Psalm 55:9 kjv
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Psalm 55:9 nkjv
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Psalm 55:9 niv
Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words, for I see violence and strife in the city.
Psalm 55:9 esv
Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues; for I see violence and strife in the city.
Psalm 55:9 nlt
Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans,
for I see violence and conflict in the city.
Psalm 55 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Confusion/Division of Enemies (Echoes Babel) | ||
| Gen 11:7 | "Come, let us go down and confuse their language, so they will not understand one another's speech." | God scatters and confuses speech. |
| Ps 64:8 | "So they will be brought to ruin by their own tongue..." | Enemies harmed by their own words/plans. |
| Ps 7:15-16 | "He digs a pit... falls into the pit he has made. His mischief comes upon his own head..." | Wicked caught in their own snares. |
| Ps 35:26 | "May those be ashamed and humiliated... who magnify themselves against me." | Humiliation of plotters. |
| 2 Sam 17:14 | "The Lord had determined to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel..." | God confounds specific wicked counsel. |
| Isa 8:10 | "Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; state a proposal, but it will not stand, for God is with us." | God frustrates wicked plans. |
| Acts 23:7-10 | Paul divides the Sadducees and Pharisees by exploiting their theological differences. | Divine strategy causing internal division. |
| Violence and Strife | ||
| Gen 6:11-13 | "Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and was filled with violence [chamas]." | World filled with violence before flood. |
| Prov 13:10 | "By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom." | Strife originates from arrogance. |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Internal decay leads to ruin. |
| Jas 3:16 | "For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice." | Earthly wisdom leads to confusion, evil. |
| Gal 5:19-21 | Lists "enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions" as works of the flesh. | Sinful nature produces conflict. |
| Isa 59:6-7 | "Their works are works of iniquity; The act of violence is in their hands. ... Their feet run to evil..." | Detailed description of violent deeds. |
| Corruption in the City | ||
| Isa 1:21 | "How the faithful city has become a harlot, She who was full of justice..." | Jerusalem's corruption from within. |
| Jer 5:1 | "Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, Look and take note! Search her squares..." | Searching for justice, finding none. |
| Zeph 3:1-4 | "Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city! She listens to no voice..." | Prophets denounce city's internal wickedness. |
| Matt 23:37 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her!" | Jesus laments Jerusalem's spiritual rebellion. |
| Divine Judgment/God's Justice | ||
| Ps 52:1-5 | Against one boasting in evil; God will tear him down. | Divine judgment on the boastful oppressor. |
| Ps 59:12-13 | "For the sin of their mouths... Let them be caught in their pride..." | Prayer for God to destroy enemies. |
| Ps 94:23 | "He will bring back their iniquity upon them and destroy them in their evil; The LORD our God will destroy them." | God justly destroys the wicked. |
| 2 Thess 1:8-9 | "He will inflict vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel... eternal destruction." | Divine wrath against the disobedient. |
| Rom 12:19 | "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord." | God reserves ultimate justice. |
Psalm 55 verses
Psalm 55 9 Meaning
Psalm 55:9 is a fervent plea from David to the sovereign God for decisive divine intervention against his wicked enemies. He prays that God would bring confusion and division among them, specifically confounding their counsel and speech, much like the disruption at the Tower of Babel. This plea stems from David's direct observation of rampant violence, injustice, and strife permeating Jerusalem, the very city that should represent order and peace. He seeks God's action to dismantle the unity of purpose among those who plot evil.
Psalm 55 9 Context
Psalm 55 is a deep lament by David, grappling with intense suffering caused by betrayal. The preceding verses (Ps 55:1-8) express his overwhelming distress, fear, and a strong desire to flee from the city and find refuge in the wilderness. He has experienced the terror of his enemies, including slander and accusations, which weigh heavily upon him. This verse (Ps 55:9) then shifts from lament and desire for escape to an imprecation – a fervent prayer for God to act against his oppressors. The immediate context of the chapter implies betrayal by a trusted companion (Ps 55:12-14, 20-21), strongly pointing to Ahithophel's betrayal during Absalom's rebellion against David in 2 Samuel 15-18. Therefore, "the city" is specifically Jerusalem, the very capital where David is besieged not by external enemies, but by the corruption and treachery from within his own people and circle.
Psalm 55 9 Word analysis
- Destroy (Hebrew: Bala', בָּלַע): This word signifies to "swallow," "consume," "engulf," or "utterly confuse." Here, it expresses a desire for absolute eradication or the complete dissolution of the enemies' ability to harm, particularly by neutralizing their harmful counsel and words.
- O Lord (Hebrew: Adonai, אֲדֹנָי): A reverent address to God, emphasizing His sovereign authority and power. David appeals to the Master of all to intervene in a situation beyond his human control.
- and divide their tongues (Hebrew: uvalal lishonam, וּבְלַל לְשׁוֹנָם):
- balal (בָּלַל): To mix, mingle, confound, confuse. This is the very word used in Gen 11:7 for the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel.
- lishonam (לְשׁוֹנָם): "their tongue" or "their speech."
- This phrase is a direct spiritual echo of God's act at Babel. It's a prayer for their unity in evil counsel and communication to be utterly disrupted, leading to internal strife and failure of their plans.
- for I have seen (Hebrew: ki ra'iti, כִּי רָאִיתִי): This clause provides the justification for David's plea. His request is not based on mere suspicion, but on personal, eyewitness experience of the pervasive evil.
- violence (Hebrew: chamas, חָמָס): This term denotes cruelty, injustice, wrongdoing, and unlawful aggression. It often carries the sense of "ruthless wrong." It's the same word used in Genesis 6:11 to describe the earth being "filled with violence" before the Flood.
- and strife (Hebrew: umadon, וּמָדוֹן): Means contention, discord, quarreling, dispute, or litigation. It indicates internal division and conflict within the city's populace, making cooperation for righteous purposes impossible.
- in the city (Hebrew: ba'ir, בָּעִיר): Refers specifically to Jerusalem, the city where David reigned and where these evils are now observed. It underscores that the problem is not from an external threat, but a profound internal corruption that has taken root within his own capital and people.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues": This group expresses a profound imprecation. David implores God not only to bring their plots to an end but also to actively dismantle their capacity to conspire by introducing internal disarray and misunderstanding, rendering their counsel ineffective and causing them to turn on each other.
- "for I have seen violence and strife in the city": This phrase functions as a lament and justification. It describes the harrowing reality David is enduring. The "violence" (brutal actions) and "strife" (verbal and relational discord) describe the utter breakdown of societal and communal peace, all happening within the boundaries of God's chosen city. This decay highlights the moral urgency of David's prayer.
Psalm 55 9 Bonus section
The specific choice of words, especially balal (confuse), strongly suggests that David's request is not simply for his enemies to cease speaking, but for their very words and counsels to become counterproductive, turning their strength into weakness. It is a prayer for internal collapse, for the conspirators to sow seeds of discord among themselves and consume each other with their own schemes. This form of divine intervention serves not only David's immediate relief but also demonstrates God's sovereignty over human agency and evil intentions, even within His covenant community. The "city," which should symbolize harmony under God, becoming rife with chamas (violence) and umadon (strife) points to a profound spiritual illness and a broken covenant relationship. David's prayer, therefore, is ultimately for God to heal or cleanse His dwelling place by removing the source of the infection.
Psalm 55 9 Commentary
Psalm 55:9 marks a crucial point in David's lament, transforming his anguish into a potent prayer for divine justice. His request to "divide their tongues" is more than a desire for his enemies' destruction; it is a profound theological statement invoking God's historical power over human rebellion and unity built on wickedness. By referencing the confusion at Babel, David trusts God to disrupt the communication and unity of purpose among those conspiring against him. This isn't personal vindictiveness, but a trust in God's sovereign hand to expose and confound evil. The description of "violence and strife in the city" provides the stark reality that compels his prayer. The chosen city, intended as a center of divine justice and peace, has instead become a hotbed of oppression and conflict due to internal treachery. David asks God to act in a way that restores order and judgment, demonstrating that even when human systems fail catastrophically, God remains the ultimate arbiter of justice.