Psalm 54:5 kjv
He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.
Psalm 54:5 nkjv
He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth.
Psalm 54:5 niv
Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.
Psalm 54:5 esv
He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them.
Psalm 54:5 nlt
May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them.
Do as you promised and put an end to them.
Psalm 54 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 32:35 | Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;... | God's prerogative to avenge. |
| Rom 12:19 | Beloved, never avenge yourselves,... leave it to the wrath of God... | God alone administers justice. |
| Nahum 1:2-3 | The Lord is a jealous God and avenging;... He will by no means clear the guilty. | God's righteous vengeance against sin. |
| 2 Thes 1:6 | ...it is just in God to repay with affliction those who afflict you. | Divine retribution is righteous. |
| Ps 28:4 | Repay them according to their deeds... | A prayer for the wicked to receive their due. |
| Ps 35:8 | Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it... | Imprecatory prayer against enemies. |
| Ps 9:6 | The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins... | The ultimate fate of the wicked. |
| Ps 37:20 | ...the wicked will perish;... consume away like smoke. | The temporary nature of the wicked's prosperity. |
| Ps 73:17-19 | ...I understood their end... suddenly destroyed! They are utterly swept away. | Realization of the wicked's ultimate downfall. |
| Mal 4:1 | ...all evildoers will be stubble. | The comprehensive destruction of the wicked. |
| Isa 66:15 | For behold, the Lord will come with fire... to repay His anger with fury... | God's coming judgment. |
| Jer 51:56 | For the Lord is a God of recompense; he will surely repay. | God is characterized by justice. |
| Rev 18:6 | Pay her back as she herself has paid... | Command for righteous judgment. |
| Lam 3:22-23 | The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. | God's unwavering faithfulness (general). |
| 1 Thes 5:24 | He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it. | God's faithfulness to His promises. |
| Heb 10:23 | Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. | Faithfulness as the basis of Christian hope. |
| Ps 31:5 | Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. | Trust in God's faithfulness for deliverance. |
| Ps 40:10-11 | I have not concealed Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness... withhold not Your mercies from me. | Dependence on God's truth and love. |
| Ps 54:4 | Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. | God as the active agent of salvation. |
| Phil 4:13 | I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. | God empowering believers against adversity. |
| Rom 8:31 | If God is for us, who can be against us? | God's powerful support for His people. |
| Ps 5:4-6 | For You are not a God who delights in wickedness... The boastful shall not stand. | God's righteous opposition to evil. |
Psalm 54 verses
Psalm 54 5 Meaning
Psalm 54:5 is a powerful prayer from David, expressing a fervent petition for divine justice. It proclaims David's confident expectation that God will repay his adversaries for the evil they inflict upon him. More profoundly, it appeals to God's inherent faithfulness (steadfast loyalty and truthfulness) as the very basis for the destruction of these enemies, signifying that their demise is not mere retribution but a necessary act of God upholding His righteous character and covenant. It roots the vindication of the righteous in the unchanging nature of the Almighty.
Psalm 54 5 Context
Psalm 54 is "A Maskil of David," meaning it is an instructive or contemplative psalm. The superscription explicitly links it to a specific historical event: "when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, 'Has not David hidden himself among us?'" This refers to a desperate period in David's life, as documented in 1 Samuel 23:19-24 and 1 Samuel 26:1, where he was being relentlessly hunted by King Saul. David was in exile, persecuted by fellow Israelites who treacherously informed Saul of his whereabouts. In this precarious state, David turns directly to God for salvation (v. 1), recognizing Him as his helper (v. 4), and confident that God will act righteously against his malicious adversaries. Verse 5 is David's specific prayer for God's just intervention against the evil intentions of his enemies, based on God's unwavering character.
Psalm 54 5 Word analysis
- He will repay: (יָשִׁיב - yashiv). This verb literally means "to cause to return" or "to bring back." In this context, it carries the force of recompense or retribution – God will cause the evil of the enemies to "return" upon their own heads. It signifies divine causality and the certainty of God's judicial action. It is not an act of human revenge but a divinely ordained consequence.
- my enemies: (שׁוֹרְרָי - shorĕrāy). Derived from a root meaning "to look," "to lie in wait," or "to spy out." These are not just general foes, but specific individuals actively observing David, devising evil against him, and seeking his harm, as evident by the Ziphites' actions. They are treacherous plotters.
- for their evil: (רָעָה - ra'ah). This word encompasses wickedness, maliciousness, and harm. It refers to both their intentions (malevolence) and their actions (the betrayal to Saul). The "evil" is what prompts God's righteous judgment.
- in Your faithfulness: (בַּאֲמִתֶּךָ - ba'amittěka). Emet (אֱמֶת) signifies truth, reliability, constancy, and unwavering loyalty. It’s more than mere honesty; it’s God’s steadfast, unchanging character, His fidelity to His covenant promises, and His moral consistency. David appeals not just to God's power but to His very nature, suggesting that for God to be true to Himself, He must act against injustice.
- put an end to them: (הַצְמִיתֵם - hatzmitēmm). From the root tzamat, meaning "to cut off," "to annihilate," or "to destroy completely." This is a strong verb indicating decisive and final elimination. It speaks to God’s absolute power to remove all threats to His anointed and His kingdom plan. This aligns with God’s active judgment against those who oppose His purposes.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- He will repay my enemies for their evil: This phrase establishes God as the supreme judge. It removes the burden of personal vengeance from David, placing it squarely on God. The certainty of "will repay" reflects absolute confidence in God's justice, that His scales are perfectly balanced, and evil will not go unpunished. It indicates a restoration of justice.
- in Your faithfulness put an end to them: This links God's character directly to His destructive judgment. The basis for the annihilation of David's enemies is not David's suffering alone, but God's unchanging nature. It suggests that allowing such evil to triumph would be a contradiction of who God is. His fidelity to His covenant and His commitment to righteousness demand the ultimate cessation of wickedness and its perpetrators.
Psalm 54 5 Bonus section
The appeal to God's faithfulness (אֱמֶת - emet) in a petition for the destruction of enemies might seem counterintuitive at first glance. However, in the biblical understanding, God's faithfulness extends not only to His promises of blessing and deliverance but also to His commitments regarding judgment and righteous governance of the world. His loyalty to His own moral character means He cannot ignore evil; therefore, the eradication of wickedness is a direct manifestation of His truth and steadfastness. This concept serves as a theological foundation for why divine judgment is necessary and ultimately an expression of God's perfect love and order.
Psalm 54 5 Commentary
Psalm 54:5 articulates a profound truth about divine justice. David, surrounded by treacherous enemies, expresses an unwavering conviction that God will not allow their evil to stand. The prayer for repayment is not a self-serving desire for revenge, but a righteous plea for God to act according to His character. The phrase "in Your faithfulness" is crucial; it elevates the request from a human emotional outburst to a theological declaration. It argues that God’s consistent loyalty to His promises, His covenant, and His very being demands the termination of wickedness that opposes Him and His anointed. This verse reveals God as the one who actively oversees justice, bringing consequences to those who work evil, and confirming His reliability in vindicating the righteous. It offers hope and assurance that despite present trials, God’s truth and steadfastness guarantee a final, decisive outcome where evil is decisively overcome.