Give Ear to My Words

Give ear to my words, LORD.Consider my meditation.

Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

The psalm opens with two requests: hear my words and consider my meditation. It asks God to attend both to what is said aloud and to what is only thought.

Also read Psalm 17:1, 1 Peter 3:12, Psalm 54:2, 1 Samuel 1:16

Listen to the voice of my cry, my King and my God,for I pray to you.

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

The writer calls God both King and God, and gives a plain reason for being heard: I pray to you. The word cry suggests the request is urgent, not routine.

Also read Psalm 47:6-7, Psalm 44:4, Psalm 10:16, Psalm 99:1-4

LORD, in the morning you will hear my voice.In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

This is the verse that gives the psalm its morning setting. The writer brings his requests at the start of the day and then watches expectantly, like someone waiting for a reply. The prayer is not dropped once it has been said.

Also read Psalm 69:16, Psalm 88:13, Mark 1:35, Isaiah 26:9

For you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness.Evil can’t live with you.

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

Here the psalm gives the ground for its confidence. God takes no pleasure in wickedness, and evil cannot live with him, so the writer expects God to be on the side of what is right.

Also read Psalm 140:13, Psalm 92:15, Revelation 21:27, Malachi 2:17

The arrogant will not stand in your sight.You hate all workers of iniquity.

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Also read Psalm 92:6, Psalm 130:3, Zechariah 11:8, Psalm 75:4

You will destroy those who speak lies.The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

The verse names the people God rejects: those who speak lies, and the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. Speech and violence are set side by side, which prepares for the attention to mouths and tongues in verse 9.

Also read Psalm 4:2, Genesis 34:25-26, Psalm 26:8-10, Psalm 43:1

But as for me, in the abundance of your loving kindness I will come into your house.I will bow toward your holy temple in reverence of you.

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.

The writer sets himself apart from the people just described, but not by claiming to be better. He comes into God's house because of the abundance of God's loving kindness, and bows toward the temple in reverence.

Also read Hebrews 4:16, Joshua 24:15, Psalm 132:7, Daniel 6:10

Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies.Make your way straight before my face.

Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

The request is for guidance, with a reason attached: because of my enemies. The writer asks God to make his way straight before his face, so the path ahead is clear.

Also read Psalm 25:4-5, Psalm 54:5, Psalm 119:64, Psalm 86:11

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth.Their heart is destruction.Their throat is an open tomb.They flatter with their tongue.

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 enemies are described almost entirely by their speech. Their throat is an open tomb and they flatter with their tongue, a picture of words that sound pleasant but lead to ruin.

Also read Jeremiah 4:14, Psalm 51:6, Psalm 62:9, Mark 7:21-22

Hold them guilty, God.Let them fall by their own counsels.Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions,for they have rebelled against you.

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.

This is the sharpest verse in the psalm. It asks God to hold the enemies guilty and let them fall by their own counsels, so their own plans become the trap. The reason given is that they have rebelled against God, not only against the writer.

Also read Daniel 9:5, Psalm 79:12, Psalm 28:3-4, Psalm 55:15

But let all those who take refuge in you rejoice.Let them always shout for joy, because you defend them.Let them also who love your name be joyful in you.

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.

The focus widens from one person to everyone who takes refuge in God. They are told to rejoice and shout for joy, because God defends them.

Also read Psalm 65:13, Psalm 58:10, Psalm 68:3, Psalm 2:12

For you will bless the righteous.LORD, you will surround him with favor as with a shield.

For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

The psalm closes with a promise about the righteous: God will bless them and surround them with favor as with a shield. The shield brings the reader back to the need for protection that runs through the whole psalm.

Also read Psalm 1:1-3, Psalm 32:7, Psalm 112:1, Psalm 29:11