Salmos 55:1

PSALM 55

PRAYER IN THE FACE OF A WICKED CONSPIRACY INVOLVING

A FORMERLY TRUSTED FRIEND

This is another psalm accredited to David; and as Maclaren stated it, "Davidic authorship has at least as much to say for itself as any of the other conjectures that have been offered."[1] The title we have selected is from Leupold.

Spurgeon declared that, "It would be idle to fix a time and occasion for this Psalm with any dogmatism; but it reads like a song of the times of Absalom and Ahithophel."[2]

"It could also be the prophetic prayer of Christ in his humiliation, despised and rejected of men, when he was made sin for his people that they might be made the righteousness of God `in Him,' when He was about to suffer their punishments, pay their debts, and discharge their sins, by giving His body upon the Cross as a ransom for the sins of the whole world."[3]

There is nothing whatever to prevent the psalm's being both a song of the times of Ahithophel, and a prophetic forerunner of the prayers of Jesus Christ. Also, Ahithophel in the story of David occupies a position very closely akin to that of Judas Iscariot, of whom he seems to have been a type.

We like the way Anthony Ash broke the psalm down into small units (seven in all); and shall follow the same pattern here.[4]

DAVID'S CRY TO GOD

Psalms 55:1-2

"Give ear to my prayer, O God;

And hide not thyself from my supplication.

Attend unto me, and answer me:

I am restless in my complaint, and moan."

"Give ear to my prayer, O God" (Psalms 55:1). These words teach us that God Himself hears and attends the prayers of his people, that he is accessible to hear their petitions, and that he will not hide his face from praying saints.

"I am restless ... and moan" (Psalms 55:2). Clarke translated a part of this verse as, "I am strongly agitated."[5] If our ascription of this psalm to David during the rebellion of Absalom is correct, then there can be no wonder at all of David's agitation and concern.