Psalm 5: plagues of enemies and David’s lamentation

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Brian Waalla
By Brian Waalla
TimeReading time: 4 min

Do you know the sacred words of Psalm 5? It is a psalm of lamentation, when David is tormented by the plagues, begged by his enemies and asks God not to abandon him at this moment.

Psalm 5: psalm of lamentation

Read the sacred words carefully:

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1 Listen to my words, Lord,
consider my lament.
2 Hear my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.

3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.
4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
with you, evil people are not welcome.
5 The arrogant cannot stand
in your presence.
You hate all who do wrong;
6     you destroy those who tell lies.
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
you, Lord, detest.
7 But I, by your great love,
can come into your house;
in reverence I bow down
toward your holy temple.

8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies—
make your way straight before me.
9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongues they tell lies.
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalm 5

Interpretation of Psalm 5

Psalm 5 is part of the Psalms of David. In these sacred words we read the affliction of King David when his enemies opposed his reign. By the time of the Old Testament, it was believed that plagues and curses could cause the divine powers to fall to the ground. So David is distressed because of the accusations, lies and slander of his adversaries. Psalm 5 can be divided into 3 parts:

  • Prayer to the Lord for deliverance from difficult times (verses 1 to 6)
  • The desire to praise the Lord in difficult times (verses 7 to 9)
  • The yearning for the Last Judgment in difficult times (verses 10 to 12)

Verse 1 to 3

The first verses of this psalm show the despair of the son who fears that his Father is not listening to him. He trusts in God but feels the need to cry out to the Lord so that he does not abandon him. He addresses himself to God as King, as the King of Kings, trying to identify with the deity. He performed this prayer in the morning, which is considered a praiseworthy habit, since he asked God to guide his steps and daily activities every day, before even beginning them.

Verse 4 to 6

In these verses he shows how there is no pleasure in enjoying evil. The Last Judgment will not be delayed for the wicked and they will not be allowed to stand in the Glorious presence of God. He stresses how the annoyance of God to those who practice evil is not a mere sentiment, but an action of His will. Ask God to defend you, to destroy those who lie and practice fraud, since these acts go against the will of the divine.

Verse 7 and 8

In these verses, there is a strong contrast in comparison to the previous ones. Here David feels honored and protected by deserving the glory of the Divine presence. David was leading the reform of the praise of God in Jerusalem and established a routine of worship that would be used in the temple built by Solomon. He anticipates the future of the grand building that would become the Temple. He then asks God to guide him to the right path, to the path of justice, without crossing paths with enemies.

Verse 9 and 10

He uses the words open grave to describe the wicked terms that people who oppose God use. Sinners let their ungodly perversities out of their mouths, which are blown by evil into their ears. They scorn evil deeds and take pride in their position. David asks God to see what they do, and to make them realize their transgressions.

Verse 11 and 12

Here, again, he takes on the more amiable and confident tone of verses 7 and 8. He tells those who love, trust, and defend the name of God to rejoice. God will defend them from all enemies and evils, so trust and focus on the Savior. As long as we exalt God’s power and be righteous, God will bless us and defend us, praise to God works as a shield to all the evils of the earth.

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