Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Psalms Chapter 5 mean?

As with Psalms 3 and 4, Psalm 5 is connected to David’s conflict with his rebellious son, Absalom (2 Samuel 15:1–6). After winning a large following, Absalom attempted a murderous coup against his father (2 Samuel 15:13–14). David’s writing in these several psalms includes his thoughts and feelings during this dangerous time (Psalm 3:1). The request for God to bring judgment makes this one of the so-called “imprecatory psalms.”

David begins with a prayer for God’s attention, including a declaration that he seeks to honor the Lord. Psalm 7:1–2 contains similar language as David seeks the favor of God in a difficult time (Psalm 5:1–3).

Next, David describes the wickedness of those who oppose him. Part of David’s confidence came from knowing that he honored God, and his enemies did not. He trusts that God will ultimately vindicate him in the face of wicked opponents (Psalm 5:4–6).

Closing out this song, David expresses confidence in God’s impending judgment on the wicked. Once again, he declares his sincere obedience to God. This passage directly calls on God to bring consequences on those who are evil. This is known as “imprecation,” and is why this is considered one of the “imprecatory” psalms (Psalm 5:7–12).

Chapter Context
Like Psalm 4, this psalm is connected to Psalm 3. Psalm 3 refers to David’s rising up in the morning, whereas Psalm 4 refers to his nighttime sleep. This psalm is addressed to the choirmaster. Like Psalms 3 and 4, Psalm 5 was composed by David in the wilderness, when Absalom’s forces sought to destroy him (see 2 Samuel 15—18). This is one of the ”imprecatory psalms,” so called because they pray for God to destroy the wicked. The imprecatory psalms are Psalms 5, 12, 35, 37, 58, 59, 69, 79, 83, 108, 139, and 140. These psalms urge God to judge those who oppose God and His people. Imprecations are also found elsewhere in the Bible, such as in passages like Jeremiah 11:18–20,15:15, 17:18, 18:19–23, 20:11–12; 1 Corinthians 16:22, and Revelation 6:10.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. Give ear to my words, O Lord;consider my groaning.

David was a man of prayer. Hunted and hounded by Absalom’s forces in the wilderness (2 Samuel 15:13¬–14), David pled with the Lord for relief. He urged the Lord to be attentive to his words and his groaning. He experienced inward pain.

Believers can identify with David. Although we are not fugitives, we sometimes encounter hardship, persecution, emotional pain, or physical pain (John 16:33). In our distress, like David, we earnestly beseech the Lord to hear our prayer (Romans 8:23). Thankfully, we have the assurance that He sympathizes with us. When our Lord ministered on earth, He was tempted and tried as we are, so He knows what we are experiencing in stressful times, and He invites us to approach His throne of grace confidently to “receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14–16).

Sometimes, the Lord does not remove our burden (2 Corinthians 12:7–10). Even then He always supplies sufficient grace for us to endure it victoriously (2 Corinthians 12:7–9; 1 Corinthians 10:13).

Context Summary
Psalm 5:1–3 begins like Psalm 4, as David prays to the Lord with intense feeling. This song of David shares much with Psalms 3 and 4. All three were composed by David when he was fleeing from his rebellious, murderous son, Absalom, in the wilderness (2 Samuel 15—18). Other intense prayers for relief include Jonah’s prayer from the belly of a great fish (Jonah 2) and Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39–44; Hebrews 5:7). Psalm 7:1–2 also alludes to David’s fervent prayer to be saved from his pursuing enemies.

Verse 2. Give attention to the sound of my cry,my King and my God,for to you do I pray.

In this verse David asks the Lord to give attention to the sound of his cry. He is desperate for an answer, and he correctly perceives the Lord as his King and his God.

David was an earthly king, King of Israel, although at the time of his prayer in the wilderness, his reign was interrupted by Absalom’s rebellion (2 Samuel 15:13–14). By contrast, the Lord is the eternal King, whose reign is invincible. No one and nothing can interrupt His reign. When King Uzziah died, the prophet Isaiah entered the temple, where he saw the King who never dies. He saw the Lord “sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6:1).

David addressed his prayer directly to God. God is the creator and sustainer of everything (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1–3). He also grants life and ends it when He deems it is appropriate to do so. David believed his life was in God’s hands.

Verse 3. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

David began each day by praying with the assurance that the Lord heard his voice. He prepared his prayers as sacrifices to God. Israel’s priests prepared animal sacrifices by placing each piece of the animal in order upon the altar (Leviticus 1:8) and by placing the loaves of bread in order on the table in the tabernacle (Leviticus 24:8). In his own way, David carefully arranges the parts of this prayer, in order, before the Lord. Prayer does not have to be rigid, formal, or mechanical (Matthew 6:5–8), but neither should it be haphazard. If we use the example often referred to as The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9–13 as an example, we find several significant components. The prayer includes adoration, submission to God’s will, petition, confession, and a plea for guidance.

David adds in Psalm 5:3 that he not only prays but also watches. He was consistent and expectant watching for an answer to his prayer, symbolized as a guard on a watch-tower diligently watched for whoever was approaching.

Verse 4. For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;evil may not dwell with you.

Scripture states clearly that God takes no pleasure in wickedness. Contrary to the belief that God is the originator of sin, James 1:13 states: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” David understood that God and evil are incompatible. Sinners who do not accept Jesus as their Savior must spend eternity apart from God, because God cannot dwell with evildoers (Revelation 21:26–27).

In Isaiah’s vision of the Lord seated upon His throne, he heard seraphim call to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:2–3). To be “holy” is to be “set apart;” in most cases, this means to be separated from sin. Sin is foreign to God’s nature. Jesus, the Son of God, lived a sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21). The apostle Peter declared that we were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). Even Jesus’ interrogators could find no fault in Him (Luke 23:4; John 8:46; Mark 14:55).

Context Summary
Psalm 5:4–6 expresses David’s confidence in God’s abhorrence of the wicked. No doubt, he had Absalom and the other rebels in mind (2 Samuel 15:13–14). The passage echoes the sentiments of Psalm 37:7–15 and Psalm 24:3–6. Proverbs 6:16–19 lists six things the Lord hates. Among these are lying, murder, bearing false witness, and sowing discord among brothers. Absalom and his men were guilty of all these sins that the Lord hates. Revelation 19 and 20 foretell how the Lord will judge the wicked. Psalm 1:5 states that the wicked will not stand before God.

Verse 5. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;you hate all evildoers.

According to this verse, the boastful will not stand in God’s presence. Those who praise themselves instead of God will not stand in God’s presence. Psalm 1:5 mentions this fact too. It says, “the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” Absalom, whom David was fleeing, was boastful and arrogant (2 Samuel 15:1–6).

Second Samuel 15:4 reports that he would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” Jesus told the story of a proud Pharisee who went to the temple and boasted about his self-righteousness but was rejected by God (Luke 18:9–14). Jesus said, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled” (Luke 18:14).

Scripture tells us God hates all evildoers (see also Psalm 11:5). The word “hate” may seem harsh, but we must try to understand how abhorrent evil is in God’s eyes. Murderers, liars, and deceivers such as those who wanted to destroy David are totally detestable to God and therefore merit His righteous, holy hatred.

Verse 6. You destroy those who speak lies;the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

God destroys liars and abhors the man who spills an innocent person’s blood. He also abhors the deceitful person.

In the time of Noah, the human race pursued evil and entertained evil thoughts. God was so outraged by the evil that He destroyed all human life, except the lives of Noah and his family. Genesis 6:5 says, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…So the LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land’” (Genesis 6:5, 7). In His anger, the Lord sent a massive flood to sweep away all life from the earth.

David was confident that the Lord would destroy his deceitful and bloodthirsty enemies. Only those who accept Christ can be identified by His goodness, rather than by their own sin (John 3:16–18; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11). Someday, every unrepentant deceitful, bloodthirsty person will face a sentence of eternal punishment (Revelation 20:10–15).

Verse 7. But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,will enter your house.I will bow down toward your holy templein the fear of you.

David is assured he will worship humbly and reverently in God’s house because God’s love is abundant and steadfast. David’s enemies would not worship like David because they were arrogant and bloodthirsty. This psalm is part of David’s experience with his murderous, rebellious son, Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13–14). Part of David’s confidence that he would be vindicated was the fact that his enemies were evil, and not chosen by God (Psalm 4:2–3). Echoing this, Psalm 66:18 says “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”

Isaiah chapter 1 explains that the Lord detested the hypocritical worship of the people. They offered sacrifices that the Lord rejected. He described the nation as “a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly!” (Isaiah 1:4). He told the hypocrites, “Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moons and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates” (Isaiah 1:13–14).

In Psalm 24:3–4, David writes, “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” The contrast between David and Absalom in these verses is striking.

Context Summary
Psalm 5:7–12 reflects David’s confidence in God’s justice. The Lord punishes the guilty but rewards the righteous. Other passages tell us the Lord loves righteousness and justice (Psalm 36; 58; 97). Isaiah 30, Luke 18, and Romans 1 reveal these characteristics of God, as well. Romans 3 paints the entire human race as guilty before God, but Romans 4—6 show how God justifies the guilty who believe on His crucified and risen Son Jesus (John 3:16–18). David’s prayer for blessing resembles the apostle Paul’s benedictions at the close of some of his epistles (1 Corinthians 16:23; Galatians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:28).

Verse 8. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousnessbecause of my enemies;make your way straight before me.

In the middle of dangerous circumstances (2 Samuel 15:13–14), David prioritizes the will of God. He asks the Lord to guide him, in no small part because there are evil men seeking to kill him (Psalm 3:1). Wicked men lay in wait to kill David, so he needed to follow the Lord’s guidance to stay safe and to persevere in righteousness.

We, too, need guidance from the Lord as we navigate through a world that seeks to conform us to its philosophy and conduct. Jesus said His sheep hear His voice and follow Him, literally taking the same road he takes (John 10:4). Romans 12:2 exhorts us to not be conformed to this world, and 1 John 2:15 counsels: “Do not love the world or the things in the world.” First John 2:16 explains, “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” The evil world system seeks to destroy our testimony as surely as David’s enemies wanted to destroy him, so we need to follow the path God has drawn out for us in His Word.

Verse 9. For there is no truth in their mouth;their inmost self is destruction;their throat is an open grave;they flatter with their tongue.

David’s prayer includes a description of his enemies (Psalm 3:1). They are deceitful, malicious, given to corrupt language, and flatterers. Absalom, David’s son, had won a large following through flattery and deceit (2 Samuel 15:1–6), and he and his men pursued David in an effort to kill him (2 Samuel 15:13–14).

David was completely different from Absalom. Despite the attempted coup and murder, David commanded his men not to harm Absalom. Second Samuel 18:5 records his orders to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” However, Joab disobeyed David’s order; he and his armorbearers killed Absalom (2 Samuel 18:14–16). When David heard about this killing, he mourned deeply, crying out, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:33). David believed vengeance belonged to the Lord.

Even when severely persecuted, God’s people should not retaliate but leave matters in the Lord’s hands. Romans 12:19 commands: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”

Verse 10. Make them bear their guilt, O God;let them fall by their own counsels;because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,for they have rebelled against you.

In this verse David appeals to God to execute vengeance on his enemies (Psalm 3:1). He describes them as guilty of abundant transgressions—violations of God’s laws—and also guilty of rebelling against God. The enemies in question are rebels being led by David’s own son, Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13–14). Even so, David does not say they are guilty of rebelling against him; he indicates they are mutinying against God. David was appointed by God to be king of Israel, so by trying to overthrow King David, the enemy was in fact rebelling against God.

David was correct to view sinning as defiance of God. In his prayer of confession after committing adultery with Bathsheba and arranging the death of her husband, David prayed, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). Undoubtedly, we would sin less often if we viewed every sin as an assault on God. Indeed, our sins caused Jesus to die on the cross. First Corinthians 15:3 says that Christ died for our sins.

Verse 11. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;let them ever sing for joy,and spread your protection over them,that those who love your name may exult in you.

Recent verses have focused on the sins of David’s enemies, and his prayers that God would bring holy judgment (Psalm 5:9–10). Here, he turns his attention back to a prayer for the righteous. He asks that all who entrust their lives to God be able to rejoice. Despite his troubles (2 Samuel 15:13–14), David possessed joy because his life was in the Lord’s hands. He wanted others to express their joy in knowing God was their protection.

As a psalmist of Israel, David wrote poetry set to music and offering praise to the Lord. Modern Christians have a great heritage of hymns and choruses. In addition to meditating on God’s written Word, we can draw closer to the Lord by mulling over the words of hymns and choruses that honor Him.

David prays in this verse for the Lord’s protection to cover the righteous. He calls upon those who love the Lord’s name to exult in Him. The Lord’s “name” represents God’s character and reputation. Knowing that the Lord is holy, gracious, merciful, and faithful to His promises should lead us, too, to exult in Him.

Verse 12. For you bless the righteous, O Lord;you cover him with favor as with a shield.

David closes Psalm 5 with a prayer for the Lord to bless the righteous; that is, to make the righteous happy or spiritually prosperous. The righteous may not be financially prosperous, but they can be spiritually prosperous and happy. Scripture is clear that a godly life is not always (or often) easy, wealthy, or free from pain (John 16:33). Yet those who trust in God know that they can rest in Him, and experience joy and peace, despite those hard times (Psalm 5:11; Romans 5:3–11; Philippians 4:4–9; James 1:2–4; 1 Peter 1:6–9).

This verse also asks the Lord to cover the righteous person “with favor as with a shield.” The word for “shield” in this verse does not refer to the small, round shield mentioned in Psalm 3:3. The word here is tsin’nāh, which refers to a “standing shield”—a massive barrier, like a door, which covered a soldier’s entire body. God’s favor is not small but large. His protection is sufficient to keep believers safe at all times, and according to His will.

Psalm 84:11 affirms what David wrote in Psalm 5:12. It promises, “The LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” The apostle John offered a verse that alleviates our fears when the Devil hurls his fiery darts at us. John wrote: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

End of Psalm 5.

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