Psalm 55
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Summary
The Psalmist prays constantly as he seeks the Lord’s protection and help.
| KJV | JST |
| (6) And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. | (6) And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then I would flee away and be at rest. |
| (12) For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: | (12) For it was not an enemy that reproached me, neither he that hated me that did magnify himself against me. If so, then I could have born it, |
| (13) But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. | (13) But it was |
| (20) He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant. | (20) They have put forth their hands against such as be at peace with them. They have broken the Lord’s covenant. |
| (21) The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords. | (21) The words of their mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in their heart. Their words were softer than oil, yet they have drawn swords. |
Commentary
Bible Central Commentary
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Historical Commentaries
Many of the commentaries below are in the public domain and were authored over 100 years ago. In many cases, they do not reflect the findings of modern scholarship, but they may be helpful for understanding the history of biblical scholarship.
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Historical Settings
Time
*All Dates Are Approximate, according to the narrative of the Bible. These dates may reflect literary significance as opposed to the precise dates of history.
See Biblical Chronology- 972 BC
Further Reading
David J. Larsen, “From Dust to Exalted Crown: Royal and Temple Themes Common to the Psalms and the Dead Sea Scrolls,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 45 (2021): 251–262.
David J. Larsen, “Ascending into the Hill of the Lord: What the Psalms Can Tell Us About the Rituals of the First Temple,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 38 (2020): 15–34.
Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible
Matthew Henry (1706)
Commentary on the Bible
Adam Clarke (1831)
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable
Thomas Constable
Rashi’s Commentary
Rashi (Shlomo Yitzchaki)
Notes on the Bible
Albert Barnes (1834)
Exposition of the Entire Bible
John Gill (1746–63)
Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch (1857–78)
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible
John Wesley (1754–65)