Psalms 5

To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.

This psalm properly classes with the two preceding. It is a morning prayer (Psalms 5:3) of one who is hard pressed by enemies, wicked and false. In general, it is a prayer against the success of wicked men, and for the vindication of the persecuted righteous. It is ascribed to David, and partakes of his spirit and style, suiting well his circumstances while at Mahanaim. 2 Samuel 17:24. Psalms 5:7 (see note there) is no valid objection to this. Psalms 5:1-3 are a morning invocation; Psalms 5:4-6, an expression of confidence that God will defeat and punish wicked doers; Psalms 5:7-8, a vow of devotion to God, and a prayer for divine guidance; Psalms 5:9-11, a prayer against the wicked, and for the success of the righteous; Psalms 5:12 closes the whole with a confident assurance of God’s interposition and blessing. A pensive tone pervades the whole, while faith in God gives a silver lining to the dark cloud of the psalmist’s trials.

TITLE:

Nehiloth The word is in the plural feminine, and is more commonly supposed to denote the instruments on which the psalm was to be performed, namely: pipes, flutes. Furst takes it as the name of a musical choir residing at a city of similar name, as Hilen, (1 Chronicles 6:58,) or Holon, (Joshua 21:15,) a root form of nehiloth. The Septuagint and Vulgate take it, enigmatically, as denoting the object of the psalm; so, also, Luther, Hengstenberg, and others, translating, for an inheritance, or, concerning her who inherits, namely, the Church, or people of God, which inherits his blessing; for God will punish the wicked and reward his people with righteousness, which is the burden of the psalm. It is better, however, to take it literally, as a musical designation.