The Bible — World English Bible
Psalm 5
In brief
Psalm 5 is a morning prayer of David. He cries to God to be heard, acknowledges that God takes no pleasure in wickedness, and asks to be led in his righteousness in the face of his enemies. He enters God's house not on his own merit but through God's abundant loving kindness. The psalm ends with the joy of those who take refuge in God, who surrounds the righteous with favor like a shield.
According to its title, Psalm 5 is a psalm of David, entrusted to the chief musician and accompanied by flutes, so it was sung in Israel's worship. It is an individual lament shot through with trust, often called the morning prayer because of verse 3. The title gives no circumstances: David speaks of lying, violent enemies without saying which episode of his life he has in mind, and it is better not to invent one. The psalm contrasts two paths, that of the wicked, who cannot live with God, and that of the believer, who enters his house through his loving kindness. The apostle Paul takes up verse 9 in Romans 3:13 to show that every human being needs grace. Today many believers pray it when they wake up, to entrust their day to God and to hand over to him the injustices they suffer.
The chapter in 4 parts
1Give ear to my words, Yahweh. Consider my meditation.
2Listen to the voice of my cry, my King and my God; for I pray to you.
3Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.
4For you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness. Evil can’t live with you.
5The arrogant will not stand in your sight. You hate all workers of iniquity.
6You will destroy those who speak lies. Yahweh abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7But as for me, in the abundance of your loving kindness I will come into your house. I will bow toward your holy temple in reverence of you.
8Lead me, Yahweh, in your righteousness because of my enemies. Make your way straight before my face.
9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue.
10Hold them guilty, God. Let them fall by their own counsels. Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against you.
11But let all those who take refuge in you rejoice. Let them always shout for joy, because you defend them. Let them also who love your name be joyful in you.
12For you will bless the righteous. Yahweh, you will surround him with favor as with a shield.
Understanding Psalm 5 verse by verse
v. 1-3In the morning, bring your prayer to God and wait
David opens his prayer with three urgent requests: give ear, consider, listen. He brings God not only well-built sentences but also his meditation and the voice of his cry, and God welcomes both. By calling him “my King and my God,” David, who is himself a king, acknowledges that he has a King above him. Verse 3 sets the rhythm of his day: in the morning, before anything else, he turns to Yahweh. The last words matter: he will “watch expectantly.” Like a watchman on the wall, he stays alert for the answer instead of praying and then moving on to something else. For you today, the invitation is simple: begin the day by handing God what weighs on you, then stay alert to the way he will act.
v. 4-6A holy God who makes no room for evil
David explains why he dares to hope for an answer: God is not neutral in the face of evil. Evil cannot live with him, the arrogant will not stand in his sight, and lies and violence fill him with horror. The verb hate in verse 5 can be shocking. In the Bible, it expresses a total rejection of evil, not a shifting mood. The same God says elsewhere that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but wants them to turn from their ways and live (Ezekiel 33:11). These verses are good news for those who suffer from lies and fraud: God sees, and injustice will not have the last word. They are also a mirror. No one can stand before a God so pure without needing his grace, and that is exactly what the rest of the psalm says.
v. 7-8Entering God's house through his loving kindness and walking straight
Verse 7 begins with “But as for me.” David does not present himself as better than the wicked. If he can enter God's house, it is “in the abundance of your loving kindness,” not because of his merits. He bows there in reverence, with a respect full of wonder. For us, this access to God is opened by Jesus: the letter to the Hebrews speaks of free access to the sanctuary through his blood (Hebrews 10:19). Then David asks: “Lead me, Yahweh, in your righteousness because of my enemies.” With adversaries watching him, his priority is not to get the upper hand but to stay upright. He asks God, “Make your way straight before my face,” so that the path to follow is clear. When you are under pressure, this is often the best prayer: ask first to stay righteous, before you ask to win.
v. 9-10Words that kill, and justice handed over to God
David describes his adversaries by their mouths: no faithfulness, a heart that is nothing but destruction, flattering words. The image is striking: “Their throat is an open tomb.” Their words reek of death and swallow up the reputation and peace of others. Paul takes up this line in Romans 3:13 to describe all humanity under sin, which keeps us from reading this verse while thinking only of other people. Verse 10 is an imprecation: David asks God to hold the guilty to account and to let their own schemes bring them down. He does not take justice into his own hands; he hands his cause to the righteous judge, because the root of the problem is their rebellion against God. Christians do not all pray these words in the same way. Many hear in them a cry for justice entrusted to God, to be read again in the light of Jesus, who calls us to bless those who curse us (Luke 6:28) and to leave judgment to God (Romans 12:19).
v. 11-12Joy and protection for those who take refuge in God
The psalm ends by widening the view: one man's prayer becomes the joy of “all those who take refuge in you.” Those who love God's name, that is, God as he has made himself known, find in him a lasting joy. The verb translated defend carries the picture of a shelter spread over someone. Then comes the final image: God surrounds the righteous with favor as with a shield, the great shield that covered a soldier's whole body. This is not a promise that no trial will come: David prays while he is still surrounded by enemies. It is the assurance that God's favor wraps around him in the thick of the fight. In the New Testament, the righteous is the one whom God declares righteous through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22). So you can receive this promise, not because you are perfect, but because you are in Christ.
How to pray Psalm 5
When to pray this psalm
- In the morning, before you open your phone, to entrust your day to God.
- When rumors or lies about you are going around at work, at school or in your family.
- When you have a decision to make and want to do right despite the pressure.
- When you feel too unworthy to pray and need to remember his loving kindness.
- When anger at someone makes you want to take justice into your own hands.
- When you feel exposed and vulnerable and need to know you are surrounded by his favor.
A prayer inspired by Psalm 5
Lord, my King and my God, I bring you my prayer at the start of this day. Give ear to my words, and hear also the sighs I cannot put into words. This morning I turn to you and I wait for your answer. You take no pleasure in wickedness: you see the lies, the words that wound and the injustices that weigh on me. I admit that my own mouth is not always sincere either. If I can come before you, it is not because of my merits but through your abundant loving kindness, which you have shown me in Jesus. Lead me in your righteousness today and make your way straight before me. When I am attacked, keep me from taking revenge: I place my cause in your hands, because you are the righteous judge. Teach me even to bless those who do me harm. Thank you for surrounding me with your favor as with a shield. Give me the joy of those who take refuge in you, and let your name be my joy all through this day. Amen.
Key verses
Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.
David makes a habit of starting his day with prayer and then waiting. The morning becomes an appointment with God, before any other voice.
But as for me, in the abundance of your loving kindness I will come into your house. I will bow toward your holy temple in reverence of you.
David does not enter God's house because of his merits, but through God's abundant loving kindness. That is the doorway into all prayer.
Lead me, Yahweh, in your righteousness because of my enemies. Make your way straight before my face.
A request for guidance: to walk straight when opponents lie in wait. David wants God to make the path level before him.
For you will bless the righteous. Yahweh, you will surround him with favor as with a shield.
God blesses the righteous and surrounds them with favor as with a shield. The joy of believers comes from their refuge in him.
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Frequently asked questions about Psalm 5
What does Psalm 5 mean?
It is a morning prayer of David. He cries to God to be heard, acknowledges that God does not approve of evil, and asks to be led in his righteousness in the face of his enemies. He finishes with the joy of those who trust in God, who surrounds them with favor like a shield.
How do you pray Psalm 5 in the morning?
Read verses 1 to 3 slowly and make them your own: bring God what you feel, then wait in silence. Next pray verse 8, asking to be guided through the day. Conclude with verse 12 by thanking God for protecting you.
Why does David talk about his enemies in this psalm?
David is often attacked by people who lie and deceive, and he does not seek to take revenge himself. He entrusts his cause to God, who judges. The verses about the wicked remind us that God hates evil, and let David ask for protection without taking justice into his own hands.
Articles quoting Psalm 5
World English Bible translation — public domain.