Psalm 64

Psalm Category: Individual Lament

Central Thought: Verbal attacks can be very damaging, and we are prone to fear them. The answer comes not through a counterattack but through trusting the Lord to act.

King David often found himself in conflict, as we have seen in recent months. Yet out of his darkest hours of struggle came his deepest affirmations of faith.

In Psalm 64, David depicts the wiles of his enemies, particularly their harmful words, and in so doing makes a broader assessment of the scope of human depravity. He ends, as he often does, with a heartening affirmation of God’s justice and a call for believers to rejoice. This pattern of many Davidic psalms, of conflict leading to victory, of evil meeting justice, of joy emerging from adversity, is a precedent that comes to full flower in the life and work of Jesus Christ.

David’s opening petition is conspicuous for one detail—“Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.” A fearful state of mind is often more debilitating than the actual ordeal that evokes it. David met his challenge, first of all, with a prayer for godly assurance to supplant his fears. By verse 10, it is clear that his prayer had been answered.

David was a warrior, brave by all accounts, and not prone to back down when the odds were against him. What would stir such fear in the heart of a battle-tested soldier like David? It was not a formidable force of arms; this time it was a war of words, with tongues used as swords and words as arrows (v. 3). David may have wished to meet this elusive enemy on the battlefield, where the outcome would be swift and decisive; but instead he finds himself subject to the lies, slander, and schemes of a hidden adversary, against whom sword and bow are useless. Perhaps his adversaries in this case were closer to home, given the description of “plots” and “rebellion” (v. 2). Marauding Philistines are one thing; the verbal assault of someone who is supposed to be your friend is not such a simple matter.

Verses 5-6 continue to describe their verbal assault: “They talk…they say…they devise….” Since words are the wellspring of the heart, David traces them back to their source in the second half of verse 6—“Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.” The interjection of this comment on human nature reminds us that David did not face an isolated phenomenon.

Finally, in verses 7-9, David foresees the justice of God against his enemies. It is portrayed as swift and terrible, striking fear in those who see it. In view of God’s ultimate justice, David must have realized how frustrating and fruitless it would have been for him to partake in this verbal conflict. The thought of God’s holy judgment reminds David that, ultimately, this battle is not his, and no escalation of the rhetoric on his part would bring satisfaction, much less a conclusion. It is instructive to remember that God’s justice in this psalm is, in context, portrayed as a recompense for harmful words. David’s greater Son, Jesus, also warned of the consequences of words, not only harmful ones but idle ones (Matt. 12:36-37).

In view of all the Bible has to say on the hurting (and healing) power of words, David’s comparison of a tongue to a sword is more than mere metaphor. Words are real weapons, and the hurtful use of them constitutes real conflict. Again, David’s greater Son, Himself no stranger to verbal attacks, forewarned in Matthew 5:11-12 that this experience would be common among God’s people. But “blessed are you,” He said, “when they say all kinds of evil against you….Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” In Psalm 64, David concludes with joyful praise, aptly illustrating how Christ counseled us to deal with the hurtful words of men.

David faced the kind of physical conflicts that we may never experience, but in Psalm 64 he faced a kind of challenge that may be very familiar to us. When we feel the sting of words, whether from the world or from a less expected source, we can take the path that Psalm 64 has marked for us—pray for a godly mindset, be confident in the Lord’s judgment, and rejoice.

—C.J. Williams