Translations
Modern
He will reward my enemies with evil. In Your faithfulness, destroy them.
Traditional
He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.
Literal
He will return the evil to my enemies—in Your faithfulness put an end to them!
Latin
Averte mala inimicis meis; et in veritate tua disperde illos.
Original
Hebrew
English
He will reward my enemies with evil. In Your faithfulness, destroy them.
Notes
This personal lament was caused by violent and godless people (Psalm 54:3). The psalmist prays to God and focuses on God's help (54:4). He asks God to save him from evil and judge his enemies (Psalm 54:5, 7).
These psalms of David share a common theme. They reflect on the experience of evil. In Psalm 51, the psalmist admits his wrongdoing and asks for God's forgiveness. Psalms 52–64 express sorrow over specific evils David faced. A song of praise (Psalm 65) brings David's laments to an end.
Theme notes and profiles