BOOK 19 OF 66 · WISDOM & POETRY · KING JAMES BIBLE

Psalms 5

Psalms book home•Chapter 5 of 150•12 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

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Psalms 5 Overview

David brings his prayer to God at morning, contrasts God's holiness with deceitful men, asks for guidance, and ends with joy for those who trust.

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5Chapter

12Verses

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Before you read Psalms 5

Coming from

Psalm 4 centered on evening confidence amid pressure and falsehood. Psalms is an anthology rather than a continuous chronological story, so the connection here is canonical and thematic.

In this chapter

David brings his prayer to God at morning, contrasts God's holiness with deceitful men, asks for guidance, and ends with joy for those who trust.

Leads into

Psalm 6 turns to a suffering sinner pleads for mercy, continuing the Psalter’s arranged movement without requiring that the two psalms describe consecutive historical events.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Psalm 5 belongs to Book I of the Psalter (Psalms 1–41). The psalm frames daily prayer by God's holy character rather than by human entitlement.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Central truth

Morning prayer for guidance against wickedness.

Lament truth

In Psalm 5, biblical faith brings grief, fear, confusion, and need directly to God rather than hiding them.

Prayer truth

In Psalm 5, prayer in this psalm is grounded in who God is and in dependence upon Him.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Lament connection

Hebrews 4:15-16 invites believers to come boldly for mercy and grace in need. This connection helps frame Psalm 5.

Prayer connection

1 Kings 8 shows covenant prayer appealing to God’s character, promises, and mercy. This connection helps frame Psalm 5.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep lament in context

Do not mistake every anguished sentence in Psalm 5 for the psalmist’s settled theological conclusion; lament often voices how the crisis feels before faith answers it.

Keep prayer in context

Prayer in Psalm 5 is dependence on God, not a technique for controlling Him.

Read Psalms 5 watching for…

morning prayer.

God's hatred of wickedness.

lead me in righteousness.

enemy's flattering mouth.

joy under divine defense.

Chapter outline2 sections

1-6David prays in the morning and remembers that God takes no pleasure in wickedness 7-12David worships, asks for guidance, and rejoices in God’s protection

To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

STUDY THIS VERSE

Psalms 5:7

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