PLEASE PIN THIS IMAGE - The true meaning of Psalm 5 Psalm 5 is a beloved morning prayer that countlessChristians have turned to for comfort. Yet, even as we read the words, we missthe depth of meaning of this ancient poem due to our distance from the cultureand awkward attempts to translate the nuanced Hebrew language.

If you’re interested in understand the true meaning of Psalm5, keep reading.

The raw emotion of wordless prayer.

“Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Giveheed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I will pray [vs.1-2].”

In a previous post on Psalm 1, I brought out the factthat the word translated as “meditation” refers to a muttering aloud. However,in Psalm 5:1, it carries the meaning of a stifled cry or inward moan.

It’s not a calm, articulate prayer, but a groaning of deepanguish from someone too distressed to form words. Much more emotional than wecan glean from English translations, which make the prayer sound more composedthan it actually is.

Morning prayer as sacred ritual.

The third verse states, “O Lord, in the morning you hear myvoice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.”

In attempt to remain consistent, I’ve been using the NewKing James Version for my past couple of article about Psalms. But the NKJVloses the meaning of this verse even worse than other translations, so here I’mswitching to the English Standard Version.

Verse three is likely the most misunderstood verse in Psalm5. The Hebrew phrase arakh lekha isoften weakly translated as “lay my requests” or “prepare.”

But arakh means toarrange or to set in order – the exact same verb used in Leviticus forarranging sacrificial offerings on the altar. In other words, the psalmist isn’tcasually mentioning morning prayer. He’s describing the deliberate arrangementof his prayers with the same sacred intentionality as a priest preparing asacrifice.

The word that follows, tsaphpah,suggests waiting attentively to divine response, reminiscent of the time Elijahprayed for God to accept his sacrifice on the water-soaked altar.

The gist is that morning prayer is a liturgical act, notmere devotional habit.

Raise your hand if you feel as convicted as I do over thatrevelation.

Yeah. Thought so. ;)

He won’t put up with it.

“For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, norshall evil dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hateall workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lordabhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man [4-6].”

If those verses don’t tell you where you stand with God,nothing will!

Seriously, these verses establish what we might call the “legalgeography” of God’s presence. The Hebrew gurtranslated as “dwell” would be better phrased as “to sojourn as a guest.”

In ancient Near Eastern culture, a traveler being allowed totemporarily reside in a foreign country was a big deal. Readers and hearers ofthis psalm would understand the huge implication: wicked people aren’t allowedto hang out with God even temporarily.

He will not be in the same room as evil.

Similarly, the phrase “shall not stand in Your sight” evokesthe ancient practice of standing before a king. If you recall the book ofEsther, to stand before a king means that the monarch offered you privilege andapproval. The wicked are not legally allowed a divine audience, especially inworship contexts.

That God “hates” workers of iniquity should be a no-brainer,but it doesn’t refer to the modern way we use the word. Rather, it’s aboutcovenantal rejection.

God refuses to be in relationship with those who violate thecovenant. It’s a theme repeated many times in the various book of the prophets.

Temple geography, sacred orientation.

Verses seven and eight read, “But as for me, I will comeinto Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; in fear of You I will worshiptoward Your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of myenemies; make your way straight before my face.”

Psalm 5:7 challenges modern worship. Where the NKJV reads “worship,”other translations say, “bow down.” This isn’t the polite bow of greeting ofVictorian England. It refers to prostrating oneself on the ground, face down.

It is, physically speaking, the utmost expression ofhumility and vulnerability.

In verse eight, the verb translated as “lead,” combined with“make Your way straight,” may have referenced literal processional pathsleading to ancient temples. The psalmist is praying for a clear, righteous pathinto God’s presence – one not obscured by deceit or enemies.

The power of the tongue.

In verse nine, we read, “For there is no faithfulness intheir mouth; their inward part is destruction; their throat is an open tomb;they flatter with their tongue.”

The ancient Hebrew worldview understood speech as powerful.Words didn’t just describe reality, they shaped it (see James 3:6 and Proverbs18:21).

The word havvah,translated as “destruction” suggests moral corruption, and the reference to thetomb or grave illustrates the wicked as speaking death rather than life. It’s asharp contrast to the psalmist’s own words at the beginning of the psalm.

Let them ever shout for joy.

I have a pocket-sized Gideon New Testament-Psalm-ProverbsBible that’s almost as old as God Himself, and which contains a font size muchtoo small for my fifty-five-year-old eyes. However, about a hundred years ago Iused it to memorize certain verses that struck me, and Psalm 5:11 is marked asone of them with a blue pen which has long since gone on to Writing UtensilHeaven.

Let me type it out by heart. 

“But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Letthem ever shout for joy because You defend them [I have to cheat now]; letthose who also love Your name be joyful in You.”

Then there’s the final verse: “For You, O Lord, will blessthe righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.”

Like many of the psalms it begins with an individual petition,then ends with communal imagery. Most Western Christians glaze right over thefact, seeing only themselves as “the righteous,” completely ignoring the truththat the verses are referring to a large group of people.

A corporate entity, not a single one.

Then there is the phrase “take refuge,” totally flattened inthe English translation. The Hebrew word, chasah,is a technical term for seeking asylum in a sanctuary city or temple. The wordtranslated as either “defend” or “protect” means “to weave a covering.”

Modern Christians take the verses in the abstract. But theoriginal intent was to describe a concrete sanctuary. The psalmist envisionsfellow worshipers of God as sheltered and rejoicing together in God’s presence.

The final blessing is like a royal decree. God legallyblesses and surrounds believers with protective favor. In fact, the wordtranslated as “shield,” tzinnah,refers to a large body shield that would be used in formation fighting. Thissuggests corporate rather than individual protection.

We are His body. Not isolated worshippers who each get toinvent our own idea of God.

Selah.