David
Psalm 5
To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.
Scripture (KJV)
1Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
2Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
3My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
4For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
5The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
7But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
8Lead me, O LORD, 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.
10Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
11But let all those that put their trust 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, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Summary
Psalm 5 is a morning prayer that establishes a daily rhythm of seeking God before the day begins. David asks the LORD to hear his words and consider his meditation, then commits to directing his prayer each morning and looking up in expectation. The psalm then meditates on God’s holiness: He takes no pleasure in wickedness, evil cannot dwell with Him, and He hates all workers of iniquity. This is not arbitrary anger but the necessary response of a holy God to what destroys His creation.
In contrast to the wicked, whose throats are "an open sepulchre" and whose tongues flatter deceitfully, David approaches God’s house in the multitude of His mercy and worships in reverence. He prays for guidance, for justice against those who rebel against God, and for joy among those who trust in the LORD. The closing image is tender: God compasses the righteous with favor as with a shield. The major themes are prayer, holiness, justice, trust, and protection. Practically, the psalm teaches that the first voice the believer should hear each morning is God’s, and the first word spoken should be prayer. The great lesson is that approaching a holy God is possible only through His mercy.
Key Themes
A Prayer from Psalm 5
O LORD, give ear to my words and consider my meditation. Hearken to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for unto You I pray. In the morning I direct my prayer to You and look up. You are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness; evil cannot dwell with You. I come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy and worship in the fear of Your holiness. Lead me in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before my face. Let me not be numbered with those whose throat is an open grave, but let me trust in You and shout for joy. Defend me, bless me, and compass me with Your favor as with a shield. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflection Questions
- 1How would beginning each morning with directed prayer change my day?
- 2What does it mean that God "hates all workers of iniquity" while also showing mercy?
- 3How does verse 9—the throat as "an open sepulchre"—warn me about my own speech?
- 4What would it look like for God to compass me with favor as with a shield today?
Related Psalms
Psalm 3
“Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.”
A morning prayer of trust when enemies multiply; salvation belongs to the Lord.
Read morePsalm 4
“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.”
An evening prayer calling on God in distress and counseling quiet trust.
Read morePsalm 6
“O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.”
A penitent plea for mercy in sickness and distress, ending in confident hope.
Read morePsalm 7
“O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:”
A prayer for justice against false accusation, trusting God as righteous judge.
Read morePsalm 11
“In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?”
Confidence in God despite counsel to flee; the Lord’s throne endures.
Read moreRelated Articles
Support BookofPsalms.org
If you find BookofPsalms.org helpful and would like to support the website, you may make a voluntary contribution through PayPal. Your support helps pay for the operation, hosting, maintenance, development, content, security, and continued improvement of BookofPsalms.org.
Independent Website & Contribution Disclosure
BookofPsalms.org is an independently operated, privately owned website. BookofPsalms.org is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or operated by any church, denomination, ministry, religious organization, charity, or nonprofit organization.
All funds contributed through BookofPsalms.org are received by the privately owned company that operates the website. Funds may be used by the company to support website hosting, maintenance, development, content creation, administration, advertising, technology, and other business and operating expenses.
Contributions are voluntary and are NOT tax-deductible charitable donations. BookofPsalms.org does not represent contributions as charitable donations or contributions to a nonprofit, church, ministry, or tax-exempt religious organization.
Receive weekly Psalms and prayers
A gentle Psalm, an original prayer, and a short reflection—delivered once a week.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.