Psalm 55

Psalm 55 belongs to Book II of the Psalms (Psalms 42–72). Its superscription reads "Maschil, A Psalm of David." A maskil is a type of psalm generally understood as a didactic or contemplative poem; Psalms 52–55 are all designated maskil. Like the preceding Psalm 54, it carries forward the theme of one who has been betrayed, who laments and seeks deliverance.

Structure

• Verses 1–3 Troubled by the voice of the enemy and the oppression of the wicked, the psalmist pleads with God to give ear to his prayer and answer him.
• Verses 4–8 He confesses the danger of death and his fear, and says that if he had wings like a dove, he would fly away to the wilderness and escape the storm (Selah at the end of verse 7).
• Verses 9–11 Declaring that the city is full of violence and strife, oppression and guile (crafty deceit), he asks God to divide the tongues of the wicked.
• Verses 12–14 He reveals that the one who has tormented him is not an enemy but a close friend with whom he used to walk to the house of God.
• Verse 15 He prays that they may go down alive into Sheol.
• Verses 16–19 He resolves to cry out evening, morning, and noon, and expresses confidence that God, who abides from of old, will hear and deliver him (Selah in verse 19).
• Verses 20–21 He says that his friend has broken his covenant, describing the friend's words as softer than oil, yet in reality drawn swords.
• Verses 22–23 He urges the reader to cast his burden upon the LORD, and confesses that while the deceitful will be destroyed, he himself will trust in the Lord.

Key Verses

• Psalm 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the LORD" — the conclusion of the psalm, where lament turns to trust.
• Psalm 55:6 "Oh that I had wings like a dove!" — a classic expression of the longing to escape suffering.
• Psalm 55:13 "But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance" — reveals that the psalmist's anguish stems from a friend's betrayal.

People and Places

• David: the psalmist named in the superscription.
• The betraying friend: unnamed; a close companion who used to walk with the psalmist to the house of God.
• The city: a city filled with violence and strife. The text does not name it.
• The wilderness: the place to which the psalmist longs to flee.

Points for Reflection

• The phrase "of David" in the superscription has traditionally been read as indicating authorship. Some scholars take it more broadly as "a psalm relating to David."
• A long-standing interpretation identifies the betraying friend with Ahithophel, the counselor who deserted David during the rebellion of Absalom. The text itself, however, gives no name. Christian tradition has also read this friend in connection with the betrayal by Judas Iscariot, though this connection, too, does not rest on any direct New Testament quotation of the psalm.
• Interpretations differ on how to read prayers for the destruction of enemies, such as those in verses 15 and 23. Some see them as prayers that honestly pour out one's pain to God and leave judgment in His hands. Others hold that they must be applied with care in light of Jesus' teaching on love for enemies.
• Some interpreters see the plea "divide their tongues" in verse 9 as an echo of the Tower of Babel narrative.
• The thrice-daily prayer of verse 17 is often mentioned alongside the prayer habit of Daniel (Daniel 6:10).
• Verse 22 is very close in wording to 1 Peter 5:7, "Casting all your care upon him," and 1 Peter 5:7 is widely understood to echo it.

In Korean Churches

Verse 22 is frequently used in sermons of comfort addressing worry and anxiety, and as a Scripture memory verse. It is often presented together with 1 Peter 5:7.