Psalms 55:20 (ASV)

Passage

He hath put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him: He hath profaned his covenant.

Nearby Context

Psalms 55:18 He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me; For they were many [that strove] with me.

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 55:20 He hath put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him: He hath profaned his covenant.

Psalms 55:21 His mouth was smooth as butter, But his heart was war: His words were softer than oil, Yet were they drawn swords.

Psalms 55:22 Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hath", "forth", "hands", "against", "such", "peace", and "profaned". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hath" and "forth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "God will hear and answer them Even..." into verse 21's "His mouth was smooth as butter But...", so "hath" and "forth" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "hath" and "forth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.