Psalm 55

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To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.

 1-8  Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not Yourself from my supplication! ² Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan. ³ Because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked when they drop trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me, ⁴ my heart writhes within me and the death-terrors fall upon me, ⁵ fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. ⁶ And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. ⁷ Look! I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness. –  Selah –  ⁸ I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest.”

תפלה (tephilah) = “envisioning”,“clarity”

תחנה (te’chinah) = “plea for grace/mercy”

Philippians 4:6  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by (a) prayer and (b) supplication with (c) thanksgiving let your (d) requests be made known to God.

 9-11  Swallow them up, O Lord, divide their tongues; for I see violence and strife in the city. ¹⁰ Day and night they go around it on its walls, and iniquity and trouble are within it; ¹¹ ruin is in its midst; oppression and deceit do not depart from its marketplace.

חמס (chamas) = “violent theft”

מרמה (mirmah) = “deceit”/”treachery”

12-15  For it is not an enemy who taunts me – then I could bear it. It is not an adversary who deals insolently with me – then I could hide from him. ¹³ But, it is you! A [frail] man of my equal, my companion, my familiar friend! ¹⁴ We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng. ¹⁵ Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

16-18  But I call to God, and Adonai will save me. ¹⁷ Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and He hears my voice. ¹⁸ He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me.

19-21  God will hear and humble them, He who is enthroned from of old – Selah – because they do not change and do not fear God. ²⁰ My companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. ²¹ His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

22-23  Cast your burden on Adonai, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to falter. ²³ But You, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and deceit shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.

REFERENCES:

Background

2Samuel 17:1-3  Moreover, Achithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace.”

Verse 3

R’ S.R. Hirsch: “In order to justify their rebellion against me [David], they charge me with crimes of which I know I am innocent.”

Verse 8

2Samuel 17:14  And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Chushai (חושי) the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For Adonai had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that Adonai might bring harm upon Absalom.

Verse 11

Genesis 27:35  But he said, “Your brother [Jacob] came deceitfully (מרמה, mirmah), and he has taken away your blessing.” [1^st app.]

Genesis 34:13  The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully (מרמה, mirmah), because he had defiled their sister Dinah. [2^nd app.]

Verse 12

1Samuel 17:36  “Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for [Goliath] has taunted the armies of the living God.”

Verses 12-15

John 13:21  After saying these things, Yeshua was troubled in His spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”

Matthew 10:21,36 / 24:10  Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death … And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household … And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.

Verse 15

Num 16:32-33  And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

Verse 14

Psalm 42:4  These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.

Verse 22

‎ 1Peter 5:7  Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.