Psalm Chapter 55

What is the meaning of Psalm 55?

Introduction to Psalm 55

Psalm 55 stands as one of the most emotionally raw and personally vulnerable prayers in the Psalter. In this heartfelt lament, David pours out his anguish over betrayal by a close friend, possibly referring to Ahithophel’s betrayal during Absalom’s rebellion. The psalm masterfully weaves together personal pain with profound theological truth, showing us how to process deep hurt through authentic prayer while maintaining unwavering trust in God’s faithfulness.

This psalm resonates deeply with anyone who has experienced betrayal, particularly from someone they trusted completely. It provides a divine template for processing such pain while pointing to the ultimate answer found in God’s unchanging character and supreme trustworthiness.

Context of Psalm 55

Within the broader context of Book II of the Psalter (Psalms 42-72), Psalm 55 forms part of a collection of Davidic maskils that deal with various forms of opposition and persecution. It follows Psalm 54’s confident prayer for deliverance and precedes Psalm 56’s expression of trust in the midst of fear, forming a powerful trilogy about maintaining faith through various trials.

The immediate historical context likely places this psalm during the tumultuous period of Absalom’s rebellion, specifically when David learned of Ahithophel’s betrayal (2 Samuel 15:31). This betrayal cut especially deep as Ahithophel had been David’s trusted counselor and close friend. The psalm’s raw emotional content reflects the personal anguish of this moment while also prophetically pointing forward to an even greater betrayal – that of Judas against the Messiah.

In the larger biblical narrative, this psalm serves as a crucial link between personal suffering and messianic prophecy, demonstrating how David’s experiences foreshadowed the ultimate betrayal that the Messiah would face. It also provides essential wisdom about handling betrayal in a godly manner, making it relevant for believers throughout all ages.

Ancient Key Word Study

• Evening, morning, and noon (verse 17, ערב ובקר וצהרים, erev uvoker v’tzohorayim) – These three prayer times became standardized in Jewish practice, pointing to the importance of regular, disciplined prayer. The word choice suggests not just times of day but spiritual positions: evening (facing darkness), morning (new beginnings), and noon (fullness of light).
• Cast your burden (verse 22, השלך על־יהוה יהבך, hashlich al-YHWH yehavcha) – The word יהב (yahav) appears only here in the Hebrew Bible, suggesting a unique type of burden – specifically one that comes from betrayal and broken trust. The root meaning connects to “giving” or “providing,” implying that what we give to God, He provides for.
• Deceit and guile (verse 11, תוך ואון, toch v’aven) – These words paint a picture of a city filled with moral corruption. תוך (toch) literally means “midst” but here represents pervasive evil, while אָוֶן (aven) suggests both wickedness and emptiness.
• Smooth (verse 21, חלקו, chalku) – From the root חלק (chalak), meaning “smooth” or “flattering,” this word picture describes deceptive speech that appears pleasant but conceals deadly intent, like butter hiding a knife.
• Wings like a dove (verse 6, אבר כיונה, ever kayonah) – The dove imagery represents both escape and innocence. The word אבר (ever) specifically refers to the strong pinion feathers used for sustained flight, suggesting not just escape but sustained deliverance.
• Throw down (verse 23, תשליכם, tashlichem) – From the root שלך (shalach), this strong verb implies violent casting down. Its usage here creates a powerful contrast with the gentle casting of burdens onto God in verse 22.
• Pit of destruction (verse 23, באר שחת, be’er shachat) – This phrase combines באר (well/pit) with שחת (destruction/corruption), creating a powerful image of both physical and moral destruction. The word שחת is often used in contexts of divine judgment.

Compare & Contrast

• Verse 2: “I am restless in my complaint and I moan” uses the word אריד (arid) for “restless” rather than the more common נוע (nua). This choice emphasizes mental agitation rather than physical movement, painting a picture of internal turmoil that can’t be calmed.
• Verse 6: The longing for “wings like a dove” rather than an eagle (as in Isaiah 40:31) is significant. While eagles represent power and majesty, the dove represents innocence and peace, showing David’s desire not for revenge but for escape from conflict.
• Verse 12-14: The description of the betrayer as “my equal, my companion, my familiar friend” uses three different Hebrew words (כערכי, אלופי, מידעי) to emphasize the depth of the relationship. Each word adds a different nuance: equal status, close companionship, and intimate knowledge.
• Verse 17: The phrase “He hears my voice” uses ישמע (yishma) in the imperfect tense, suggesting ongoing action rather than a one-time event, emphasizing God’s consistent attention to prayer.
• Verse 21: The contrast between “smooth butter” and “drawn swords” uses specific Hebrew imagery that would resonate in ancient near eastern culture where butter was a symbol of prosperity and peace, making the contrast with warfare especially stark.
• Verse 22: The unique word יהבך (yehavcha) for burden was chosen over the more common משא (massa) to emphasize personal care rather than just physical weight.
• Verse 23: “Bloodthirsty and deceitful men” uses אנשי דמים ומרמה rather than the more common רשעים (wicked ones), emphasizing specific types of evil rather than general wickedness.

Psalm 55 Unique Insights

The structure of Psalm 55 follows an ancient Hebrew poetic form known as a chiasm, where the central focus point (verses 12-14) highlights the pain of betrayal. This structure wasn’t just artistic but served to emphasize how betrayal strikes at the heart of human relationships and mirrors humanity’s betrayal of God’s covenant love.

Rabbinic tradition, particularly in the Midrash Tehillim, sees this psalm as prophetically pointing to several key moments in Israel’s history. The reference to confusion in the city (verse 9) is connected to both the destruction of the First Temple and the future troubles of Jerusalem before the Messianic age. The early rabbis noted that the numerical value of the Hebrew words for “cast your burden” equals that of “this refers to the Sanhedrin,” suggesting the psalm’s relevance to leadership challenges.

The psalm contains what ancient Jewish scholars called a “holy reversal” – where David’s initial desire to flee (verses 6-8) transforms into a confident assertion of God’s justice (verses 22-23). This pattern appears in many of the prophets’ writings and is seen as a model for spiritual growth through trials.

Early church fathers, particularly Augustine, noted that the psalm’s progression from fear to faith parallels the spiritual journey of believers. The Greek Septuagint translation adds subtle nuances to certain key terms, particularly in verse 22, where “burden” is rendered as μέριμναν (anxiety/care), which is the same word used by Peter in his epistle (1 Peter 5:7).

Psalm 55 Connections to Yeshua

The betrayal narrative in Psalm 55 finds its ultimate fulfillment in Yeshua’s experience with Judas Iscariot. The description of the betrayer as “my familiar friend” who shared “sweet fellowship” (verses 13-14) precisely mirrors Yeshua’s relationship with Judas, who shared intimate meals and ministry moments with Him. This connection is so strong that the early believers saw this psalm as directly prophetic of the Messiah’s suffering.

The psalm’s wrestling with the pain of betrayal while maintaining trust in God’s justice provides a powerful preview of Yeshua’s perfect response to betrayal. Just as David ultimately entrusts judgment to God rather than seeking personal revenge, Yeshua demonstrated this same spirit of forgiveness and trust in the Father’s justice. The psalm’s movement from anguish to confident trust parallels Yeshua’s journey from Gethsemane to the cross, where initial distress gives way to perfect submission to the Father’s will.

Psalm 55 Scriptural Echoes

The psalm’s imagery and themes resonate throughout Scripture, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected truth. The desire for dove’s wings (verse 6) connects to Noah’s dove (Genesis 8:8-12) and the Holy Spirit’s descent on Yeshua (Matthew 3:16). The pattern of betrayal by a close friend prefigures not only Judas but also appears in the story of Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 37).

The psalmist’s confidence that God “will never permit the righteous to be moved” (verse 22) finds echo in numerous New Testament passages, particularly Romans 8:28-39 and 1 Peter 5:7. The description of wickedness in the city (verses 9-11) parallels prophetic descriptions of Jerusalem’s corruption (Ezekiel 22) and points forward to the ultimate judgment of worldly systems in Revelation.

Psalm 55 Devotional

This psalm teaches us profound lessons about handling betrayal and maintaining faith through personal crisis. First, it validates the deep pain of betrayal – we don’t need to pretend we’re not hurt when trusted relationships are broken. David’s raw honesty gives us permission to bring our real emotions to God.

However, the psalm also shows us how to process this pain redemptively. Instead of being consumed by bitterness or seeking revenge, we’re called to cast our burdens on the Lord and trust His justice. This requires a daily choice to release our right to vengeance and trust God’s perfect timing and judgment.

The psalm challenges us to examine our own faithfulness in relationships while offering hope that God remains trustworthy even when humans fail us. It calls us to maintain regular prayer (evening, morning, and noon) as an anchor in turbulent times, reminding us that consistent communion with God provides stability when human relationships crumble.

Did You Know

• The phrase “cast your burden” in verse 22 uses a Hebrew word (יהב, yahav) that appears nowhere else in the Bible, suggesting the unique nature of burdens that come from betrayal.
• The three prayer times mentioned in verse 17 (evening, morning, and noon) became the foundation for Jewish prayer times that continue to this day.
• The psalm’s structure forms a chiasm (mirror image) with the betrayal account at its center, reflecting how betrayal strikes at the heart of relationships.
• The description of the city’s corruption uses terminology similar to that used for Sodom and Gomorrah, suggesting severe moral decay.
• Ancient Jewish tradition connects this psalm with Ahithophel’s betrayal, noting that he was possibly Bathsheba’s grandfather, adding another layer to the complexity of relationships involved.
• The psalm contains exactly 23 verses, which some rabbis connected to the 23 words in the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:24-26.
• The imagery of “butter speech” (verse 21) reflects an ancient Near Eastern idiom for deceptive flattery that appears in other cultures’ literature from the same period.
• The psalm uses three different Hebrew words for “friend” or “companion,” each highlighting a different aspect of close relationship.
• Early church tradition saw this psalm as prophetically depicting both Judas’s betrayal of Yeshua and the broader rejection of the Messiah by the religious leadership.
• The metaphor of wings like a dove (verse 6) is unique in the Psalter – other psalms typically use eagle imagery for divine protection.