Psalms 55:20 (WEB)

Passage

He raises his hands against his friends. He has violated his covenant.

Nearby Context

Psalms 55:18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, although there are many who oppose me.

Psalms 55:19 God, who is enthroned forever, will hear, and answer them. Selah. They never change, who don’t fear God.

Psalms 55:20 He raises his hands against his friends. He has violated his covenant.

Psalms 55:21 His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

Psalms 55:22 Cast your burden on Yahweh, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "raises", "hands", "against", "friends", "violated", and "covenant". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "raises" and "hands", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "God who is enthroned forever will hear..." into verse 21's "His mouth was smooth as butter but...", so "raises" and "hands" 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 "raises" and "hands" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.