Psalm 55: the mourning of a persecuted man

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Brian Waalla
By Brian Waalla
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The anguished prayer is marked by a cry to God for mercy, so Psalm 55 is the poetry of David on the dread of death and the complaint of suffering, but always with the confidence in God that his cry will be attended to.

Psalm 55: the words of clamor

psalm 55

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1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;
2     hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3     because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
and assail me in their anger.

4 My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.”

9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,
for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they prowl about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces are at work in the city;
threats and lies never leave its streets.

12 If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
at the house of God,
as we walked about
among the worshipers.

15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,
for evil finds lodging among them.

16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening, morning and noon
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,
who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.

20 My companion attacks his friends;
he violates his covenant.
21 His talk is smooth as butter,
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
yet they are drawn swords.

22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful
will not live out half their days.

But as for me, I trust in you.

(Psalm 55: 1-23)

Interpretation of Psalm 55

psalm 55

The WeMystic team prepared a detailed interpretation of Psalm 55:

Verses 1 to 8

In these verses, the psalmist clearly expresses his anguish, how he feels persecuted by his enemies, and the need of God in his life as a savior.

Verses 9 to 17

The insistence of the anguished man is visible, his prayer stands and cries out to God for his mercy, for all his suffering, he knows that God will save him.

Verses 18 to 23

Even with all the problems and suffering, he knows that God will always hear his cry and his prayer. He will always be looked after and never forsaken. He expresses his trust in God.

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