Psalm 64:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?”

NIV: They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, 'Who will see it?'

NASB: They make firm for themselves an evil purpose; They talk of setting snares secretly; They say, 'Who can see them?'

CSB: They adopt an evil plan; they talk about hiding traps and say, "Who will see them? "

NLT: They encourage each other to do evil and plan how to set their traps in secret. 'Who will ever notice?' they ask.

KJV: They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

NKJV: They encourage themselves in an evil matter; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, “Who will see them?”

David moves from describing his enemies' evil words (Psalm 64:2–3) to describing their evil intention. Scripture does not give an explicit historical event in connection with this psalm. However, there were times in David's life when enemies planned to ambush him (1 Samuel 19:11). In other cases, he heard about plots before they could be completed (2 Samuel 15:13–14). Here, David notes that these men doggedly pursue their plans, presuming that no one—not even God—will take notice until it is too late (Psalm 10:4, 11).

Such men fail to realize that the Lord knows the intents of the heart. He recognizes every so-called "secret" sin (Hebrews 4:13; Luke 12:2–3). During the conquest of Jericho, a man named Achan thought no one would know that he stole some of what the Lord had forbidden. With the knowledge of his family, he hid away a beautiful cloak from Shinar, as well as gold and silver (Joshua 7:21). But the Lord knew what Achan had done (Joshua 7:10–11) and exposed him (Joshua 7:14–19). This brought severe punishment to Achan and his family (Joshua 7:24–25).

Psalm 64:1–6 is a prayer for safety from conspiring enemies. David spells out his enemies' crimes, which seem to revolve around plots, evil words, surprise attacks, and deception. They are confident in their planning. These opponents act as if no one will ever find out what they have done.

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.