Tap any verse number for what that verse means.
1Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
2Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
3My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
4For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
5The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
7But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
8Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
10Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
11But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Understand This
Psalm 5, explained
What Psalm 5 is saying
Psalm 5 is a morning prayer that combines petition for divine guidance with an imprecatory appeal against the wicked. The psalmist presents himself at the temple in the morning (boqer), framing prayer as a daily morning offering. The characterization of the wicked emphasizes their deceptive speech—'their throat is an open grave' (qever-patuach g'ronam)—connecting sin to corrupted communication.
The background behind it
The superscription 'for flutes' (el-hanechilot) suggests specific instrumentation for temple worship. The psalm reflects a pre-exilic setting where the righteous could physically approach God's holy temple as part of their prayer life.
Themes running underneath
The psalm develops the theology of divine access: God does not welcome the arrogant or deceitful, but leads the righteous in His righteousness (tsedaqah). The imprecatory section expresses a desire for divine justice rather than personal vengeance, distinguishing judicial prayer from vindictiveness.
Why it still matters
This psalm models structuring one's day with morning prayer as the first act, presenting both personal needs and concerns about injustice to God. It also raises important questions about how to pray honestly when confronted with persistent evil.
Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.