Psalm 64

Psalm 64 belongs to Book II of the Psalms (Psalms 42–72) and falls within a group of psalms bearing David's name. The preceding psalm, Psalm 63, expresses longing for God in the wilderness and looks ahead to the destruction of the psalmist's enemies. Psalm 64 focuses on one particular form of the enemy's threat: attack by means of words. The superscription reads "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David" (KJV); the "chief Musician" was the one who led the singing. The Korean Revised Version renders the superscription in much the same way, while the New Korean Revised Version translates it as "a song sung following the leader."

Structure

• Verses 1–2 The psalmist cries out in distress, asking God to preserve his life from the enemy and to hide him from the secret counsel and tumult of the wicked.
• Verses 3–6 The wicked are described. They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim bitter words like arrows, shooting in secret at the blameless. They encourage one another, lay snares, ask "Who shall see them?" and boast of having devised a clever scheme.
• Verses 7–8 The situation is reversed. God shoots at them, and they are suddenly wounded by an arrow; their own tongue brings them down, and those who see them shake their heads.
• Verses 9–10 All people fear and declare the work of God. The righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in Him, and the upright in heart glory.

Key Verses

• Psalm 64:3 "Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words" — the psalm's central image of words as weapons.
• Psalm 64:7 "But God shall shoot at them with an arrow" — a reversal in which God shoots back at the wicked who had been shooting their arrows; at this point the psalm turns from lament to confidence.
• Psalm 64:8 "So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves" — an illustration of the principle of retribution, by which wicked words ultimately return upon the one who speaks them.

People and Places

• David — named as the author in the superscription.
• God (the LORD) — the one to whom the psalmist cries out and who judges the wicked.
• The workers of iniquity — unnamed enemies who attack with words from hiding.
• No specific place is mentioned.

Points for Reflection

• The superscription does not identify the specific circumstances in which the psalm was composed. Some interpreters connect it with the time when David was pursued by Saul or with Absalom's rebellion, but the text itself does not say so.
• The psalmist does not avenge himself on his enemies but leaves judgment to God. For this reason the psalm is often read alongside Romans 12:17–21, which instructs believers to leave vengeance to God, and the teaching on love for enemies.
• Although the psalm is not directly quoted in the New Testament, its theme overlaps with James 3, which compares the tongue to fire and poison, and the two passages are often read together in discussions of the dangers of speech.