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Psalm 5

Psalm 5 places morning prayer under God’s holy rule, seeking guidance and protection amid deceit and rebellion.

David brings a morning plea to God while facing enemies whose speech conceals destructive intent. The title identifies the psalm as David’s, though the occasion is unknown. He asks his King to hear him and lead him in righteousness. God’s hatred of evil stands beside the loving kindness that allows David to approach in worship. The prayer calls for judgment on those who rebel against God and closes with joy for those who find refuge in him.

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1For the Chief Musician, with the flutes. A Psalm by David. Give ear to my words, LORD. Consider my meditation.
2Listen to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for I pray to you.
3LORD, in the morning you will hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.
4For you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness. Evil can’t live with you.
5The arrogant will not stand in your sight. You hate all workers of iniquity.
6You will destroy those who speak lies. The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7But 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.
8Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies. Make your way straight before my face.
9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue.
10Hold 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.
11But 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.
12For you will bless the righteous. LORD, you will surround him with favor as with a shield.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected. Tap a number for its page.
Key verses
Psalm 5:8David asks God to direct his own steps in righteousness even as he faces the threat of his enemies.
Psalm 5:3The repeated mention of morning frames prayer as a deliberate act of bringing requests and watching for God’s response.
Psalm 5:9The image of an open tomb exposes the deadly intent beneath the enemies’ flattering speech.
Where this chapter reaches

Romans quotes Psalm 5’s image of the throat as an open tomb in its account of human sin, extending the description beyond David’s enemies. Proverbs shares the psalm’s themes of God’s hatred of deceit and the straight path of righteous living.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

How does David’s appeal to God’s loving kindness shape your reading of his requests for judgment?

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What would you ask God to make straight before you as you pray?

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Questions people ask about Psalm 5

What does Psalm 5:3 mean about praying in the morning?

David says he will bring his requests to God in the morning and watch for an answer. The repeated reference to morning gives the prayer a clear rhythm of dependence and expectation. The verse describes David’s practice; it does not command that every prayer happen at a particular hour.

Why does David ask God to punish his enemies in Psalm 5?

David describes his enemies as deceitful and destructive, and he identifies their conduct as rebellion against God. His request for judgment rests on God’s opposition to evil in verses 4–6. He places judgment in God’s hands and asks that their own schemes bring them down. The psalm does not identify these enemies.

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Psalms · 150 chapters
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What the Bible says about anger →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).