Psalms — Chapter 64

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1Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

2Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

3Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

4That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

5They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

6They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

7But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

8So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.

9And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.

10The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

1Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint: Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

2Hide me from the secret counsel of evil-doers, From the tumult of the workers of iniquity;

3Who have whet their tongue like a sword, And have aimed their arrows, even bitter words,

4That they may shoot in secret places at the perfect: Suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

5They encourage themselves in an evil purpose; They commune of laying snares privily; They say, Who will see them?

6They search out iniquities; We have accomplished, [say they], a diligent search: And the inward thought and the heart of every one is deep.

7But God will shoot at them; With an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded.

8So they shall be made to stumble, their own tongue being against them: All that see them shall wag the head.

9And all men shall fear; And they shall declare the work of God, And shall wisely consider of his doing.

10The righteous shall be glad in Jehovah, and shall take refuge in him; And all the upright in heart shall glory. Psalm 65 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm. A song of David.

1For the music director, a psalm of David. Listen to me, O God, as I offer my lament! Protect my life from the enemy’s terrifying attacks.

2Hide me from the plots of evil men, from the crowd of evildoers.

3They sharpen their tongues like swords; they aim their arrows, a slanderous charge,

4in order to shoot down the innocent in secluded places. They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation.

5They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed. They plan how to hide snares and boast, “Who will see them?”

6They devise unjust schemes; they disguise a well-conceived plot. Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered.

7But God will shoot at them; suddenly they will be wounded by an arrow.

8Their slander will bring about their demise. All who see them will shudder,

9and all people will fear. They will proclaim what God has done, and reflect on his deeds.

10The godly will rejoice in the Lord and take shelter in him. All the morally upright will boast.

1Hear my voice, God, in my complaint. Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

2Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;

3who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and aim their arrows, deadly words,

4to shoot innocent men from ambushes. They shoot at him suddenly and fearlessly.

5They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly. They say, “Who will see them?”

6They plot injustice, saying, “We have made a perfect plan!” Surely man’s mind and heart are cunning.

7But God will shoot at them. They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.

8Their own tongues shall ruin them. All who see them will shake their heads.

9All mankind shall be afraid. They shall declare the work of God, and shall wisely ponder what he has done.

10The righteous shall be glad in Yahweh, and shall take refuge in him. All the upright in heart shall praise him!

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Videos
Reflection

Summary

A lament — David prays for protection from the secret plots of the wicked whose tongues are sharp swords; God will suddenly shoot His arrow at them, and all mankind will fear and declare His work.

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses. Key themes: worship, lament, praise, trust, kingship, creation, wisdom, Messianic prophecy, and the full range of human emotion brought before God.
Classification: Individual Lament Psalm Attributed Author: David Key Themes: Secret plots of enemies, the tongue as weapon, God's sudden counter-attack, divine poetic justice, the righteous rejoicing in God's judgment
Historical Context: No specific historical event is named in the superscription, but the psalm describes a situation where David faces secret conspiracies and verbal attacks from those who plot in hidden. This could fit many periods in David's life — Saul's courtiers, Absalom's conspiracy, or any number of political intrigues. The psalm is notable for its "boomerang" structure: the arrows the wicked aim at the righteous (vv.3-4) become God's arrow aimed at them (v.7). Their own tongue brings them down (v.8). The theme of hidden plots met by sudden divine intervention runs throughout.
Structure:
  • Prayer for Protection (vv.1-2)
  • The Enemy's Secret Attacks (vv.3-6)
  • God's Sudden Counter-Strike (vv.7-8)
  • Universal Recognition of God's Justice (vv.9-10)

Map & Geography

  • No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.

Reflection

  • 1. Words aimed in secret are still seen by God (v.5). "Who shall see them?" — God does. Every whispered slander, every secret plot, every hidden cruelty is fully visible to the One who sees all. Privacy from God is an illusion.
  • 2. God's justice often mirrors the crime (v.7). Arrows shot at the righteous become God's arrow at the wicked. What you launch against others often returns to you. This is not karma — it is divine justice with poetic precision.
  • 3. God's timing is sudden (v.7). The wicked assume they have endless time. Then suddenly — God acts. Don't mistake God's patience for God's absence. His intervention comes swiftly when it comes.
  • 4. The purpose of judgment is declaration (v.9). God judges not merely to punish but to teach. His acts of justice declare His character to all who observe. When God acts, wisdom responds by "wisely considering" what He has done.