The big picture
Psalms 64 opens in verse 1 with “Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 5 with “They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they…”, and closes in verse 10 with “The righteous shall be glad in the LORD , and shall trust in him; and all the upright in…” Repeated or prominent terms include shoot, fear, heart, search, secret. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 10Psalms 64:1-5
1–5: Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the…
Psalms 64:1–5 opens with “Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.” and reaches “They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by shoot, fear, secret.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
Psalms 64:1-5
King James Version1Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
3Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
4That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
5They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
Psalms 64:6-10
6–10: They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the…
Psalms 64:6–10 opens with “They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every…” and reaches “The righteous shall be glad in the LORD , and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by heart, search, accomplish.
Context that brings the passage to life
“They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
Psalms 64:6-10
King James Version6They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
7But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
8So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
9And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
10The righteous shall be glad in the LORD , and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 64:1 begins with “Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 64:5 forms a natural hinge: “They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?”
The final note
Psalms 64:10 leaves the reader with “The righteous shall be glad in the LORD , and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words shoot, fear, heart, search, secret, suddenly help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.