Psalms 55–23
Psalm 55:1-23
Psa.55.1 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- למנצח: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בנגינת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cs
- משכיל: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- לדוד: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 4:1 (verbal): Superscription: 'For the director of music; with stringed instruments; a psalm of David'—shares the לְמַנְצֵחַ (for the leader) and בְּנְגִינוֹת/with stringed instruments formula and Davidic attribution.
- Psalm 6:1 (verbal): Superscription: 'For the director of music; with stringed instruments; a psalm of David'—another instance of the same performance-direction and Davidic heading.
- Psalm 32:1 (verbal): Begins as 'A Maskil of David'—directly parallels the משכִּיל (maskil/instructional) genre label found in Ps 55:1.
- Psalm 78:1 (thematic): 'A Maskil of Asaph'—shows the broader use of the maskil genre label in the Psalter (didactic/meditative composition), paralleling Ps 55:1's designation as a maskil.
Alternative generated candidates
- To the choirmaster. For the stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.
- To the choirmaster. For the stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.
Psa.55.2 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- האזינה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- תפלתי: NOUN,f,sg,abs,poss1s
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- תתעלם: VERB,hithp,impf,2,m,sg
- מתחנתי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
Parallels
- Ps.61.1 (verbal): Both open with an urgent petition for God to 'hear' or 'attend' to the psalmist's cry/prayer (Heb. shamaʿ / hear my cry; attend to my prayer).
- Ps.102.1 (verbal): Same basic petitional formula—'Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come unto thee'— echoing the plea in Ps 55:2 for God to listen to the supplication.
- Ps.17.1 (thematic): Like Ps 55:2, Ps 17 begins with an appeal for God to listen to a righteous cause and attend to the petitioner’s plea—same theme of urgent pleading for divine attention.
- Ps.27.9 (verbal): Contains the closely related refrain 'Hide not thy face from me' (or 'do not hide your face'), paralleling the negative petition in Ps 55:2 not to be forsaken or hidden from by God.
Alternative generated candidates
- Hearken, O God, to my prayer; do not hide yourself from my plea.
- Give ear, O God, to my prayer; do not hide Yourself from my plea.
Psa.55.3 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- הקשיבה: VERB,hiph,impv,2,_,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- וענני: CONJ+VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg+1cs
- אריד: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- בשיחי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,prsuf
- ואהימה: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 5:1 (verbal): Directly parallels the opening petition language 'Give ear to my words, O LORD'—same verb of listening/attending to a prayer.
- Psalm 86:6 (verbal): Uses the same plea 'Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer'—similar formula asking God to hear and answer the supplicant.
- Psalm 102:1 (verbal): Begins with 'Hear my prayer, O LORD; and let my cry come unto thee'—a parallel petition for God to hear and respond to distress.
- Psalm 61:1 (thematic): 'Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer'—thematic match in urgent appeal for God’s attention in trouble.
- Psalm 142:1 (thematic): 'I cried unto the LORD with my voice'—similar motif of vocal lament and seeking God's response in a time of distress.
Alternative generated candidates
- Give ear to me and answer me; I am distraught in my complaint and am filled with dread.
- Attend to me and answer me—I am troubled in my complaints and terribly afraid.
Psa.55.4 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- מקול: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אויב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מפני: PREP
- עקת: NOUN,f,sg,const
- רשע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- ימיטו: VERB,hif,impf,3,m,pl
- עלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- און: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובאף: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישטמוני: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl,obj1,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 31:13 (thematic): Speaks of hearing slander and being surrounded by fear — like Ps.55:4's distress at enemies and the oppression of the wicked.
- Psalm 38:12-13 (verbal): Enemies 'lay snares' and 'speak mischievous things' against the psalmist, mirroring Ps.55:4's picture of active plots and hostile intent.
- Psalm 64:2-6 (thematic): Describes the secret plotting and weaponizing of words by the wicked — parallel to Ps.55:4's enemies pouring out evil and hating in anger.
- Psalm 35:11 (verbal): False witnesses rise and accuse the psalmist; the passage echoes Ps.55:4's theme of hostile, scheming opponents who seek to do harm.
Alternative generated candidates
- From the noise of the enemy, from the pressure of the wicked; for they cast violence upon me, and in wrath they surround me.
- From the sound of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked— for they cast injustice upon me, and in wrath they assail me.
Psa.55.5 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- לבי: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- יחיל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בקרבי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,poss1s
- ואימות: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מות: VERB,qal,infabs
- נפלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- עלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Ps.18:4-5 (verbal): Describes death’s forces surrounding and overwhelming the speaker (“cords of death…torrents of destruction”), closely paralleling the image of the “terrors of death” falling upon the psalmist.
- Ps.116:3 (verbal): Speaks of the ‘snares of death’ and the ‘pains of Sheol’ compassing the speaker—very similar language and imagery to the ‘terrors of death’ in Ps.55:5.
- Ps.88:3-4 (thematic): Expresses extreme distress and a sense of life drawing near to the grave/Sheol and being counted with those who go down to the pit, paralleling the theme of imminent death and terror.
- Isa.38:10 (thematic): Hezekiah’s lament about being ‘cut off’ and going to the gates of the grave echoes the personal sense of impending death and fear present in Ps.55:5.
Alternative generated candidates
- My heart is aghast within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
- My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Psa.55.6 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- יראה: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- ורעד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יבא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- ותכסני: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- פלצות: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Job 4:14 (verbal): Very close verbal parallel — Job describes fear and trembling coming upon him and horror overwhelming him, nearly identical imagery and wording.
- Isaiah 33:14 (thematic): Speaks of fear and trembling seizing the people and the dread of consuming judgment, echoing the psalm’s terror and panic.
- Habakkuk 3:16 (thematic): The prophet reports bodily trembling, anguish, and dread at God’s presence—similar physical/psychological response of terror as in the psalm.
- Psalm 88:15 (thematic): The psalmist there speaks of being afflicted and overwhelmed by God’s terrors; thematically parallels the sense of being overcome by dread in Ps 55:6.
Alternative generated candidates
- Fear and trembling come upon me; horror overwhelms me.
- Fear and trembling have come upon me, and a horror overwhelms me.
Psa.55.7 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ואמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- מי: PRON,interr,sg
- יתן: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- אבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כיונה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אעופה: VERB,qal,imprf,1,c,sg
- ואשכנה: VERB,qal,imprf,1,c,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 55:6 (structural): Immediate continuation within the same psalm; the same longing to have wings like a dove and fly away is repeated/emphasized in the adjacent verse (same lament and wish for escape).
- Isaiah 40:31 (verbal): Uses wing/flight imagery ('mount up with wings like eagles') to express escape, renewal, and divine deliverance—a close verbal/thematic parallel to the psalmist's wish to fly away to rest.
- 1 Kings 19:4-5 (thematic): Elijah flees from danger, expresses despair and a desire to die, then seeks solitude and rest under a tree—parallels the motif of flight from crisis and longing for rest found in the psalm.
- Jonah 4:3 (thematic): Jonah expresses that he would rather die than continue in his painful situation—echoing the psalmist's desire to flee and find rest as an escape from overwhelming distress.
- Song of Songs 2:14 (verbal): Addresses a 'dove' seeking the clefts of the rock (a place of hiding/rest); uses dove imagery to convey refuge and seclusion, resonating with the psalm's image of taking wing like a dove to find rest.
Alternative generated candidates
- Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.
- Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.
Psa.55.8 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- הנה: PART
- ארחיק: VERB,qal,imf,1,c,sg
- נדד: VERB,qal,perf,3,ms,sg
- אלין: VERB,qal,imf,1,c,sg
- במדבר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- סלה: MISC
Parallels
- Psalm 55:6 (verbal): Immediate parallel within the same psalm — the preceding verse expresses the wish 'Oh that I had wings like a dove... I would fly away,' which directly leads into the desire to flee far off into the wilderness.
- Psalm 11:1 (thematic): Uses similar bird/flee imagery — 'If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? ... Flee as a bird to your mountain' — echoing the impulse to escape danger by flight.
- 1 Kings 19:4–8 (thematic): Elijah flees to the wilderness and seeks solitude and rest (and is provisioned there), mirroring the psalmist’s longing to withdraw far off into the desert for relief and renewal.
- Mark 6:31 (structural): Jesus invites the disciples to 'come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile,' reflecting the New Testament practice of withdrawing to a solitary/desert place for rest and communion, parallel to the psalmist’s desire.
Alternative generated candidates
- Behold, I would flee far off; I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah.
- Behold, I would wander far off; I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah.
Psa.55.9 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- אחישה: VERB,qal,impf,1,x,sg
- מפלט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- מרוח: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- סעה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מסער: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ps.55:6 (verbal): Immediate context: verse 6 expresses the same desire to flee ('Oh that I had wings like a dove'), closely paralleling the longing for swift refuge from the storm in v.9.
- Ps.55:7 (structural): Continuation of the same thought: verse 7 describes wandering far off and lodging in the wilderness — a structural parallel showing the speaker's wish to escape turmoil and find safety.
- Ps.27:5 (thematic): Speaks of God as a refuge in the day of trouble ('hide me in His pavilion'), paralleling the motif of seeking shelter and protection from danger or storm.
- Ps.107:29 (thematic): Describes the LORD calming a storm ('He made the storm be still'), thematically related to deliverance from tempestuous threat and the desire for safety found in Ps.55:9.
- Ps.18:16 (thematic): Depicts God rescuing the psalmist by drawing him out of 'many waters' — similar imagery of divine deliverance from overwhelming, storm-like danger.
Alternative generated candidates
- I would hasten to find a place of refuge from the whirlwind and the storm.
- I would hasten to find a refuge from the raging wind and tempest.
Psa.55.10 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- בלע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- פלג: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- לשונם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+3,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- ראיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- חמס: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וריב: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בעיר: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Zephaniah 3:1-3 (verbal): Both describe the city as "full of oppression" and lacking just judgment; corrupt leaders and pervasive violence characterize the urban community.
- Isaiah 1:21,23 (thematic): Isaiah laments the faithful city turned corrupt and condemns rulers who take bribes and fail in justice—paralleling Ps 55's notice of violence, strife, and culpable leaders.
- Micah 3:9-11 (thematic): Micah indicts prophets and leaders who love evil, judge for reward, and perpetuate injustice—echoing Psalm 55's complaint about violence, strife, and leadership complicit in wrongdoing.
- Habakkuk 1:4-5 (structural): Habakkuk portrays a breakdown of law and a rise of violence and wrongdoing; like Ps 55, it diagnoses societal collapse marked by pervasive oppression and terror.
- Amos 5:12 (verbal): Amos accuses people of oppressing the righteous, perverting justice, and accepting bribes—paralleling Psalm 55's emphasis on violence, strife, and the absence of justice in the city.
Alternative generated candidates
- O Lord, break and confuse their tongues, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
- O God, divide their tongues; for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Psa.55.11 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- יומם: ADV
- ולילה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יסובבה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- חומתיה: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ואון: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ועמל: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בקרבה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Ps.59:6-8 (verbal): Uses similar imagery of enemies prowling round the city 'at evening'/'day and night' and making a disturbance around the walls — close verbal and situational parallel.
- Ps.64:2-6 (thematic): Describes secret plotting and malignant counsel against the righteous — thematically parallels the presence of 'mischief' and internal hostility in the psalm.
- Prov.1:11-14 (thematic): Speaks of conspirators taking counsel to commit evil and prey upon others — echoes the idea of hostile forces circling and treachery within the community.
- Isa.59:14-15 (thematic): Portrays social breakdown, injustice, and violence within the land ('truth is fallen in the street') — parallels the picture of internal sorrow and mischief inside the city.
Alternative generated candidates
- Day and night they prowl upon its walls; in its midst are misery and oppression.
- Day and night they go about upon its walls; within it there is mischief and sorrow.
Psa.55.12 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- הוות: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- בקרבה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,f,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- ימיש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מרחבה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תך: PRON,2,sg,poss
- ומרמה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 55:13-14 (structural): Immediate context: the psalmist explains that the betrayer was a companion with whom he walked in fellowship, making v.12 part of a larger depiction of intimacy turned to treachery.
- Psalm 41:9 (verbal): Same motif and close verbal parallel — a trusted companion who 'lifted his heel' against the speaker (betrayal by one who shared bread and intimacy).
- 2 Samuel 15:12 (thematic): Ahithophel, David’s trusted counselor, sides with Absalom — an example of political/relational betrayal by a close associate.
- John 13:18 (quotation): Jesus cites the psalmic tradition of a close companion's betrayal (cf. Psalm 41:9) to identify Judas’ treachery, linking the Psalmic theme to the New Testament passion narrative.
- Matthew 26:20-25 (thematic): The narrative of Judas' betrayal by one who ate with Jesus echoes the Psalm’s theme of intimacy turned into treachery by a close friend.
Alternative generated candidates
- Violence and deceit are in its midst; ruin does not depart from its market.
- Destruction is in its midst; oppression and deceit do not depart from its squares.
Psa.55.13 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- אויב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יחרפני: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ואשא: VERB,qal,impf,1,?,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- משנאי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+1cs
- עלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- הגדיל: VERB,hif,perf,3,m,sg
- ואסתר: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,sg
- ממנו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 41:9 (verbal): Speaks of a trusted close companion who betrays the psalmist ('even my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted up his heel against me'), directly echoing the theme of intimate betrayal.
- John 13:18 (quotation): Jesus cites the Psalms' language about a trusted companion betraying the speaker (alluding to Psalm 41:9) in the context of Judas' treachery, linking the motif of betrayal by a friend to the Passion narrative.
- Job 19:19-20 (thematic): Job laments that his intimate friends and those he loved have turned against him, mirroring the experience of denunciation and loss of close companionship found in Psalm 55:13.
- Psalm 55:12-14 (structural): Immediate context within the same psalm: these verses develop the same contrast between enemy reproach (bearable) and the sharper pain of betrayal by a close associate, forming the unit that includes verse 13.
Alternative generated candidates
- For it is not an enemy who taunts me—then I could bear it; nor one who hates me who has risen against me—then I could hide from him.
- For it was not an enemy who reproached me— then I could have borne it; nor was it one who hated me who exalted himself against me— then I could have hidden from him.
Psa.55.14 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ואתה: CONJ+PRON,2,m,sg
- אנוש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כערכי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,cs,poss1s
- אלופי: NOUN,m,pl,constr
- ומידעי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs,poss1s
Parallels
- Psalm 41:9 (verbal): Speaks of a 'familiar friend' who betrays trust—language and theme closely parallel the betrayal by a close companion.
- John 13:18 (quotation): Jesus cites Psalm 41:9 in predicting Judas' betrayal, linking the psalm's theme of a trusted companion turning against the speaker to the New Testament betrayal narrative.
- Matthew 26:47-50 (thematic): The arrest of Jesus by Judas—one of his close companions—echoes the theme of intimate betrayal found in Psalm 55:14.
- Jeremiah 9:4 (thematic): Warns against trust in close associates because of deceit, reflecting the psalm's concern with treachery by an intimate friend.
- Proverbs 27:6 (thematic): Contrasts true, reliable friendship with injurious or deceitful relations; thematically relevant to the psalm's focus on the danger of a false companion.
Alternative generated candidates
- But it is you—my companion, my equal, my familiar friend.
- But it was you, a man, my equal, my companion and my familiar friend.
Psa.55.15 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יחדו: ADV
- נמתיק: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,pl
- סוד: NOUN,m,sg,cs
- בבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- נהלך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ברגש: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 55:12-14 (structural): Immediate context: identifies the betrayer as a companion—’we took sweet counsel together; we walked in God’s house in the throng’ (same cluster of images and setting).
- Psalm 41:9 (thematic): Speaks of betrayal by a close friend (‘even my close friend in whom I trusted… lifted up his heel against me’), paralleling the hurt of intimacy turned to treachery in Ps 55.
- John 13:18 (quotation): Jesus quotes Psalm 41:9 at the Last Supper to announce a close friend’s betrayal; parallels the motif of intimacy and treachery in a communal/household setting like Ps 55.
- Psalm 122:1 (thematic): ’I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD”’ echoes the phrase and idea of walking into the house of God together (the communal/devotional setting evoked in Ps 55).
Alternative generated candidates
- We sweetened our counsel together; we walked in the house of God in the throng.
- We enjoyed pleasant fellowship together; we walked with the throng in the house of God.
Psa.55.16 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ישי: NOUN,prop,sg,m
- מות: VERB,qal,infabs
- עלימו: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- ירדו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חיים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- כי: CONJ
- רעות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- במגורם: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בקרבם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,pl
Parallels
- Prov.1:12 (verbal): Speaks of 'swallowing alive' enemies—similar imagery of consigning foes to death/Sheol (the motif of consuming or sending the wicked down alive).
- Ps.69:25 (thematic): 'Let their habitation be desolate' echoes the concern with evil in the enemies' houses and the desire that their dwellings be judged or emptied.
- Ps.109:8 (thematic): An imprecatory demand that an enemy's days be shortened or office taken—parallels the psalmist's call for decisive ruin of hostile persons.
- Ps.35:8 (verbal): Prayer for sudden destruction and for the enemy to be caught in his own snare resonates with the wish that foes go down to Sheol/meet swift doom.
Alternative generated candidates
- Let death seize them; let them go down alive to Sheol, for evil dwells among them and within their homes.
- Let death come upon them; let them go down alive into Sheol— for wickedness dwells among them and in their midst.
Psa.55.17 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- אל: NEG
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אקרא: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- ויהוה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יושיעני: VERB,hif,impf,3,m,sg+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 18:6 (verbal): Both speak of crying out to the LORD in distress and God hearing the voice; Psalm 18:6 uses very similar language about calling in trouble and being heard.
- Psalm 86:7 (thematic): Expresses the same theme of calling to God in times of trouble with confidence that God will answer and save.
- Psalm 34:4 (thematic): Declares that the psalmist sought the LORD and was heard and delivered—parallel theme of prayer in distress and divine deliverance.
- Psalm 50:15 (structural): God’s promise to be called upon in the day of trouble and to deliver echoes the structure of calling God and receiving salvation in Ps. 55:17.
- Jonah 2:2 (allusion): Jonah’s prayer begins with calling out to the LORD from distress, echoing the psalmic motif of crying to God and being rescued.
Alternative generated candidates
- But I will call upon God, and the LORD will save me.
- As for me, I will call on God, and the LORD will save me.
Psa.55.18 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ערב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובקר: CONJ,NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וצהרים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אשיחה: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- ואהמה: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- וישמע: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- קולי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1
Parallels
- Psalm 34:17 (thematic): Both affirm that when the righteous cry out in distress the LORD hears and delivers—emphasis on God’s responsive hearing of lament.
- Psalm 141:2 (allusion): Links evening prayer to acceptable worship—'let my prayer be counted as incense... as the evening sacrifice'—parallels the motif of praying at evening.
- Psalm 102:1–2 (verbal): A direct plea for God to 'hear my prayer' and 'hear my cry' in a time of distress, echoing the petition and assurance that God hears the speaker’s voice.
- Daniel 6:10 (structural): Describes fixed daily times of prayer (three times a day) similar to the pattern 'evening, morning, and noon'—parallel in disciplined, repeated petition.
- Psalm 55:16 (thematic): Immediate context within the same psalm: the speaker calls to God for help and trusts that the LORD saves—continues the theme of calling and God’s attentive response.
Alternative generated candidates
- Evening and morning and at noon I cry aloud, and he hears my voice.
- Evening, morning, and noon I cry out and complain, and He will hear my voice.
Psa.55.19 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- פדה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בשלום: PREP
- נפשי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- מקרב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- כי: CONJ
- ברבים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- היו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- עמדי: PREP+1cs
Parallels
- Psalm 3:1, 7-8 (verbal): Both speak of being surrounded by many enemies yet God delivers the psalmist from the battle; similar language of ‘many’ rising up and divine rescue.
- Psalm 18:16-19 (structural): A hymn of deliverance where God intervenes to rescue the singer from overwhelming danger and hostile foes—parallel theme and similar rescue motifs.
- Psalm 34:17-19 (thematic): Declares that the righteous cry and the LORD delivers them from their troubles; especially verse 19’s note that many afflictions come but the LORD delivers—matching the deliverance-from-affliction theme.
- 2 Samuel 22:17-20 (quotation): David’s song in 2 Samuel (closely related to Psalm 18) recounts God’s dramatic rescue from enemies and danger, paralleling the psalmist’s deliverance language in Psalm 55:19.
Alternative generated candidates
- He redeems my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for many were with me.
- He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle that is against me, for many were with me.
Psa.55.20 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ישמע: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- ויענם: VERB,qal,imf,3,m,sg
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- קדם: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- סלה: MISC
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אין: PART,neg
- חליפות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- למו: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- ולא: CONJ
- יראו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 36:1 (verbal): Uses the same idea/phrase that the wicked have no fear of God (“there is no fear of God before his eyes”), echoing Ps 55:20’s charge that they do not fear God.
- Romans 3:18 (quotation): New Testament citation/echo of the Old Testament formula “there is no fear of God before their eyes,” applying the same charge of godlessness found in Ps 55:20.
- Psalm 55:12-14 (structural): Immediate context within the same psalm describing betrayal by a close companion; Ps 55:20 summarizes the treachery and the betrayers’ lack of reverence for God.
- Psalm 41:9 (thematic): Speaks of betrayal by a trusted companion (“mine own familiar friend… hath lifted up his heel against me”), a parallel theme of intimate treachery found in Ps 55.
- Jeremiah 12:6 (thematic): Complains that close kin and neighbors have acted treacherously toward the speaker—echoes Ps 55’s lament over betrayal by those near and their godlessness.
Alternative generated candidates
- God will hear and bring them low; he will bring them down to the grave. Selah. There is no change for them; they do not fear God.
- May He hear and rebuke them; may they be brought low and sit silent— Selah— for there is no turning in them, and they do not fear God.
Psa.55.21 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- שלח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ידיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs,suff:3,m,sg
- בשלמיו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חלל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בריתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 55:12-14 (structural): Immediate context: the psalm develops the theme of betrayal by a close companion who shared intimate counsel and fellowship, culminating in the charge that the companion has violated covenant.
- Psalm 41:9 (verbal): Parallel language and theme of treachery by a trusted friend—'even my close friend, in whom I trusted… has lifted his heel against me' echoes the betrayal and covenant breach imagery.
- Micah 7:5-6 (thematic): Prophetic depiction of social breakdown and betrayal among intimates ('do not trust a neighbor… a son dishonors his father'), resonating with the psalm's complaint about treachery by those at peace with the speaker.
- Jeremiah 31:32 (verbal): God's charge that Israel 'broke my covenant' uses the same covenant‑violation language as the psalmist's accusation that his companion has violated a pact.
- John 13:18 (quotation): New Testament citation of Psalm 41:9 in the context of intimate betrayal (Judas' treachery), linking the psalmic theme of a trusted associate turning against the sufferer to the passion narrative.
Alternative generated candidates
- He has stretched out his hands against those at peace with him; he has broken his covenant.
- He has stretched out his hands against his companions; he has violated his covenant.
Psa.55.22 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- חלקו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- מחמאת: NOUN,f,sg,cstr
- פיו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- וקרב: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לבו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- רכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- דבריו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3m
- משמן: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והמה: PRON,3,m,pl
- פתחות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 12:2-3 (Heb. 12:3-4) (verbal): Speaks of 'flattering lips' and a 'double heart' — language very close to Ps 55:22's contrast between smooth/soft speech and inner malice.
- Proverbs 26:23 (verbal): Describes 'smooth lips' covering an evil heart (like silvered pottery) — a proverbial parallel to the mismatch of pleasant words and hostile intent in Ps 55:22.
- Romans 16:18 (allusion): Paul warns about those who 'by smooth talk and flattery deceive the hearts of the simple,' echoing the New Testament theological application of the Psalm's motif of deceptively pleasant speech.
- Jeremiah 9:8 (thematic): Speaks of tongues that deceive and poison (an 'adder's tongue'), thematically paralleling the idea that outwardly pleasant words conceal hostile or harmful hearts.
Alternative generated candidates
- His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
- His words were smoother than butter, yet war was in his heart; his speech was softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
Psa.55.23 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- השלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- על: PREP
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- יהבך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- והוא: CONJ+PRON,3,m,sg
- יכלכלך: VERB,piel,impf,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- יתן: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,sg
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מוט: VERB,qal,inf
- לצדיק: PREP
Parallels
- Psalm 37:5 (thematic): Both call for entrusting one’s way/burden to the LORD with the implicit promise that God will act on behalf of the righteous.
- Psalm 37:24 (verbal): Affirms that though one falls the LORD upholds him — closely parallels the assurance that God sustains the righteous and will not let them be moved.
- Psalm 62:6 (verbal): Declares God as a refuge so the believer 'shall not be moved,' echoing the psalm’s promise that the righteous will not be shaken.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 (thematic): Urges wholehearted trust in the LORD rather than self-reliance and promises divine guidance/stability, paralleling the call to cast burdens on God.
- 1 Peter 5:7 (allusion): New Testament echo of the same idea: 'cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you' — a direct pastoral echo of entrusting burdens to God.
Alternative generated candidates
- Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
- Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.
To the choirmaster. For the stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.
Hear, O God, my prayer; do not hide yourself from my plea.
Attend to me and answer me; I am unsettled, and I tremble.
From the voice of the enemy, from the oppression of the wicked— for they pour out evil upon me, and in anger they hate me.
My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.
I said, "Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.
Behold, I would wander far off; I would lodge in the desert. Selah.
I would hasten to find shelter from the storm and tempest.
O LORD, consume and divide their tongues; for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they prowl upon its walls; ruin and toil are in its midst.
Destruction is in its midst; deceit and fraud do not depart from its marketplace.
For it was not an enemy who reproached me—then I could have borne it; it was not an adversary who exalted himself against me—then I could have hidden myself from him. But it was you—a man my equal, my companion, my intimate friend.
We took sweet counsel together and walked in the house of God in the throng.
May death seize them; may they go down alive to Sheol—for wickedness dwells among them.
As for me, I will call to God, and the LORD will save me.
Evening and morning and at noon I complain and cry out; and he hears my voice.
He has delivered my life in peace from the battle that was against me, for many were with me.
God will hear and humble them; he will come and abase them—Selah; for they have no change, and they do not fear God.
He has stretched out his hands against those who were at peace with him; he has violated his covenant.
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
Cast your burden upon the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be moved.