Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 55:20

"He hath put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him: He hath profaned his covenant." — Psalms 55:20 (ASV)

He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him — Against those who were his friends or who had given him no occasion for war. The Septuagint and Vulgate render this, “He hath put forth his hands in recompensing;” that is, in taking vengeance. The Hebrew would bear this construction, but the more correct rendering is that in our common version. The “connection” here would seem to indicate that this refers to God, as God is mentioned in the previous verse.

But evidently, the design is to refer to the enemies, or the principal enemy of the psalmist — the man whom he particularly had in mind in the composition of the psalm. The language is that of one who was “full” of the subject, who was thinking of one thing, and who did not consider it necessary to specify by name the man who had injured him and whose conduct had so deeply pained him.

He, therefore, begins the verse, “He hath put forth his hands,” etc., showing that his mind was fixed on the base conduct of his enemy. The language leads us to suppose that the psalmist had Ahithophel in view, as being eminently the man who had in this cruel and unexpected manner put forth his hands against one who was his friend, and who had always treated him with confidence.

He hath broken his covenant — He, Ahithophel. The margin, as the Hebrew, is, “He hath profaned.” The idea is that he had defiled or polluted it, or he had treated it as a vile thing — a thing to be regarded with contempt and aversion, as a polluted object is.

The “covenant” here referred to, according to the views expressed above, may be supposed to refer to the compact or agreement of Ahithophel with David as an officer of his realm — as an adviser and counselor — that he would be faithful to the interests of the king and to his cause. All this he had disregarded, and had treated as if it were a worthless thing, by identifying himself with Absalom in his rebellion. See 2 Samuel 15:12 and 2 Samuel 15:31.