Psalms 64:1 - Meaning and Application

In these verses, David lays before God both his own danger and the character of his enemies, to press his prayer that God would protect him and judge them.

He first begs God to keep him safe (Psalm 64:1-2): “Hear my prayer, O God,” which means, grant what I ask. His request is for his life, especially from the enemy he fears. He asks this because he knows his life is meant to serve God and his generation in a special way. When his life is under attack, it is no surprise that he cries out instead of keeping silent (Esther 7:2, Esther 7:4).

David also asks, “Preserve my life from fear.” He wants not only protection from the danger itself, but also from the troubling fear of it. Fear can torment a person, especially fear of death, and some remain under that bondage all their lives. He prays, “Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked, from the hostile plans they make together, and from the uprising of those who do wrong.” Their secret plotting leads to open action. Treason begins in secret agreements and conspiracies. He asks God to hide him so they cannot reach him and so he can be safe under God’s care.

David then complains of how wicked and cruel his enemies are. They are not harmless, and he says he would be lost unless God took his side. They are full of spite, and they attack with lies and insults (Psalm 64:3-4). They are pictured like soldiers with sword and bow, archers who aim carefully, secretly, and suddenly at someone who does not even know danger is near.

Their tongues are their weapons. With sharp, cutting words, they stab at a person’s good name. Though the tongue is small, it can do great harm, and it is a dangerous weapon (James 3:5). Their bitter words are like arrows, false reports, slanders, crude insults, and twisted stories, all set on fire by evil. Their malice gives strength to these arrows, so they can wound more deeply.

Their target is the upright man. They are bent against anyone who lives rightly, and they will not speak kindly of him or to him. Often the better a person is, the more the wicked envy him and speak evil of him. They also work in secret and with skill. They shoot from hidden places, so their victims do not see them coming. They strike suddenly, without warning or fair chance to defend oneself. Scripture curses the person who secretly harms a neighbor’s reputation (Deuteronomy 27:24). There is little defense against a false tongue once it is set loose.

They are also confident in their evil. David says they fear no punishment. They act as if they will succeed and as if God will never call them to account. In truth, they do not fear God’s anger, which will one day come on every false tongue.

David then says they are tightly joined in their evil plans (Psalm 64:5). They strengthen one another in wrongdoing, and by joining together they become bolder and harsher. It is bad enough to do wrong, but it is worse to encourage one another in it. That is the work of the devil, and it shows a heart hardened to the highest degree.

They also plan carefully how to do the most harm. Their talks are not about truth or goodness, but about how to set traps in secret. They hold their councils like soldiers planning war, except their war is against the innocent. Every trap they set has been discussed and worked out by their united evil minds. They even flatter themselves with the foolish thought that God does not see what they do. A practical denial of God’s all-seeing knowledge lies at the root of much evil.

Finally, they work hard at carrying out their plans (Psalm 64:6). They search out iniquity, taking great pains to find something they can use against David. They dig deep, stretch matters, and look far back, trying to find some charge to bring. Or else they invent new ways to hurt him and then follow through with determination, sparing neither cost nor labor. Evil people often put more effort into finding and doing harm than many people put into saving their own souls.

They are skilled in mischief and destruction, because their inward thoughts and hearts are deep and wicked, beyond full human understanding. By the strange cleverness of their evil plans and the strength of their bad will, they show themselves to be the true children of the old serpent, both in craft and in malice.