Psalms 55:8 (ASV)

Passage

I would haste me to a shelter From the stormy wind and tempest.

Nearby Context

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.

Psalms 55:10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: Iniquity also and mischief are in the midst of it.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "haste", "shelter", "stormy", "wind", and "tempest". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "haste" and "shelter", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Lo then would I wander far off..." into verse 9's "Destroy O Lord and divide their tongue...", so "haste" and "shelter" 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 "haste" and "shelter" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.