Psalms 5 Study Notes: A Plea for Guidance Against the Wicked
In a morning prayer David lays his request before God, the holy King who takes no pleasure in evil and opposes liars and the violent. By God's loving devotion David enters His house to worship, asks to be led in righteousness, describes the deceit of his enemies, and calls those who shelter in God to rejoice.
General
In contrast to the wicked, on what basis does David say he will enter God's house in 5:7?
Answer: The great abundance of God's loving devotion
Right after describing those who cannot stand in God's presence, David says he will come into God's house. His own character does not earn it; he enters through the abundance of God's loving devotion, God's loyal, covenant-keeping love (5:7). His access rests on mercy, and his response is reverent worship toward the holy temple. The New Testament sharpens the point: God saved us not on the basis of deeds we performed but because of His mercy (Titus 3:5), and believers draw near to God with confidence through the shed blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22). If God kept a record of sins no one could stand; yet He forgives (Psalm 130:3-4).
- Psalm 5:7 (BSB)“But I will enter Your house by the abundance of Your loving devotion; in reverence I will bow down toward Your holy temple.”In contrast to the wicked, David says he will enter God's house through the abundance of His loving devotion.
- Titus 3:5 (BSB)“He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”Paul says God saved us because of His mercy, not because of righteous deeds we had done.
- Hebrews 10:19-22 (BSB)“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”Believers draw near to God with confidence through the blood of Jesus, not their own worthiness.
- Psalm 130:3-4 (BSB)“If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared.”If God kept a record of sins no one could stand, but with Him there is forgiveness.
Theological
What does 5:7 name as the ground of David's access to God's house?
Answer: The great abundance of God's loving devotion
Set against the exclusion of evildoers in 5:4-6, David's access to God's house rests not on his merit but on the abundance of God's loving devotion, His covenant loyalty (5:7). Access to the holy God is a gift of grace, received in reverent worship. Paul states the same principle for salvation: God saved us by His mercy, not by works of righteousness (Titus 3:5). Believers now enter the holy place through the shed blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22), and no one could stand if God marked iniquities, but there is forgiveness with Him (Psalm 130:3-4).
- Psalm 5:7 (BSB)“But I will enter Your house by the abundance of Your loving devotion; in reverence I will bow down toward Your holy temple.”In contrast to the wicked, David says he will enter God's house through the abundance of His loving devotion.
- Titus 3:5 (BSB)“He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”Paul says God saved us because of His mercy, not because of righteous deeds we had done.
- Hebrews 10:19-22 (BSB)“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”Believers draw near to God with confidence through the blood of Jesus, not their own worthiness.
- Psalm 130:3-4 (BSB)“If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared.”If God kept a record of sins no one could stand, but with Him there is forgiveness.
General
True or False: Psalm 5 closes by calling everyone who shelters in God to rejoice, since the LORD blesses and protects the righteous.
Answer: True
This is true. After asking God to hold the wicked guilty for their rebellion (5:10), David ends by calling all who seek shelter in God to be glad and sing for joy, and he asks God to cover and protect them (5:11). The reason is that the LORD blesses the righteous and surrounds them with His favor like a shield (5:12). Psalm 2 had already pronounced a blessing on all who shelter in God's King (Psalm 2:12), Psalm 32 calls the upright to rejoice (Psalm 32:11), and Psalm 84 calls God both sun and shield, the giver of grace (Psalm 84:11).
- Psalm 5:11-12 (BSB)“But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever shout for joy. May You shelter them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. For surely You, O LORD, bless the righteous; You surround them with the shield of Your favor.”David calls all who shelter in God to rejoice, because the LORD blesses and protects the righteous.
- Psalm 2:12 (BSB)“Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in your rebellion, when His wrath ignites in an instant. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”Psalm 2 had already pronounced a blessing on all who shelter in God's King.
- Psalm 32:11 (BSB)“Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.”Another psalm calls the upright to be glad and shout for joy in the LORD.
- Psalm 84:11 (BSB)“For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.”Psalm 84 calls God a sun and shield who gives grace to those who walk with integrity.
Theological
True or False: Psalm 5 ends with a call for all who take shelter in God to rejoice, grounded in the LORD's favor toward the righteous.
Answer: True
This is true. Following the petition that God declare the rebels guilty (5:10), the psalm closes with a summons to joy for all who shelter in God and a prayer that He would cover them (5:11). The ground is God's blessing of the righteous, whom He encircles with favor as with a shield (5:12). The same beatitude of refuge closes Psalm 2 (Psalm 2:12), the call to rejoicing recurs in Psalm 32:11, and God's protective grace is celebrated in Psalm 84:11.
- Psalm 5:11-12 (BSB)“But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever shout for joy. May You shelter them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. For surely You, O LORD, bless the righteous; You surround them with the shield of Your favor.”David calls all who shelter in God to rejoice, because the LORD blesses and protects the righteous.
- Psalm 2:12 (BSB)“Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in your rebellion, when His wrath ignites in an instant. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”Psalm 2 had already pronounced a blessing on all who shelter in God's King.
- Psalm 32:11 (BSB)“Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.”Another psalm calls the upright to be glad and shout for joy in the LORD.
- Psalm 84:11 (BSB)“For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.”Psalm 84 calls God a sun and shield who gives grace to those who walk with integrity.
General
What does David say he does at daybreak in 5:3?
Answer: Sets his request before God and watches expectantly
Psalm 5 is a morning prayer. David asks God to listen to his words, his groaning, and his cry, addressing Him as his King and his God (5:1-2). In the morning God hears his voice, and at first light David lays out his case before God and then waits, looking for His answer (5:3). Another psalmist's prayer likewise comes before God in the morning (Psalm 88:13). Micah resolves to watch and wait for God, who hears him (Micah 7:7), and Jesus rose before dawn to pray alone (Mark 1:35).
- Psalm 5:1-3 (BSB)“For the choirmaster, to be accompanied by flutes. A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Attend to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I pray. In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation.”David asks God to hear his cry and says that each morning he lays his request before God and waits.
- Psalm 88:13 (BSB)“But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.”Another psalmist's prayer likewise comes before God in the morning.
- Micah 7:7 (BSB)“But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”Micah resolves to look to the LORD and wait for Him, confident that God will hear.
- Mark 1:35 (BSB)“Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.”Jesus rose before dawn to pray alone, the same pattern of early prayer.
Theological
In 5:3, what does David do with his prayer each morning?
Answer: Sets his request before God and watches expectantly
David addresses God as his King and his God and asks Him to heed his words and groaning (5:1-2). His prayer is offered in the morning: he lays his plea before God and then keeps watch for the answer (5:3). Prayer is followed by expectant waiting rather than anxious self-reliance. The morning prayer of Psalm 88:13, Micah's watchful waiting on the God who saves him (Micah 7:7), and Jesus' early prayer before dawn (Mark 1:35) show the same pattern.
- Psalm 5:1-3 (BSB)“For the choirmaster, to be accompanied by flutes. A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Attend to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I pray. In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation.”David asks God to hear his cry and says that each morning he lays his request before God and waits.
- Psalm 88:13 (BSB)“But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.”Another psalmist's prayer likewise comes before God in the morning.
- Micah 7:7 (BSB)“But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”Micah resolves to look to the LORD and wait for Him, confident that God will hear.
- Mark 1:35 (BSB)“Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.”Jesus rose before dawn to pray alone, the same pattern of early prayer.
General
What reason does 5:4-6 give for why the wicked cannot stand before God?
Answer: God is holy and takes no pleasure in wickedness
David grounds his prayer in God's character. God does not take pleasure in wickedness, and evil cannot live with Him as a guest (5:4). The arrogant cannot stand before Him; He hates all who practice evil, destroys liars, and abhors the violent and deceitful (5:5-6). Habakkuk says God's eyes are so pure He cannot look on evil with approval (Habakkuk 1:13). John declares that God is light with no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5), and another psalm says God's own soul hates those who love violence (Psalm 11:5).
- Psalm 5:4-6 (BSB)“For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; no evil can dwell with You. The boastful cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all workers of iniquity. You destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.”David describes God as a holy God who takes no pleasure in wickedness and opposes all evildoers.
- Habakkuk 1:13 (BSB)“Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?”Habakkuk says God's eyes are so pure that He cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
- 1 John 1:5 (BSB)“And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”John declares that God is light with no darkness in Him at all.
- Psalm 11:5 (BSB)“The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked; His soul hates the lover of violence.”Another psalm says the LORD's soul hates those who love violence.
Theological
On what ground does 5:4-6 say the wicked cannot stand in God's presence?
Answer: God is holy and takes no pleasure in wickedness
The psalm grounds the exclusion of the wicked in the holiness of God. He takes no delight in wickedness, evil cannot sojourn with Him, and the arrogant cannot stand before Him (5:4-5). The text speaks directly of God's holy hatred of evildoers, not only of their deeds, and of His abhorrence of the violent and deceitful (5:5-6). The same holiness appears in Habakkuk 1:13, where God's eyes are so pure He cannot tolerate wrong, in the declaration that God is light (1 John 1:5), and in Psalm 11:5.
- Psalm 5:4-6 (BSB)“For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; no evil can dwell with You. The boastful cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all workers of iniquity. You destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.”David describes God as a holy God who takes no pleasure in wickedness and opposes all evildoers.
- Habakkuk 1:13 (BSB)“Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?”Habakkuk says God's eyes are so pure that He cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
- 1 John 1:5 (BSB)“And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”John declares that God is light with no darkness in Him at all.
- Psalm 11:5 (BSB)“The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked; His soul hates the lover of violence.”Another psalm says the LORD's soul hates those who love violence.
General
Paul quotes 5:9 in Romans 3:13. What point is he using it to make?
Answer: All people, Jew and Gentile alike, are under sin
David describes his enemies' speech: nothing they say is reliable, destruction fills their inner being, their throats are like open tombs, and their tongues deal in deceit (5:9). Paul quotes this line in his chain of Old Testament texts showing that Jews and Gentiles alike are under sin and that no one is righteous (Romans 3:9-13). What David saw in his enemies, Paul applies to the whole human race apart from God's grace. Sin has corrupted every part of human nature, including the heart and the tongue, which is what theologians call total depravity. Jesus taught that evil speech flows from within, from the heart (Matthew 15:18-19).
- Psalm 5:9 (BSB)“For not a word they speak can be trusted; destruction lies within them. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”David describes the deceitful and destructive speech of his enemies.
- Romans 3:13 (BSB)““Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.””Paul quotes this verse in his chain of texts about human sinfulness.
- Romans 3:9-12 (BSB)“What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.””Paul uses these texts to show that Jews and Gentiles alike are under sin and that no one is righteous.
- Matthew 15:18-19 (BSB)“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.”Jesus teaches that evil speech flows from an evil heart.
Theological
How does Paul use 5:9 in Romans 3:13?
Answer: All people, Jew and Gentile alike, are under sin
The description of the enemies' corrupt speech in 5:9 becomes, in Romans 3:13, part of Paul's catena of Old Testament texts proving that both Jews and Greeks stand under sin (Romans 3:9-12). Paul universalizes the psalm's portrait: the speech of fallen humanity reveals a heart that is corrupt throughout. This is the doctrine of total depravity, not that every person is as evil as possible but that sin pervades every faculty. Jesus locates the source of defiling speech in the heart (Matthew 15:18-19).
- Psalm 5:9 (BSB)“For not a word they speak can be trusted; destruction lies within them. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”David describes the deceitful and destructive speech of his enemies.
- Romans 3:13 (BSB)““Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.””Paul quotes this verse in his chain of texts about human sinfulness.
- Romans 3:9-12 (BSB)“What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.””Paul uses these texts to show that Jews and Gentiles alike are under sin and that no one is righteous.
- Matthew 15:18-19 (BSB)“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.”Jesus teaches that evil speech flows from an evil heart.