HEADING (PSALMS 55:1 A). ‘For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. Maschil of David.' As with Psalms 54 we have a Psalm dedicated to the Choirmaster, or chief musician, which was to be played on stringed instruments, and was a Maschil of David. No indication is given of the specific ‘situat... [ Continue Reading ]
A DESPERATE PLEA FOR GOD TO HEAR HIM IN THE LIGHT OF THE TERRIBLE OPPRESSION AND PERSECUTION THAT HE IS FACING (PSALMS 55:1). David calls on God to hear his cries for help as he faces the threatenings of his enemies who are persecuting him. Psalms 55:1 ‘Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not h... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DESCRIBES HIS INNER CONDITION (PSALMS 55:4). He points out to God his deep distress of heart. The situation has become too much for him. Living under the constant threat of execution by a jealous Saul could not get rid of him because of his popularity, and yet saw him as a threat to the crown, m... [ Continue Reading ]
HE LONGS TO ESCAPE INTO A SAFE PLACE WHERE HE WOULD FIND REST AND NO LONGER BE SUBJECTED TO HIS TRIALS (PSALMS 55:6). He longs to be able to escape from his present situation into a place where he can be safe from threats, and where he can leave his problems behind him. But life is not like that, a... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DESCRIBES THE CITY FROM WHICH HE HAS ESCAPED AS, FOR HIM AT LEAST, A PLACE OF VIOLENCE, STRIFE AND WICKEDNESS (PSALMS 55:9). He describes the city in which he has been dwelling as a place of continual threat and intrigue, and he calls on God to cause confusion among them and render them harmless... [ Continue Reading ]
HE BEWAILS THE FACT THAT HE HAS BEEN BETRAYED BY A COMRADE-IN-ARMS (PSALMS 55:12). The description of the city has prepared the way for the story of his own betrayal. What hurt him most was that he had been betrayed by a close comrade-in-arms who had responded to his love by seeking his death. We d... [ Continue Reading ]
HE PRAYS THAT GOD WILL DEAL WITH HIS TREACHEROUS FRIEND, ALONG WITH HIS ASSOCIATES, BY DEATH (PSALMS 55:15). He prays for sudden death to come on these men. The fact that David prayed like this indicates that the man's betrayal had been so serious that it had endangered his life. He had been so tre... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE IS NOT AFRAID FOR HE EXPRESSES HIS CONFIDENCE THAT YHWH WILL SAVE HIM AND WILL HEAR HIS VOICE WHEN HE CALLS ON HIM (PSALMS 55:16). But David knew where to turn in such situations. He knew that he was blameless of what was being suggested against him (as Jonathan, the king's son, had also rec... [ Continue Reading ]
HE STRESSES THAT GOD HAS ALREADY REDEEMED HIM ONCE (PSALMS 55:18). It would appear from this that an attempt had already been made to get rid of him by an armed assault. As one of Saul's commanders he would, of course, have had men who were loyal to him, thus the attempt would have had to be made by... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID DRAWS OUT THE EVIL AND HYPOCRISY OF HIS ENEMY (PSALMS 55:20). David here defines what type of enemy he is up against. This may refer to Saul, but more probably it refers to his treacherous one time friend who has already been mentioned (Psalms 55:13). Psalms 55:20 ‘He has put forth his hand... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID NOW EXHORTS ALL WHO HEAR THESE WORDS TO DO WHAT HE DOES, BY CASTING THEIR BURDEN ON YHWH, WITH THE ASSURANCE THAT HE CAN BE TRUSTED AND WILL CERTAINLY SUSTAIN THE RIGHTEOUS (PSALMS 55:22) As so often happens in the Psalms, there is a change of theme at the end of the Psalm which has the worsh... [ Continue Reading ]