Psalms 55:1 (DBY)

Passage

{To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments: an instruction. Of David.} Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.

Nearby Context

Psalms 55:1 {To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments: an instruction. Of David.} Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.

Psalms 55:2 Attend unto me, and answer me: I wander about in my plaint, and I moan aloud,

Psalms 55:3 Because of the voice of the enemy; because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in anger they persecute me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "chief", "musician", "stringed", "instruments", "instruction", "david", "give", and "prayer". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "chief" and "musician", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "Attend unto me and answer me I...", so "chief" and "musician" should be read forward into that movement. 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 "chief" and "musician" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.