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Psalm 55

Psalm 55 brings the terror of betrayal before God, joining cries for judgment with trust in his sustaining care.

Threatened by enemies and betrayed by a close friend, David cries to God amid fear and unrest. The title names him as the author, though the events behind the psalm remain uncertain. He longs to escape into the wilderness while violence and deceit fill the city. The betrayal cuts into memories of shared worship. His prayer moves between pleas for judgment and confidence that God hears him, ending with trust in God’s sustaining care and justice.

broken friendshipanxiety or panicinjustice and anger
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1For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David. Listen to my prayer, God. Don’t hide yourself from my supplication.
2Attend to me, and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan
3because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they bring suffering on me. In anger they hold a grudge against me.
4My heart is severely pained within me. The terrors of death have fallen on me.
5Fearfulness and trembling have come on me. Horror has overwhelmed me.
6I said, “Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away, and be at rest.
7Behold, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness.” Selah.
8“I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and storm.”
9Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10Day and night they prowl around on its walls. Malice and abuse are also within her.
11Destructive forces are within her. Threats and lies don’t depart from her streets.
12For it was not an enemy who insulted me, then I could have endured it. Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, then I would have hidden myself from him.
13But it was you, a man like me, my companion, and my familiar friend.
14We took sweet fellowship together. We walked in God’s house with company.
15Let death come suddenly on them. Let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is among them, in their dwelling.
16As for me, I will call on God. The LORD will save me.
17Evening, morning, and at noon, I will cry out in distress. He will hear my voice.
18He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, although there are many who oppose me.
19God, who is enthroned forever, will hear and answer them. Selah. They never change and don’t fear God.
20He raises his hands against his friends. He has violated his covenant.
21His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
22Cast your burden on the LORD and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved.
23But you, God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days, but I will trust in you.
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Key verses
Psalm 55:22The call to cast burdens on YHWH rests within a prayer still marked by betrayal and danger.
Psalm 55:16David turns from calling for judgment on his enemies to declaring his own dependence on God for rescue.
Psalm 55:17Prayer spans the whole day, and David’s confidence that God hears coexists with his continuing cries of distress.
Where this chapter reaches

The betrayal by a trusted companion has parallels in 2 Samuel’s account of Ahithophel and Matthew’s account of Judas, though Psalm 55 names neither man. The call to entrust burdens to God shares a theme with 1 Peter’s teaching about anxiety and God’s care.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What changes in your reading when David reveals that his betrayer once worshiped beside him?

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How does the call to cast your burden on God sound alongside David’s fear and anger?

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Questions people ask about Psalm 55

Who is the friend who betrayed David in Psalm 55?

The psalm does not name the friend. He was a close companion who shared fellowship and worship with David, then violated a covenant and concealed hostility beneath smooth speech. Ahithophel, whose betrayal appears in 2 Samuel, is a possible historical connection, but the psalm does not identify him.

What does Psalm 55:22 mean by casting your burden on YHWH?

Verse 22 calls the burdened person to entrust what weighs on them to YHWH, who sustains the righteous. The surrounding prayer includes terror, betrayal, and ongoing threats. Its promise of stability rests on God’s care; the psalm itself shows that such trust can coexist with distress and repeated cries for help.

Why does David pray for his enemies to die in Psalm 55?

David asks God to judge people whose violence and deceit threaten life in the city and destroy bonds of friendship. His language includes death and descent into Sheol, the realm of the dead. This is a plea for divine judgment within a lament; it gives no command for readers to carry out vengeance.

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What the Bible says about anxiety →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).