CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. III
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. III

Psalm LXIV (64)

Cantillated — Imprecatory Lament Turning

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 64 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

Heb 1

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.

לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃

1Heb 2

Hear my voice, God, in my complaint. Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

שְׁמַע־אֱלֹהִ֣ים קוֹלִ֣י בְשִׂיחִ֑י מִפַּ֥חַד א֝וֹיֵ֗ב תִּצֹּ֥ר חַיָּֽי׃

2Heb 3

Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;

תַּ֭סְתִּירֵנִי מִסּ֣וֹד מְרֵעִ֑ים מֵ֝רִגְשַׁ֗ת פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

3Heb 4

who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and aim their arrows, deadly words,

אֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁנְנ֣וּ כַחֶ֣רֶב לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם דָּרְכ֥וּ חִ֝צָּ֗ם דָּבָ֥ר מָֽר׃

4Heb 5

to shoot innocent men from ambushes. They shoot at him suddenly and fearlessly.

לִיר֣וֹת בַּמִּסְתָּרִ֣ים תָּ֑ם פִּתְאֹ֥ם יֹ֝רֻ֗הוּ וְלֹ֣א יִירָֽאוּ׃

5Heb 6

They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly. They say, “Who will see them?”

יְחַזְּקוּ־לָ֨מוֹ ׀ דָּ֘בָ֤ר רָ֗ע יְֽ֭סַפְּרוּ לִטְמ֣וֹן מוֹקְשִׁ֑ים אָ֝מְר֗וּ מִ֣י יִרְאֶה־לָּֽמוֹ׃

6Heb 7

They plot injustice, saying, “We have made a perfect plan!” Surely man’s mind and heart are cunning.

יַֽחְפְּֽשׂוּ־עוֹלֹ֗ת תַּ֭מְנוּ חֵ֣פֶשׂ מְחֻפָּ֑שׂ וְקֶ֥רֶב אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֵ֣ב עָמֹֽק׃

7Heb 8

But God will shoot at them. They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.

וַיֹּרֵ֗ם אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים חֵ֥ץ פִּתְא֑וֹם הָ֝י֗וּ מַכּוֹתָֽם׃

8Heb 9

Their own tongues shall ruin them. All who see them will shake their heads.

וַיַּכְשִׁיל֣וּהוּ עָלֵ֣ימוֹ לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם יִ֝תְנֹדֲד֗וּ כָּל־רֹ֥אֵה בָֽם׃

9Heb 10

All mankind shall be afraid. They shall declare the work of God, and shall wisely ponder what he has done.

וַיִּֽירְא֗וּ כָּל־אָ֫דָ֥ם וַ֭יַּגִּידוּ פֹּ֥עַל אֱלֹהִ֗ים וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥הוּ הִשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃

10Heb 11

The righteous shall be glad in Yahweh, and shall take refuge in him. All the upright in heart shall praise him!

יִשְׂמַ֬ח צַדִּ֣יק בַּ֭יהוָה וְחָ֣סָה ב֑וֹ וְ֝יִתְהַֽלְל֗וּ כָּל־יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

Hear my voice

O God

In my complaint

hear me

Preserve my life

from fear

From fear

of the enemy

Hide me

from secret counsel

From the crowd

of those who do wrong

They sharpen

their tongue like a sword

They aim

their bitter words

They shoot in secret

at the blameless

Suddenly

they strike

They do not fear

they do not fear

But You, O God

You will answer

You will rise

You will act

You will turn

their words upon them

All will see

what You have done

All will see

what You have done

They hold fast

to evil plans

They speak

of hidden snares

They say

“Who will see us?”

The heart of man

runs deep

They search out

their hidden ways

They plan

in secret still

But suddenly

You answer

But You, O God

You will answer

You will rise

You will act

You will turn

their words upon them

All will see

what You have done

All will see

what You have done

All mankind

will fear

They will tell

of Your works

They will see

and understand

What Your hand

has done

The righteous

will rejoice in You

They will take

refuge in You

The upright

will glory

You, O God

You have answered

You have risen

You have acted

You have turned

the plans against them

All will see

what You have done

All will see

what You have done

Hear my voice

O God

Preserve my life

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn