Psa. 5:0 To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.
NLT: “For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by the flute.”
“Nehiloth” = “a flute (as perforated): pipe
Psa. 5:1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
Psa. 5:2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
As I learned in my study of Isaiah, Hebrew poetry is expressed through repetition. These two verses, and many others in this Psalm, represent that poetic style as used by David.
David is calling out to the LORD to listen to him. The Hebrew for consider included the statement “to separate mentally.” David is aware that God is the God of all people, and he is crying out for God to listen specifically to him. As he cries out, he recognizes YHWH, the self-existent and eternal God, as his King and his God. He is expressing an attitude of total humility and submissiveness even as he approaches the LORD with his requests.
The use of the word voice indicates that David is praying out loud. That is something that I have begun to practice more in my later years. It seems that more often than not in the past my prayers have been a calling out from within. It is something I am making a conscious effort to practice more often.
Psa. 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
Evidently, it was David’s custom to seek the LORD’s face in the morning at the break of dawn. He wanted daily guidance from the LORD. The word direct includes the idea of getting things prepared and in order, as one getting ready for battle. Look up indicates that he is ready to wait for the LORD’s answer.
Again, my best prayer times have come much more naturally in the late evening and early morning hours. In the last few years, I have been privileged to be awakened in the dark and early morning hours for fellowship with the LORD. I can truly say that some of my most precious times with the LORD have been in the hours before dawn.
Spurgeon: “You cannot expect God to open the windows of heaven to pour you out a blessing if you do not open the windows of your expectation to look for it.”
Psa. 5:4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
Psa. 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
It seems as if David is declaring why he is so disciplined to seek the LORD early in the morning and wait for His instruction. He knows that God has no pleasure in wickedness. Those who practice evil have no chance to dwell with God and enjoy His fellowship.
Verse 5 is basically repeating the truth of verse 4. The foolish (boastful) will not be allowed the privilege of enjoying the presence of God. God hates those who continually practice (from the Hebrew for workers) evil deeds.
Psa. 5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
Those who speak lies and deceit (leasing) will be destroyed by God. The LORD hates those who are murderers and those who lie and deceive others.
David is aware from personal experience that if he does not keep himself close to the LORD, he is apt to fall into such sins. He wants to guard his relationship with YHWH.
Psa. 5:7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
As David comes back in his thoughts to the request he wants to make before God, he makes personal application of the truths he has just stated. Because of his understanding of YHWH, he is careful to approach Him in holy fear and reverence, dependent on God’s mercy. He doesn’t take his worship before God lightly; it’s not just a routine to him; he is sincere.
I tend to think that “thy holy temple” is a reference to the LORD’s dwelling place in heaven. Cf the reference to “look up” in verse 3 and the practice of lifting one’s hands in prayer as exampled by both David and Solomon.
Psalms 28:2 Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.
1Kings 8:54 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
Otherwise, it would be a reference to the location of the tabernacle at Shiloh or the high place at Gibeon.
Joshua 18:1 ¶ And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there.
1Chronicles 16:37-39 So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required: And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon….
Psa. 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
David is requesting the Lord to lead, to guide him to act according to the righteousness of God toward his enemies. He is asking God to make him prosperous and pleasant (from the word straight).
Spurgeon: "David does not say, ‘Make my way straight,’ he does not want to have his own way, but he wants to walk in God’s way.”
Psa. 5:9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
David realizes that his enemies are not to be trusted. They speak not according to truth, but in order to accomplish their own selfish purposes. They have no moral standards. Their mouth is used to flatter; their words are smooth and persuasive.
The following excerpt from my journal on Romans applies here.
Rom. 3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Rom. 3:14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Paul now basically states that men are no good from head to toe. As an astute student of scripture, he relies on it heavily as he makes his case.
Psalm 5:9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
The word throat in the Greek refers to the larynx, the voicebox. An open sepulchre (grave) makes you think of a place from which rot and decay are evident. I like Webster’s definition for deceit: “An attempt or disposition to deceive or lead into error; any declaration, artifice, or practice, which misleads another, or causes him to believe what is false; a contrivance to entrap; deception; a wily device; fraud.”
Psa. 140:3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
Psa. 10:7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
Poison or venom speaks of that which injures or is deadly, like malicious or spiteful words. Cursing involves evil speaking with the intent to cause great injury. Bitterness involves speaking sharply with resentment and/or sarcasm; Webster even adds that it is with the intent to draw someone into apostasy (rejecting their faith).
The Spirit has gone to great pains to emphasize the evil that can come from the words we speak and the way we speak them. He also emphasizes these same truths through the writings of James.
James 3:6 & 8 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell….But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. [end excerpt]
Psa. 5:10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
David recognizes that it is God who has authority over life and death. He is praying that these wicked men be destroyed as a result of their own evil purposes; they should be allowed to reap what they have sown through their many sins and their rebellion against God.
That is a hard lesson to learn. We are so naturally geared to want to “get even” and take care of things ourselves. It takes a conscious, disciplined effort to realize that vengeance belongs to God, and that we are to trust Him to accomplish His judgment in His timing.
Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Deuteronomy 32:41 If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.
Psa. 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Those who put their trust in the LORD have every reason to rejoice and be happy, because God is hedging them in, defending them. It’s interesting that David connects trusting in God with loving His name. I think we have gotten really lax as His children in loving and honoring the name of God. For instance, the phrase “O my God,” is used as an exclamation of surprise—even by many Christians. It is something that really bothers me.
Psa. 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
David is confident of God’s blessing upon those who choose to live righteously and be morally clean. God takes pleasure and delight in surrounding those who serve Him and trust Him and love His name with a shield of protection.
What a motivation! God gives so much in return for so little from us.
Father, help me to always seek your guidance and direction as I strive to live a life that is righteous before you. May I be sensitive to the correction of the Holy Spirit. Please help me grow in faith and to genuinely rest in Your protection as Your child. Amen.
Psa. 6:0 To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.
NLT: “For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.”
“Neginoth” = instrumental music; by implication, a stringed instrument; by extension, a poem set to music
“Sheminith” = probably an eight-stringed lyre
Ironside regarding the heart of the believer: “…the closer he walks with God the more conscious he is of the sins of his own heart and life, and the more deeply penitent he is because of those shortcomings….But as one enters the presence of God and is overwhelmed with a sense of His infinite holiness he realizes there are things in his life so opposed to the holiness of God that it breaks him down in repentance before the Lord. Then the tendency is, not to feel that His dealings are too hard, but to wonder how God can be gracious at all, and it throws one on His mercy. That is the attitude of the Psalmist.”
Psa. 6:1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
Psa. 6:2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
It sounds like David is feeling guilty and desperate, deserving of the present state of things. He immediately acknowledges YHWH as he cries out to plead for mercy. He knows that the wrath of God is to be greatly feared. He is not asking God not to rebuke or chasten him, just that it not be in anger. He wants mercy. He is sick, and he wants healing. The word for vexed implies that it could be a disease that causes the body to tremble and/or develop a bad rash.
Spurgeon: “Justice is for the good; mercy is for those who are guilty.”
Psa. 6:3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?
Not only is David sick physically, he also feels sick emotionally. It sounds like he feels like his physical illness is a judgment on sin in his life, and he is distraught in his spirit because he knows that he has displeased his LORD. He wants to know how long this judgment is going to last.
Psa. 6:4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.
David feels like God has turned His back on him. He wants to again enjoy a position of fellowship with the LORD. He wants to be forgiven. His expectation is based solely on God’s mercy.
Wiersbe: “I’ve learned that sickness and pain either make us better or bitter, and the difference is faith.”
Psa. 6:5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
David now resorts to human reasoning for why God should answer his prayer. If he dies, he can no longer praise and honor God and give Him thanks. David is not the only one in scripture to reason with God in such a way; King Hezekiah did the same thing.
Isaiah 38:18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
Psa. 6:6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
Psa. 6:7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
David holds nothing back. He can’t sleep—as opposed to how he felt when he penned Psalm 4.
Psalm 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
His nights are spent groaning and weeping. His eyes are tired from all the tears he has shed and from constant vigil to avoid his enemies.
Psa. 6:8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.
Psa. 6:9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.
Finally, David seems to get a grip. He must have made a connection with the LORD in his spirit. He must have experienced the peace of restored fellowship. He knows that God has heard him and is going to heal him. Now he is able to confidently face his enemies.
It’s a wonderful precious time when you are talking with the LORD and you experience that personal heart connection. It’s like you can almost sense Him next to you wanting to take you in His arms. Those times are too few and far between for me. Once you have experienced that connection, you want it to happen every time. Oh, how I long for the time when we are with Him forever!
Spurgeon’s wise comment on the first part of verse 8: “If we keep company with the wicked, we cannot invite God to our house, and expect him to come.”
Psa. 6:10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.
David is putting his enemies on notice that he is no longer weak and defeated. He may have started his prayer to the LORD in despair, but he certainly ended on a victorious note.