Hear My Voice, God
Psalm 64 summary: what it means
Psalm 64 is a prayer for protection from people who plot in secret. The speaker asks God to hear his complaint and hide him from a conspiracy of the wicked. Most of the psalm describes the attackers. They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim words like arrows, shoot from ambush, and talk about hidden snares while asking who will see them. They even boast that their plan is perfect.
At verse 7 the psalm turns on the word But. God shoots at them with his own arrow, and their own tongues ruin them. Everyone who sees it is afraid and ponders what God has done. The psalm ends with the righteous glad in the LORD and taking refuge in him.
Psalm 64: Hear My Voice, God
World English Bible, public domain. allpsalms.com/psalm-64
Psalm 64 commentary: explained verse by verse
Hear my voice, God, in my complaint.Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
The speaker asks God to hear his complaint and preserve his life from fear of the enemy. He asks for protection from the fear itself as well as from the enemy. The prayer is honest about being afraid.
Also read Acts 18:9-10, Psalm 17:8-9, Psalm 31:13-15, Psalm 140:1
Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;
Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
He asks to be hidden from the conspiracy of the wicked and from the noisy crowd of evildoers. The threat is both secret plotting and open noise.
Also read Psalm 31:20, Psalm 143:9, Psalm 2:2, 2 Samuel 17:2-4
who sharpen their tongue like a sword,and aim their arrows, deadly words,
Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
The weapons here are words. The enemies sharpen their tongues like a sword and aim deadly words like arrows. The psalm treats hostile speech as real violence.
Also read Proverbs 12:18, Psalm 57:4, James 3:6-8, Isaiah 54:17
to shoot innocent men from ambushes.They shoot at him suddenly and fearlessly.
That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
They shoot at innocent people from ambush, suddenly and fearlessly. The attack comes without warning. The victim has no chance to defend himself.
Also read 1 Samuel 18:11, 1 Peter 2:22-23, Psalm 55:19, John 19:6
They encourage themselves in evil plans.They talk about laying snares secretly.They say, “Who will see them?”
They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
The plotters encourage one another in evil plans and talk about laying snares in secret. They ask, who will see them. They assume no one is watching.
Also read Psalm 10:11, Numbers 22:6, Matthew 26:3-4, Psalm 124:7
They plot injustice, saying, “We have made a perfect plan!”Surely man’s mind and heart are cunning.
They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
They plot injustice and admire their own work, saying they have made a perfect plan. The verse adds that the human mind and heart are cunning. It shows how deep the scheming goes.
Also read 1 Samuel 22:9, Psalm 35:11, Psalm 5:9, Psalm 49:11
But God will shoot at them.They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.
But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
The turn comes with But. God will shoot at them, and they will be struck down suddenly with an arrow. The weapon and the suddenness they used are turned back on them.
Also read Lamentations 3:12-13, Matthew 24:50-51, Proverbs 29:1, Job 6:4
Their own tongues shall ruin them.All who see them will shake their heads.
So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
Their own tongues ruin them. The words they used as weapons in verse 3 bring them down. Everyone who sees them shakes their head.
Also read Psalm 22:7, Jeremiah 48:27, Revelation 18:4, Proverbs 18:7
All mankind shall be afraid.They shall declare the work of God,and shall wisely ponder what he has done.
And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
What happens to the plotters becomes a lesson for everyone. All people are afraid, declare God's work, and wisely ponder what he has done. The secret plot of verse 5 ends in public.
Also read Revelation 11:13, Psalm 119:20, Jeremiah 51:10, Hosea 14:9
The righteous shall be glad in the LORD,and shall take refuge in him.All the upright in heart shall praise him!
The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
The psalm ends with the righteous. They are glad in the LORD, take refuge in him, and all the upright in heart praise him. The fear of verse 1 gives way to gladness.
Also read Psalm 32:11-1, Psalm 112:2, Psalm 58:10, Galatians 6:14
A prayer from Psalm 64
God, hear my voice in my complaint. Keep my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from people who plan harm in secret, who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim words like arrows. They ask, Who will see them? I bring that question to you, and I leave their plans in your hands. Let people ponder what you have done. Let me be glad in you and take refuge in you, with all the upright in heart. Amen.
Psalm 64 Bible study questions
- In verses 3 and 4, what weapons are the enemies' words compared to?
- What question do the plotters ask in verse 5, and what does it show about how they think?
- Verse 8 says their own tongues shall ruin them; what do you make of the idea that harmful words can turn back on the speaker?
- How does the psalm move from fear in verse 1 to gladness in verse 10, and what happens in between?
- Psalm 140:3 also describes enemies who have sharpened their tongues; how does its picture compare with Psalm 64:3?
Questions about Psalm 64
What is the meaning of Psalm 64?
It is a prayer for protection from people who plot in secret and use words as weapons. It describes their schemes at length, then shows God turning their own tongues against them.
Who wrote Psalm 64?
The heading attributes it to David and addresses it to the Chief Musician. The psalm does not name the enemies or the occasion.
What does Psalm 64:1 mean?
The speaker asks God to hear his complaint and to preserve his life from fear of the enemy. He is asking for protection from fear as well as from harm.
What does Psalm 64:10 mean?
It describes the outcome for the righteous. They are glad in the LORD, take refuge in him, and all the upright in heart praise him.
What does Psalm 64 say in the KJV?
The King James Version opens: "Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy." In verse 3 it says the enemies whet their tongue like a sword.
Psalm 64 KJV: the King James Version
Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.1
Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:2
Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:3
That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.4
They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?5
They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.6
But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.7
So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.8
And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.9
The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.10
Psalm 64 in Hebrew
The Hebrew text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, which counts a psalm's heading as verse 1, so they can run one ahead of English Bibles.
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1 לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
2 שְׁמַע־אֱלֹהִ֣ים קוֹלִ֣י בְשִׂיחִ֑י מִפַּ֥חַד א֝וֹיֵ֗ב תִּצֹּ֥ר חַיָּֽי׃
3 תַּ֭סְתִּירֵנִי מִסּ֣וֹד מְרֵעִ֑ים מֵ֝רִגְשַׁ֗ת פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃
4 אֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁנְנ֣וּ כַחֶ֣רֶב לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם דָּרְכ֥וּ חִ֝צָּ֗ם דָּבָ֥ר מָֽר׃
5 לִיר֣וֹת בַּמִּסְתָּרִ֣ים תָּ֑ם פִּתְאֹ֥ם יֹ֝רֻ֗הוּ וְלֹ֣א יִירָֽאוּ׃
6 יְחַזְּקוּ־לָ֨מוֹ ׀ דָּ֘בָ֤ר רָ֗ע יְֽ֭סַפְּרוּ לִטְמ֣וֹן מוֹקְשִׁ֑ים אָ֝מְר֗וּ מִ֣י יִרְאֶה־לָּֽמוֹ׃
7 יַֽחְפְּֽשׂוּ־עוֹלֹ֗ת תַּ֭מְנוּ חֵ֣פֶשׂ מְחֻפָּ֑שׂ וְקֶ֥רֶב אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֵ֣ב עָמֹֽק׃
8 וַיֹּרֵ֗ם אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים חֵ֥ץ פִּתְא֑וֹם הָ֝י֗וּ מַכּוֹתָֽם׃
9 וַיַּכְשִׁיל֣וּהוּ עָלֵ֣ימוֹ לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם יִ֝תְנֹדֲד֗וּ כָּל־רֹ֥אֵה בָֽם׃
10 וַיִּֽירְא֗וּ כָּל־אָ֫דָ֥ם וַ֭יַּגִּידוּ פֹּ֥עַל אֱלֹהִ֗ים וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥הוּ הִשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃
11 יִשְׂמַ֬ח צַדִּ֣יק בַּ֭יהוָה וְחָ֣סָה ב֑וֹ וְ֝יִתְהַֽלְל֗וּ כָּל־יִשְׁרֵי ־לֵֽב׃
Psalm 64 in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible
The Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain. It follows the Greek and Latin numbering, so this psalm is Psalm 63 there.
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1 Unto the end, a psalm for David.
2 Hear, O God, my prayer, when I make supplication to thee: deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy.
3 Thou hast protected me from the assembly of the malignant; from the multitude of the workers of iniquity.
4 For they have whetted their tongues like a sword; they have bent their bow a bitter thing,
5 To shoot in secret the undefiled.
6 They will shoot at him on a sudden, and will not fear: they are resolute in wickedness. They have talked of hiding snares; they have said: Who shall see them?
7 They have searched after iniquities: they have failed in their search. Man shall come to a deep heart:
8 And God shall be exalted. The arrows of children are their wounds:
9 And their tongues against them are made weak. All that saw them were troubled;
10 And every man was afraid. And they declared the works of God: and understood his doings.
11 The just shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall hope in him: and all the upright in heart shall be praised.
Psalm 64 in Latin
The Clementine Vulgate, public domain, where this psalm is Psalm 63.
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1 In finem. Psalmus David.
2 Exaudi, Deus, orationem meam cum deprecor; a timore inimici eripe animam meam.
3 Protexisti me a conventu malignantium, a multitudine operantium iniquitatem.
4 Quia exacuerunt ut gladium linguas suas; intenderunt arcum rem amaram,
5 ut sagittent in occultis immaculatum.
6 Subito sagittabunt eum, et non timebunt; firmaverunt sibi sermonem nequam. Narraverunt ut absconderent laqueos; dixerunt: Quis videbit eos?
7 Scrutati sunt iniquitates; defecerunt scrutantes scrutinio. Accedet homo ad cor altum,
8 et exaltabitur Deus. Sagittæ parvulorum factæ sunt plagæ eorum,
9 et infirmatæ sunt contra eos linguæ eorum. Conturbati sunt omnes qui videbant eos,
10 et timuit omnis homo. Et annuntiaverunt opera Dei, et facta ejus intellexerunt.
11 Lætabitur justus in Domino, et sperabit in eo, et laudabuntur omnes recti corde.
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Psalm 64 at a glance
| Verses | 10 |
| Heading in the text | For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. |
| Attributed to | The heading attributes it to David and addresses it to the Chief Musician. |
| Type | Lament |
| Number in Greek and Latin Bibles | Psalm 63 |
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Psalm 64 in other translations
This page prints the World English Bible and the King James Version because both are public domain. The NIV, ESV, NKJV, NLT and NASB are under copyright, so they cannot be printed in full here. You can read Psalm 64 in those translations at Bible Gateway.
Where Psalm 64 belongs
Psalms of DavidBook 2 of the Psalms
How this page was made
The psalm text comes from public domain translations and is not edited. The summary, the verse notes and the answers are written for this page from the text of the psalm itself. Where a claim goes beyond the text, it is sourced below.
Sources
- Text: World English Bible and King James Version, both public domain, from ebible.org source
- Hebrew text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Douay-Rheims: Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Latin text: Clementine Vulgate, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Numbering: Greek and Latin psalm numbering, Wikipedia, Psalms source