Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 55:19

"God will hear, and answer them, Even he that abideth of old, Selah [The men] who have no changes, And who fear not God." — Psalms 55:19 (ASV)

God shall hear. — This verse should be rendered:

God shall hear and afflict them,
He abides of old;
One in whom are no changes,
And yet they fear not God.

(Compare to James 1:17, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.) As the text stands, for afflict we should have answer, but the Septuagint and Vulgate have the true reading.

The Selah must be removed as plainly out of place. The plural pronoun is used poetically for the singular.

The word changes, chalîpôth, is used for troops relieving guard (Job 14:14), for servants taking their turn of work, or for a change of clothing, etc. Here it generally means variableness.

The rendering of the Authorised Version does not suit the context. The reason for the assertion that, in spite of His invariableness, the wicked do not fear God, appears in the next verse.

Instead of respecting those in covenant with One who does not change, they have not feared to attack and oppress them.