Psalms 55:7 (ASV)

Passage

Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah

Nearby Context

Psalms 55:5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, And horror hath overwhelmed me.

Psalms 55:6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then would I fly away, and be at rest.

Psalms 55:7 Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah

Psalms 55:8 I would haste me to a shelter From the stormy wind and tempest.

Psalms 55:9 Destroy, O Lord, [and] divide their tongue; For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wander", "lodge", "wilderness", and "selah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wander" and "lodge", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "And I said Oh that I had..." into verse 8's "I would haste me to a shelter...", so "wander" and "lodge" 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 "wander" and "lodge" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.