Psalms 55:19 (DBY)

Passage

God will hear, and afflict them: he that is seated of old, (Selah) because there is no change in them, and they fear not God.

Nearby Context

Psalms 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and moan aloud; and he will hear my voice.

Psalms 55:18 He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me: for there were many about me.

Psalms 55:19 God will hear, and afflict them: he that is seated of old, (Selah) because there is no change in them, and they fear not God.

Psalms 55:20 He hath put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him; he hath profaned his covenant.

Psalms 55:21 Smooth were the milky [words] of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hear", "afflict", "seated", "selah", "change", and "fear". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hear" and "afflict", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "He hath redeemed my soul in peace..." into verse 20's "He hath put forth his hands against...", so "hear" and "afflict" 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 "hear" and "afflict" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.