Psalms 64 (KJV)

Chapter Text

64:1 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

64:2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

64:3 Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

64:4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

64:5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

64:6 They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

64:7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

64:8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.

64:9 And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.

64:10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wounded", "iniquities", "hear", "voice", "prayer", "preserve", "life", and "fear". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wounded" and "iniquities", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local KJV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "wounded" and "iniquities" carries the first interpretive weight. 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 "wounded" and "iniquities" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.