NGET BIBLE

Psalms 64 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Time Period

The era of the Israelite monarchy, roughly 1000 to 900 BC

Location

Israel, in the setting of court intrigue and public accusation rather than open warfare

Audience

Israelites in public worship, marked for the music director

Situation

The psalmist asks to be hidden from a secret conspiracy of people who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim bitter words like arrows at the innocent from ambush. The turn comes when God shoots his own arrow at them and their own tongues bring them down.

Key Background

The danger here is slander and false testimony, which in a legal system built on the word of witnesses could cost a person their property or their life, so speech really did function as a weapon. Ambush archery was a standard tactic in the broken hill country of Judah, where a bowman could hide in the rocks and strike a traveler who never saw him, which is the picture behind the whole psalm. The reversal at the end follows a common ancient conviction that a wrongdoer's own scheme becomes the instrument of his downfall, a pattern the Hebrew scriptures return to repeatedly.

1

Hear my voice, God, as I lay out my complaint. Guard my life from the of my enemy.

2

Hide me from the of the corrupt, from the of those who do harm.

3

They their like swords, aim their like arrows,

4

shooting at the from positions, firing suddenly, without any fear of being caught.

5

They each other in their evil plans, talk about where to set their traps. They say, "Who will ever see us?"

6

They devise their and say, "We have perfected our scheme." The of a person run deep indeed.

7

But God will at them; suddenly, they will be struck down.

8

Their own will be them; everyone who sees them will their

9

Then everyone will in awe; they will tell what God has done and on his work.

10

The will find joy in and in him; all the in will celebrate.

11This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
12This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
13This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
14This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
15This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
16This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
17This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
18This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
19This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
20This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
21This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
22This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
23This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
24This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
25This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
26This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
27This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
28This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
29This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
30This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
31This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
32This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
33This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
34This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
35This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
36This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
37This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
38This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
39This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
40This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
41This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
42This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
43This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
44This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
45This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
46This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
47This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
48This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
49This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.
50This verse hasn't been translated yet — we've notified the team. Please check back in a day or two.