Psalms
Psalm 55
KJV
Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.
He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
Overview
Psalm 55 moves through fear, civic violence, and the shock of betrayal by a trusted companion toward persistent prayer, the command to cast one’s burden on God, and confidence that final justice belongs to God.
Setting and context
Psalm 55 moves through fear, civic violence, and the shock of betrayal by a trusted companion toward persistent prayer, the command to cast one’s burden on God, and confidence that final justice belongs to God.
Themes
Anguish, fear, and the wish to fly away · Violence, strife, and corruption in the city · The wound of betrayal by a close companion · Persistent prayer and confidence that God hears · Smooth speech masking betrayal and violence · Cast your burden on God and entrust final judgment
Reflection
Psalm 55 moves through fear, civic violence, and the shock of betrayal by a trusted companion toward persistent prayer, the command to cast one’s burden on God, and confidence that final justice belongs to God.
Reading notes
The psalm calls the burdened person to cast the burden on the Lord, trusting God to sustain without treating prayer as a substitute for practical help. The closing contrast entrusts deceitful and bloodthirsty people to God’s judgment while the psalmist chooses trust rather than personal vengeance.
Key passages
Psalm 55:1: The psalmist asks God to hear rather than hide from the plea, beginning the lament with urgent dependence instead of self-sufficiency. The psalmist asks God to hear rather than hide from the plea, beginning the lament with urgent dependence instead of self-sufficiency. Psalm 55:6: The wish for wings like a dove expresses a longing to escape danger and find rest, not a universal instruction to abandon one’s life. The wish for wings like a dove expresses a longing to escape danger and find rest, not a universal instruction to abandon one’s life. Psalm 55:12: The deepest wound is not simply an enemy’s insult but betrayal by someone the speaker could have endured differently if the threat were openly hostile. The deepest wound is not simply an enemy’s insult but betrayal by someone the speaker could have endured differently if the threat were openly hostile. Psalm 55:16: In contrast to retaliation, the speaker calls on God and expects God to save, redirecting action toward prayer and dependence. In contrast to retaliation, the speaker calls on God and expects God to save, redirecting action toward prayer and dependence. Psalm 55:22: The psalm calls the burdened person to cast the burden on the Lord, trusting God to sustain without treating prayer as a substitute for practical help. The psalm calls the burdened person to cast the burden on the Lord, trusting God to sustain without treating prayer as a substitute for practical help. Psalm 55:23: The closing contrast entrusts deceitful and bloodthirsty people to God’s judgment while the psalmist chooses trust rather than personal vengeance. The closing contrast entrusts deceitful and bloodthirsty people to God’s judgment while the psalmist chooses trust rather than personal vengeance.
Questions readers ask
What is Psalm 55 about? Psalm 55 moves through fear, civic violence, and the shock of betrayal by a trusted companion toward persistent prayer, the command to cast one’s burden on God, and confidence that final justice belongs to God. What does “cast your burden on the Lord” mean? The psalm calls the burdened person to cast the burden on the Lord, trusting God to sustain without treating prayer as a substitute for practical help. Does Psalm 55 authorize revenge against a betrayer? Psalm 55 must not be used to justify revenge, vigilantism, violence, stalking, or harassment of a suspected betrayer. The wish to flee in verses 6–8 expresses distress and a search for safety, not a universal command to abandon responsibilities or relationships. Betrayal language must not be used to cultivate paranoia or presume guilt without evidence. The violent judgment language in verses 15 and 23 is prayer placed before God, not authorization for human retaliation or dehumanization. “Bloodthirsty and deceitful” describes conduct, not an ethnic, political, or social class. Casting a burden on God in verse 22 can accompany practical safety planning, trusted support, legal protection, medical or mental-health care, and emergency help where needed.