BIBLE CHAPTER STUDY
Psalms 5 — Morning Prayer Against the Wicked
David opens with a plea for God to hear his morning prayer, then grounds that plea in God's hatred of wickedness, before asking for guidance and protection from enemies, and closing with blessing for the righteous.
Scripture
1For the Chief Musician; with the Nehiloth. A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O Jehovah, Consider my meditation.
2Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God; For unto thee do I pray.
3O Jehovah, in the morning shalt thou hear my voice; In the morning will I order my prayer unto thee, and will keep watch.
4For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: Evil shall not sojourn with thee.
5The arrogant shall not stand in thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6Thou wilt destroy them that speak lies: Jehovah abhorreth the blood-thirsty and deceitful man.
7But as for me, in the abundance of thy lovingkindness will I come into thy house: In thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
8Lead me, O Jehovah, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; Make thy way straight before my face.
9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part is very wickedness; Their throat is an open sepulchre; They flatter with their tongue.
10Hold them guilty, O God; Let them fall by their own counsels; Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions; For they have rebelled against thee.
11But let all those that take refuge in thee rejoice, Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12For thou wilt bless the righteous; O Jehovah, thou wilt compass him with favor as with a shield.
What this passage means
Psalms 5 is structured as a morning prayer (v. 3) and a contrast between two groups: the arrogant, lying, bloodthirsty (vv. 4–6, 9–10) and those who take refuge in God's name (vv. 7, 11–12). David does not begin with self-defense but with a request that God attend to his words and inner meditation (v. 1). The verb for 'give ear' (H0238) and 'listen' (H7181) frame the opening as an urgent appeal for divine attention rather than a casual remark.
The middle section argues from God's character: because the LORD does not delight in wickedness, cannot tolerate evil, and hates the workers of iniquity, David can present his own coming into the temple (v. 7) as an act consistent with who God is. The 'lovingkindness' (chesed) of v. 7 is the same quality that 'compasses' the righteous 'as with a shield' in v. 12, linking worship and protection. The prayer for guidance in v. 8 echoes 'lead me in thy righteousness' and supplies the reason: 'because of mine enemies.'
The closing petitions are direct: God should 'hold them guilty,' 'let them fall by their own counsels,' and 'thrust them out' (v. 10), because they have rebelled against the LORD. Against this, those who take refuge are to 'rejoice,' 'shout for joy,' and 'be joyful' (v. 11), and the righteous receives a blessing and the shield-image of favor (v. 12). The chapter reads as liturgy: approach, contrast, plea, blessing.
Context
The provided chapter material and cross_references place Psalms 5 in the context of morning prayer, refuge, and rejoicing. Cross-references such as Psalms 88:13 and 130:6 share the morning-prayer motif, while Psalms 119:147 links early rising to hoping in God's words. Mark 1:35 similarly shows early rising for prayer. Psalms 27:11 and 25:4 parallel the request to be led and taught; Psalms 32:10 and 84:11 connect trusting God with surrounding favor. Revelation 19:1 and 19:7 frame the eschatological joy of those who belong to God, and Romans 8:28 supplies the broader claim that all things work for good for those called according to God's purpose.
No external historical, geographical, or liturgical information beyond the provided material is added here. The curated chapter note simply identifies this as a backfilled chapter from Psalms outside a P0/P1 set, and that is the only metadata about the chapter's selection that the provided sources supply.
Key words in the original
- H0238 Used in v. 2 in the phrase 'Hearken unto the voice of my cry.' The form is an imperative asking God to give attentive hearing, fitting the psalm's urgent opening appeal.
- H7181 Appears in v. 3 with the sense of 'listen' or 'hearken.' Together with the morning setting, it frames the prayer as an attentive, expectant waiting on God.
- H5155 Appears in the superscription (v. 1) as 'Nehiloth,' rendered 'flutes.' It likely indicates the type of instrument the psalm was to be accompanied by.
Related verses
- Mark 1:35 Both passages show a pattern of rising early to pray. Where David orders his prayer 'in the morning,' Jesus departs 'in the morning' to a desert place, presenting a shared practice of deliberate, early communion with God.
- Psalms 27:11 Closely parallels v. 8 of this chapter. Both ask to be led and taught because of enemies, showing a recurring plea in the Psalter that guidance is requested precisely when opposition is present.
- Psalms 84:11 Resonates with the closing blessing of v. 12. The 'shield' imagery in both verses joins protection with favor, and the righteous here corresponds to those who 'walk uprightly' there.
Common questions
What is the main structure of Psalms 5?
The psalm moves in four movements: an opening plea to be heard (vv. 1–3), a statement of God's hatred of wickedness (vv. 4–6), the worshiper's act of entering the temple and asking for guidance against enemies (vv. 7–9), and closing prayers for judgment on the wicked and rejoicing for the righteous (vv. 10–12).
Why is the morning emphasized in verse 3?
The text itself states that 'in the morning shalt thou hear my voice' and 'in the morning will I order my prayer.' The repetition sets prayer as the first ordering of the day, an act of expectant waiting on God before other concerns arise.
How does Psalms 5 distinguish the wicked from the righteous?
The wicked are described as arrogant, liars, bloodthirsty, flattering in tongue with no faithfulness in their mouth (vv. 5–6, 9). The righteous are those who come into God's house through His lovingkindness, take refuge in Him, love His name, and are compassed with favor as with a shield (vv. 7, 11–12). The contrast is not merely behavioral but relational: refuge versus rebellion against the LORD (v. 10).