might make them wander about, 

and bring them down.

 For the sins of their mouths,

 for the words of their lips, 

let them be caught in their pride. 

For the curses and lies they utter,

 consume them in wrath, 

consume them till they are no more.

Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob.

Selah.

David does not just want his enemy destroyed. He wants the enemies caught, their corruption displayed for the public, before they are consumed, so that all know that God protects Israel (and David.)

Psalm 59: 14-15, Snarling dogs

 They return at evening, 

snarling like dogs, 

and prowl about the city.

 They wander about for food 

and howl if not satisfied.

Verse six is repeated. The enemy are nighttime scavengers, searching for prey.

In the ancient Near East culture, dogs are not pets but are annoying scavengers, running in packs. (If you want a pet, it probably would be a lamb; see Nathan's story in 2 Samuel 12: 3.) David's enemies are like dogs, like coyotes; they are cowards, slipping in behind to grab a bite of meat, attacking only when they are confident of success.

Psalm 59: 16-17, My fortress 

 But I will sing of your strength, 

in the morning I will sing of your love;

 for you are my fortress, 

my refuge in times of trouble.

O my Strength, I sing praise to you; 

you, O God, are my fortress, 

my loving God.

David, as usual, ends his song with praise and worship, with statements of dependance on God, claiming God as his fortress. 

Psalm 58, Venomous Rulers

For the director of music. [To the tune of] "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam.

Another of a string of psalms by David.  The word miktam is unclear.

This psalm has a similar heading as the previous psalm, Psalm 57, which is also linked to David's flight from Saul described in 2 Samuel 24. If this song linked to that event then, suggests Alter, the Hebrew word translated "do not destroy" may echo David's command that his soldiers not kill Saul.

Psalm 58: 1, You rulers

 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?

Do you judge uprightly among men?

David issues a challenge to rulers.

Psalm 58: 2-5, Like a cobra

 No, in your heart you devise injustice, 

and your hands mete out violence on the earth.

 Even from birth the wicked go astray;

from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.

 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,

like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,

 that will not heed the tune of the charmer,

however skillful the enchanter may be.

 

And answers his question. The rulers acting against him have been unjust and wicked from birth! They are like a venomous snake which has no ears, dangerous and unpredictable.

Psalm 58: 6-9, Swept away

Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;

tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions!

 Let them vanish like water that flows away;

when they draw the bow,

let their arrows be blunted.

 Like a slug melting away as it moves along,

like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun.

 Before your pots can feel [the heat of] the thorns--

whether they be green or dry--

the wicked will be swept away.

In this imprecatory passage, David calls for the utter destruction of his enemies -- that their teeth be torn out, that their weapons be blunted, that they be swept away. Like a slimy slug, or a stillborn child, they are to disappear and not see the sun.

Some are bothered by David's angry, "Break their teeth..." diatribe, but I understand. David is merely honest in his anger, bringing it all to God. And in military conflicts of this nature, breaking teeth is probably a legitimate desire.

Psalm 58: 10-11, Eventually avenged

 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,

when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.

 Then men will say, "Surely the righteous still are rewarded;

surely there is a God who judges the earth."

Ultimately the righteous will be rewarded. Note the statement about bathing one's feet in the blood of the wicked.  There is nothing mild about David's anger against the wicked.

Psalm 57, Awaken the Dawn!

For the director of music. [To the tune of] "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.

In 2 Samuel 24: 3-7, Saul pursues David, who, with his men, hides in a cave. Saul then goes into the cave to relieve himself and David and his men have then have an opportunity to kill Saul. The Hebrew word translated "do not destroy" is (says Alter) possibly linked to David's rebuke of his troops when they realize that they could kill the vulnerable Saul.

Psalm 57: 1, Shadow of His wings

 Have mercy on me,

O God, have mercy on me,

for in you my soul takes refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

until the disaster has passed.

David declares his dependance on God, on being under His wings.  Boaz uses a similar expression in Ruth 2: 12, when he compliments Ruth for seeking the protection of YHWH's wings.

Psalm 57: 2-3, Sending love  

 I cry out to God Most High,

to God, who fulfills [his purpose] for me.

 He sends from heaven and saves me,

rebuking those who hotly pursue me;

Selah.

God sends his love and his faithfulness.

David cries out to God, declaring God's faithfulness. The word selah forces a pause to appreciate God's rebuke of David's pursuers. David then summarizes his trust in God with one line.

Psalm 57: 4, Lions

 I am in the midst of lions;

I lie among ravenous beasts--

men whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are sharp swords.

David feels like he is in the middle of a pack of predators, lions, hyenas, even armed men who kill with their sharp tongues.

Psalm 57: 5, Glory

 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; 

let your glory be over all the earth.

As often in the psalms, David's complaints cycle with praise and statements of worship.

Psalm 57: 6, Nets and pits  

 They spread a net for my feet--

I was bowed down in distress.

They dug a pit in my path--

but they have fallen into it themselves.

Selah.

David's enemies set traps for him -- and then fall into their own traps.

Psalm 57: 7, I will sing!

 My heart is steadfast, O God,

my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and make music.

In response to his pain, David will not only praise God but sing and make music as he does. The psalm transitions from one of pleading to one of confidence.

Psalm 57: 8-10, Awake harp and lyre!  

 Awake, my soul! 

Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

 I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;

I will sing of you among the peoples.

 For great is your love,

reaching to the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

David tells his soul to awake and then instructs the instruments to join him. God's love and faithfulness are infinite, says David, reaching past the skies.

Psalm 57: 11, Be exalted  

 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

let your glory be over all the earth.

The last five verses (7-11) of this psalm appear in the first five verses of Psalm 108. David ends with this upbeat refrain of praise, repeating verse 5. 

Psalm 56, A Dove in Gath

For the director of music. To [the tune of] "A Dove on Distant Oaks." Of David. A miktam. When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

The account of David at Gath is in I Samuel 21: 10-15.

Psalm 56: 1-2, Slander

 Be merciful to me, O God, 

for men hotly pursue me;

all day long they press their attack.

My slanderers pursue me all day long;

many are attacking me in their pride.

David is pursued physically, but also slandered by his attackers.  (To attack someone, you must first have contempt about them and have reasons to hate them.)

Psalm 56: 3-4, I will trust

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust;

I will not be afraid.

What can mortal man do to me?

As is common in the Psalms, David oscillates between concern, pleading and statements of trust,  reliance.

Psalm 56: 5-6, Twisting, lurking

All day long they twist my words;

they are always plotting to harm me.

They conspire,

they lurk,

they watch my steps,

eager to take my life.

David repeats the complaints about slander and lies and pleads for God to bring his enemies down. His parallel accusation escalate in short quick phrases.

Psalm 56: 7, And the nations...

On no account let them escape;

in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.

The last line seems to shift his enemies to the nations, the enemies of all Israel.

Psalm 56: 8, Tears in a bottle

 Record my lament;

list my tears on your scroll--

are they not in your record?

David asks God to write down his lament, to keep a copy of his tears. Alter translates "list my tears on your scroll" as "put my tears in your flask", with the image of a concerned God collecting every tear, keeping track of every sorrow. 

The NIV loses the wordplay in this verse; the Hebrew here is essentially "Count my wanderings (nodi), my tears into your bottle (nod), in your book." The psalmist sings that his nodi are collected into God's nod.

Psalm 56: 9, Turn back my enemies

Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help.

By this I will know that God is for me.

Salvation is not theoretical here -- David expects to see his enemies turned back!

Psalm 56: 10-11, Praise and trust

In God, whose word I praise,

in the LORD, whose word I praise--

in God I trust;

I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

David both praises and trusts in God.  I suspect those two actions go together.

Psalm 56: 12-13, Vows and offerings  

 I am under vows to you, O God;

I will present my thank offerings to you.

For you have delivered me from death

and my feet from stumbling,

that I may walk before God in the light of life.

The psalm ends with a statement of trust. David has made vows of obedience to God and has given Him thank offerings. He thanks God for past protection, both against death and also against stumbling. 

Psalm 55, Betrayed by a Friend

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David.

Some translate maskil as "a contemplative poem" or "a teaching song". But its meaning is unclear.

Psalm 55: 1-3, Do not ignore my plea!

Listen to my prayer, O God, 

do not ignore my plea;

 hear me and answer me. 

My thoughts trouble me 

and I am distraught

 at the voice of the enemy, 

at the stares of the wicked; 

for they bring down suffering upon me 

and revile me in their anger.

As common, David has an enemy that distresses and frightens him. He reacts by turning to God.

I too, awake at 3 am. frightened and upset.  My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught.

Psalm 55: 4-5,  Assailed

 My heart is in anguish within me; 

the terrors of death assail me.

 Fear and trembling have beset me; 

horror has overwhelmed me.

The traumatic wave of anguish and terror are described. One's heart pounds with fear and despair.

Psalm 55: 6-8, Fly away!

 I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! 

I would fly away and be at rest--

 I would flee far away 

and stay in the desert;

Selah.

 I would hurry to my place of shelter,

far from the tempest and storm."

David longs to be able to fly for away and leave all behind.  Who has not wanted that? To be a bird and just lift away from the threat and disappear.

Psalm 55: 9-11, Confound

Confuse the wicked, O Lord, 

confound their speech, 

for I see violence and strife in the city.

Day and night they prowl about on its walls; 

malice and abuse are within it.

 Destructive forces are at work in the city; 

threats and lies never leave its streets.

Evil seems to speak and prowl.  David calls for God to confound the wicked and those prowling in the darkness. Here David's thoughts are on the city around him -- the threat is in the city, in the nighttime darkness.

Psalm 55: 12-14, But a friend!

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; 

if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him.

But it is you, a man like myself, 

my companion, my close friend,

with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship 

as we walked with the throng at the house of God.

This time the evil comes from a close friend, from betrayal, by a friend who used to walk into the house of God with David. Could this be Absalom or a court councilor supportive of Absalom?

Psalm 55: 15, Surprise of death

 Let death take my enemies by surprise; 

let them go down  

Yes, defeat my enemies, let them be surprised by death, cries David.

Psalm 55: 16-17, Meanwhile...

 But I call to God, 

and the LORD saves me.

 Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, 

and he hears my voice.

Meanwhile David cries to God, at all times, evening, morning and noon.  (Note the Jewish order of the day, first evening, them morning then noon.)

Psalm 55: 18-19, Ransomed

 He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, 

even though many oppose me.

 

God, who is enthroned forever --

Selah --

will hear them and afflict them--

men who never change their ways 

and have no fear of God.

 

Ransomed and saved, unharmed, David rejoices. 

The word selah is in a strange place here -- is it intended to force a pause and contemplation of God's permanent place on the throne?

Psalm 55: 20-21, Violator

My companion attacks his friends;

he violates his covenant.

His speech is smooth as butter, 

yet war is in his heart;

his words are more soothing than oil,

yet they are drawn swords.

David's enemy is a smooth operator, working behind the scenes. I am reminded, again, of Absalom, at the gates of the city, working against the king.

The liar, with smooth speech, seems friendly but is engaged in war.  Indeed he attacks his friends and break his promises. Human nature is unchanged in the almost three millennia since this psalm was written.

Psalm 55: 22-23, Cast your cares

 Cast your cares on the LORD 

and he will sustain you;

he will never let the righteous fall.

But you, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption; 

bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days. 

But as for me, I trust in you.

As before, David prays for the defeat of his enemy, for their destruction. (I have no problem with that.)

A final sentence summarizes the psalm. David throws all his cares upon YHWH, giving them away, confident that YHWH will sustain him.  (In the New Testament, Peter will echo this in I Peter 5:7) 

What I Have Learned from Reading the Psalms

I am now almost halfway through my study of the Psalms.  What have I learned from this study? Several thoughts jump out immediately:

• It is OK to call for help!  David and the otehr psalmists did that regularly!
• Be transparent, vulnerable.  Yes, I want my enemies punished!  Yes, I want justice!
• God's responses often seem, to us mere mortals, slowly or non-existent. "How long?" is a common cry.

When I first became a Christian, I was introduced to an acronym for approaching God, ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. One was encouraged to first tell God how much one Adored Him, then Confess any transgressions, express Thanksgivings for recent gifts and then, finally, make any requests (Supplication.) Here is a webpage that mentions that model (where "Contrition" replaces "Confession".) A slightly different version of that guide is the Navigator hand illustration for prayer, listing five aspects of prayer: confession, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise.

These guides can be a good plan for someone calmly sitting down at their kitchen table in the morning, with an open Bible and a cup of coffee, attempting some type of devotional. But my own experience seems closer to David's hurried cries of "Help! I'm sinking!" or "How long?!" The psalms are often desperate, hurried cries for help, elegant in form, but at times angry or confused. There is a message of intimacy and trust. Bring every cry to God!

Long ago, when I was first reading the psalms, someone suggested writing personal psalms, not just reading them.  For a short time I did that, and enjoyed it. Here is a more post by Marc Alan Schelske on this concept. Quite a number of musicians and poets have ued the psalms as a stepping stone, either writing their own hymns or creating their own muscial scheme of a particular psalm. Michael Card has put numerous psalms to music.

But for many of us, simply reading a psalm quietly (or outloud) can easily become a prayer. There is a psalm for every mood.

What have I learned from the psalms?  

Forget the formalities.

Run to God, quickly, awkwardly, bumbling, fumbling for words. 

Run. Quickly.