Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 5

Give ear to my words, O Lord - We naturally incline the ear toward anyone when we wish to hear distinctly what they say, and we turn away the ear when we do not. The meaning here is, David prayed that God would be attentive to or would regard his prayer. This form of the petition is that he would attend to his “words”—to what he was about to “express” as his desire. He intended to express only what he wished to be granted.

Consider my meditation - Understand; perceive, for so the word rendered “consider” properly means. He desired that God would regard the real import of what is here called his “meditation;” that is, he wished God not merely to attend to his “words,” but to the secret and unexpressed desires of the soul. The idea seems to be that while his words would be sincere and truthful, yet they could not express “all” his meaning. There were desires of the soul which no language could convey—deep, unuttered “groanings” , which could not be uttered in language.

There is a difference, however, in rendering the word translated “meditation.” Most interpreters regard it as derived from הגה hâgâh—to meditate (see the notes at Psalms 1:2)—and as thus denoting “thought,” or “meditation.” Gesenius and some others regard it as derived from הגג hāgag—an obsolete root—meaning to set on fire, to kindle; and hence, that it means here “heat,” fervour of the mind; and then, fervent cry, or prayer.

See Rosenmuiller also in the passage cited. DeWette concurs with Gesenius, and supposes that it should be rendered “sigh” or complaint. Prof. Alexander renders it “thought.” Horsley renders it “my sighing,” but says he is in doubt whether it refers to an “internal desire of the mind,” in opposition to “words” in the former part of the verse, or to a “prayer uttered sotto voce, like the private prayer usually said by every person before he takes his seat in the church”—the “internal motion of the mind toward God.” It is not easy to determine the true meaning, but the probability is that it refers to an internal emotion—a fervent, ardent feeling—perhaps finding partial expression in sighs (Romans 8:26), but which does not find expression in words, and which words could not convey.

He prayed that God would attend to the “whole” desires of the soul—whether expressed or unexpressed.

Upon Nehiloth – The title of (Psalms 4:1–8) is “upon Neginoth.” Since that refers to a musical instrument, it is probable that this title does as well. The idea here is likely that this psalm was intended particularly for the music director who had particular charge of this instrument, or who presided over those who played on it. Perhaps the psalm was specially designed to be accompanied by this instrument.

The word here, Nehiloth—the plural form is נחילות (transliterated nechîylôth), and the singular is נחילה (transliterated nechîylâh)—is supposed by Gesenius (Lexicon) to denote a flute or pipe, as being “perforated,” from חלל (transliterated châlal), meaning “to bore.” This word occurs only in this place. Many different opinions have been held regarding its meaning.

See Hengstenberg, “Com.” The Latin Vulgate and the Septuagint understand it as meaning “inheritance”—the same as נחלה (transliterated nachălâh)—and as being somehow designed to refer to the people of God “as” a heritage. The Latin Vulgate states: In finem pro ca, quae hereditatem consequitur, psalmus David. So the Septuagint: ὑπὲρ τῆς κληρονομούσης (transliterated huper tēs klēronomousēs). So Luther: Fur das Erbe. The precise idea attached to this is not very easy to determine.

Luther explains it: “According to the title, this is the general idea of the psalm, that the author prays for the inheritance or heritage of God, desiring that the people of God may be faithful to him, and may always adhere to him.”

The true interpretation, however, is evidently to regard this as referring to an instrument of music, and to consider the psalm as adapted to be sung with the specified instrument. Why it was particularly adapted to “that” instrument of music cannot now be determined. Horsley renders it “upon the flutes.” (Compare Ugolin, Thesau. Ant. Sac., volume xxxii, pp. 158-170).

A Psalm of David – See introduction to (Psalms 3:1–8).

Hearken unto the voice of my cry — My cry for assistance. The word “voice” refers to the utterance of his desires, or to his “expressed” wishes in a time of trouble.

My King, and my God — Though he was himself a king, he still acknowledged his subjection to God as his supreme Ruler, and looked up to Him to protect him in his dangers and to restore him to his rights. He was, at the same time, his God—his covenant God—to whom he felt he was permitted to come in the hour of trouble, and whose blessing he was permitted to invoke.

For unto thee will I pray — He had no one else to go to in his troubles, and he felt that he “might” approach the living God. It was his fixed purpose—his regular habit—to pray to Him, and to seek His favor and friendship, and he felt that he was permitted to do so now.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord — This refers to the voice of prayer. Compare the notes at Psalms 3:5. Probably he refers here to a general habit of praying in the morning, though he makes a particular reference to his circumstances at that time. Compare Psalms 55:17.

The psalmist doubtless felt that while it was a general duty and privilege to call upon God with the return of each morning, there was a special reason for it in the circumstances in which he then was. See the introduction to the psalm. He was then surrounded by enemies and was in danger, and it was only in God that he could hope for protection even for a single day.

The propriety of looking to God in the morning by prayer commends itself to any reflecting mind. Who knows what a day may bring forth?

Who knows what temptations may await him? Who can protect himself from the dangers which may encompass him? Who can enable us to discharge the duties which are incumbent on us every day? Feeble, helpless, sinful, prone to err, in a world of temptation, and surrounded by dangers both when we see them and when we do not, there is an obvious fitness in looking to God each morning for His guidance and protection; and the resolution of the psalmist here should be the firm purpose of every person.

In the morning — Regularly; each morning.

Will I direct my prayer unto thee — The margin, as in Hebrew, says “set in order.” The word used here – ערך ‛ ârak – means properly to place in a row, to put in order, to arrange; for example, to place wood upon the altar (Genesis 22:9; Leviticus 1:7); to arrange the showbread on the table (Exodus 40:23; Leviticus 24:6, 8).

There is, not improbably, an allusion to these customs in the use of the word here. The meaning may be that his prayer would be a regularly arranged service before God. It would be a kind of morning sacrifice, and it would be arranged and performed with a suitable regard to the nature of the service – the fact that it was rendered to the great God.

There would be a devout regard to propriety – a serious and solemn attention to the duties involved in the act as the worship of a holy God. Prayer should not be rash; it should not be performed negligently or with a light spirit. It should engage the profound thought of the soul and should be performed with the same serious regard to time and propriety which was demanded in the solemn and carefully prescribed rites of the ancient temple service.

And will look up —

The word used here – צפה tsâphâh – means, properly, to look about, to view from a distance. In Isaiah 21:5, it refers to a tower which has a wide prospect. Compare Song of Solomon 7:4.

The idea here is properly that he would watch, narrowly and carefully (as one does who is stationed on a tower). He would watch for some token of divine favor – for some answer to his prayer, for some divine interposition, for some intimation of the divine will. This is, perhaps, equivalent to the Saviour’s repeated command to “watch and pray.”

The notion of looking “up” is not necessarily in the word used here, but it indicates the state of mind where there is deep and careful solicitude as to the answer to prayer.

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness—The psalmist here refers to a well-known and well-understood characteristic of the Divine Being: that He was holy and pure, and that He could not have any pleasure in furthering the designs of wicked men. This is said with reference to his enemies, who were wicked; and the idea is that God would not, and could not, consistently with His nature, further their designs. This is the ground of encouragement he had for praying—that he was conscious that his own aims were right, and that his cause was just, and that God could not favor the cause of the ungodly.

This is still, and always will be, a ground of encouragement in prayer. If we know that our cause is right, we may look to God to favor it; if a cause is wrong, we cannot look to Him to interpose to advance it. Good men, therefore, pray; wicked men do not.

Neither shall evil dwell with thee—The same idea is here expressed in another form. If God should show favor to the wicked, it would seem as if He admitted them to His habitation, as we do our friends and those in whom we delight. But as God would not do this, the psalmist feels that it was proper for him to call upon Him to deliver him from wicked people.