Psalm 64:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!

NIV: The righteous will rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; all the upright in heart will glory in him!

NASB: The righteous person will be glad in the Lord and take refuge in Him; And all the upright in heart will boast.

CSB: The righteous one rejoices in the Lord and takes refuge in him; all those who are upright in heart will offer praise.

NLT: The godly will rejoice in the Lord and find shelter in him. And those who do what is right will praise him.

KJV: The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

NKJV: The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.

By faith, David saw his life experiences as examples from which others could learn. This psalm is not officially tied to any specific moment in his life. However, it expresses David's confidence that those who participate in slander (Psalm 64:2–3), conspiracy (Psalm 64:4), and plotting (Psalm 64:5–6) will instead find themselves exposed and judged by God (Psalm 64:7–9). Enemies plotted to kill David (1 Samuel 19:11; 2 Samuel 15:13–14), but those schemes were defeated and the enemies were made examples for the entire world (Psalm 40:3; 52:6–7; 58:10–11).

David calls on believers in the Lord to express trust and praise in their God (Psalm 62:8; 118:8–9). Psalm 103:4 gives one reason to praise the Lord by saying He "redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy." Revelation 5 pictures the eternal, permanent fulfillment of God's promise to care for His people. John saw redeemed saints in heaven praising Jesus, the Lamb of God. In his vision, they cried out, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9–10). Believers today can praise the Lord as well for what He has done, is doing, and will do.

Psalm 64:7–10 follows descriptions of David's enemies and their plans. Now, he reveals the result: that God will turn plots against the plotters and make them fearful examples for the rest of the world. Psalm 64 ends with the theme of the Lord's retributive justice and how God's people should respond to it.

David prays for rescue from his enemies. He accuses them of slanderous and evil words, aimed at his own destruction. These men think they are hidden and that their plots will not be uncovered. Yet David trusts that the Lord will expose evil and make an example of these wicked attackers. This is cause for all believers to trust in God and praise Him.

Unlike some psalms which mention God's judgment on David's enemies, this psalm is not explicitly connected to any moment in David's life. Themes of ambush, conspiracy, and lies suggest his experiences with both Saul (1 Samuel 19:11) and Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13–14). This song repeats themes common to David's writing, such as his faith that God will expose his enemies and make examples of them to the world (Psalm 40:3; 52:6–7; 58:10–11).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.