Psalms 55:20

He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
forth	שָׁלַ֣ח sha.Lach	H7971	to send away · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
hands	יָ֭דָיו Ya.dav	H3027	a hand (the open one (indicating power · noun, common both genders dual construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
peace	בִּשְׁלֹמָ֗יו bish.lo.Mav	H7965	safe · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
broken	חִלֵּ֥ל chi.Lel	H2490	properly · verb, piel perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
covenant	בְּרִיתֽוֹ be.ri.To	H1285	a compact (because made by passing between pieces of fl… · noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Psalms 7:4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)
Psalms 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Acts 12:1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
Psalms 109:5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
Psalms 120:6-7 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.
1 Samuel 22:17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and…
1 Samuel 24:10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: bu…
Psalms 89:28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Psalms 55:16–end

In these verses, I. David perseveres in his resolution to call upon God, being well assured that he should not seek him in vain (Psa 55:16): "As for me, let them take what course they please to secure themselves, let violence and strife be their guards, prayer shall be mind; this I have found comfort in, and therefore this will I abide by: I will call upon God, and commit myself to him, and the Lord shall save me;" for whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, in a right manner, shall be saved, Rom 10:13. He resolves to be both fervent and frequent in this duty. 1. He will pray fervently: "I will pray and cry aloud. I will meditate" (so the former word signifies); "I will speak with my o…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 55:20

The treachery is aggravated by hypocrisy. The changes of number, Psa 55:15, Psa 55:23, and here, enliven the picture, and imply that the chief traitor and his accomplices are in view together.

John Gill on Psalms 55:20

He hath put forth his hands,.... The psalmist returns and describes, in this verse Psalm 55:3, the cruelty, perfidy, and hypocrisy of his false friend; who had stretched forth his hands against such as be at peace with him, or he pretended to be at peace with. So Ahithophel put forth his hands against David, by whom he had been admitted into his privy council, and there had taken sweet counsel together, by entering into a conspiracy and rebellion against him, and by forming a scheme to smite the king only, 2 Samuel 17:1; and Judas, though he did not lay hands on Christ himself, yet he gave his enemies a sign by which they might know him, and seize him, and hold him fast, as they did; and hi…

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John Calvin on Psalms 55:20–end

Psalm 55:20-23 20. He hath sent his hands against those that were at peace with him: [317] he hath broken his covenant. 21. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, and his heart war: his words were softer than oil, yet were they darts. 22. Cast thy giving [318] upon Jehovah, and he shall feed thee: he shall not suffer the righteous always to stagger. [319] 23. Thou, O God! shalt cast them into the pit of corruption: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days: but I will hope in thee. 20. He hath sent his hands against those that were at peace with him He afterwards speaks in verse 23d in the plural number, but here it is probable that he begins by addressing the…

The Church Fathers

"He stretcheth forth His hand in requiting." "They have polluted His Testament." Read the testament which they have polluted: "In thy seed shall be blessed all nations." Thou against these words of the Testator sayest what? The Africa of holy Donatus hath alone deserved this grace, in him hath remained the Church of Christ. Say at least the Church of Donatus. Wherefore addest thou, of Christ? Of whom it is said, "In thy seed shall be blessed all nations." After Donatus wilt thou go? Set aside Christ, and then secede. See therefore what followeth: "They have polluted His Testament." What Testament? To Abraham have been spoken the promises, and to his seed. The Apostle saith, "Nevertheless, a man's testament confirmed no one maketh void, or super-addeth to: to Abraham have been spoken the promises, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as if in many; but as if in one, And to thy Seed, which is Christ." In this Christ, therefore, what Testament hath been promised? "In thy seed shall be blessed all nations." Thou that hast given up the unity of all nations, and in a part hast remained, hast polluted His Testament. ...
— Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 55

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Neginoth — I.e., songs with instrumental accompaniment, found in the titles of Ps. 4; 6; 54; 55; 67; 76; rendered “stringed instruments,” Hab. 3:19, A.V. It denotes all kinds of stringed instruments, as the…
Friends · .David’s friends were false to David — .David’s friends were false to David
Hypocrisy · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Psalms 55:20

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Psalms 55:16–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 55:20

John Gill on Psalms 55:20

John Calvin on Psalms 55:20–end

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Psalms 55:20

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Psalms 55:16–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 55:20

John Gill on Psalms 55:20

John Calvin on Psalms 55:20–end

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Psalms 55:17–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Psalms 55:19-21

Spurgeon's Treasury of David on Psalms 55:20