Psalms 5

For the Chief Musician, with the flutes. A Psalm by David.

Give ear to my words, LORD. Consider my meditation.

Listen to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for I pray to you.

LORD, in the morning you will hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.

For you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness. Evil can’t live with you.

The arrogant will not stand in your sight. You hate all workers of iniquity.

You will destroy those who speak lies. The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

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.

Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies. Make your way straight before my face.

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue.

Hold 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.

But 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.

For you will bless the righteous. LORD, you will surround him with favor as with a shield.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter is a morning prayer of David, combining urgent personal supplication with confidence in God’s holiness and justice. It moves from a cry for God’s attentive hearing to a lament over the wicked, culminating in trust in divine protection and blessing for the righteous. Situated early in the Psalter, it establishes a pattern of turning to God at daybreak with raw honesty, reverence, and hope.

Flow.

Begins with a plea for God to listen to prayer, both spoken and meditated upon, addressing Him as King and covenant Lord.
Expresses disciplined devotion through morning worship, while grounding that hope in God’s moral purity—He cannot tolerate evil.
Contrasts the fate of the wicked—judged for deceit and violence—with the psalmist’s own access to God through steadfast love.
Concludes with a twofold petition: guidance in righteousness and judgment on enemies, then shifts to corporate joy and divine blessing on those who take refuge in God.

Connections.
Following chapter 4, where evening brings peace because God answers prayer, this chapter shows the rhythm of continual dependence—morning following night in worship and watchfulness. The confidence in God’s hearing (cf. ) deepens here with a stronger emphasis on divine holiness and ethical boundaries. The theme of refuge (v.11) expands the image of safety in , while the focus on God’s justice anticipates the fuller development of judgment and righteousness in Ps 7, which also deals with persecution and divine deliverance. This establishes an early cadence of prayer rooted in both relationship and reverence.

What it teaches.
God is attentive to the prayers of His people, especially when offered with regular devotion and sincerity (WCF 21.3). His holiness necessitates opposition to sin—He does not merely overlook wickedness but actively judges it (HC LD 10, Q&A 27). Yet He invites sinners into His presence not on the basis of their own righteousness, but through His steadfast mercy (WCF 16.2). The righteous are those who rely on God’s covenant love, bow in reverence, and seek His guidance amid opposition. Final security belongs to those who take refuge in Him, for He shields them according to His sovereign favor (; cf. WCF 17.1–2).

Apply.
Come before God each morning with your requests, trusting that His holiness is no barrier to your approach but the very ground of your confidence through His mercy.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.