Psalm 64
לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד
BSB
The Hurtful Tongue
(James 3:1–12)
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1Hear, O God, my voice of complaint;
preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
2Hide me from the scheming of the wicked,
from the mob of workers of iniquity,
3who sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim their bitter words like arrows,
4ambushing the innocent in seclusion,
shooting suddenly, without fear.
5They hold fast to their evil purpose;
they speak of hiding their snares.
“Who will see them?” they say.
6They devise injustice and say,
“We have perfected a secret plan.”
For the inner man and the heart are mysterious.
7But God will shoot them with arrows;
suddenly they will be wounded.
8They will be made to stumble,
their own tongues turned against them.
All who see will shake their heads.
9Then all mankind will fear
and proclaim the work of God;
so they will ponder what He has done.
10Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD
and take refuge in Him;
let all the upright in heart exult.
Introduction
Psalms 64
This whole psalm has reference to David's enemies, persecutors, and slanderers; many such there were, and a great deal of trouble they gave him, almost all his days, so that we need not guess at any particular occasion of penning this psalm. I. He prays to God to preserve him from their malicious designs against him (Psa 64:1, Psa 64:2). II. He gives a very bad character of them, as men marked for ruin by their own wickedness (Psa 64:3-6). III. By the spirit of prophecy he foretels their destruction, which would redound to the glory of God and the encouragement of his people (Psa 64:7-10). In singing this psalm we must observe the effect of the old enmity that is in the seed of the woman against the seed of the serpent, and assure ourselves that the serpent's head will be broken, at last, to the honour and joy of the holy seed.
To the chief musician. A psalm of David.
Cross-references: Ps 64:1 · Ps 64:2 · Ps 64:3 · Ps 64:7