Psalms 55:10
Psalms 55:10 in Multiple Translations
Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within.
Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: Iniquity also and mischief are in the midst of it.
By day and night they go round the town, on the walls; trouble and sorrow are in the heart of it.
They patrol the city walls day and night, and wickedness and trouble are within the city.
Day and night they goe about it vpon the walles thereof: both iniquitie and mischiefe are in the middes of it.
By day and by night they go round it, on its walls. Both iniquity and perverseness [are] in its midst,
Day and night they prowl around on its walls. Malice and abuse are also within her.
Day and night they go about it upon its walls: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
Then shall my enemies be turned back. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, behold I know thou art my God.
During each day and night they march around on top of its walls, committing crimes and causing trouble.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 55:10
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 55:10 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
בַּלַּ֣ע
אֲ֭דֹנָ/י
פַּלַּ֣ג
לְשׁוֹנָ֑/ם
כִּֽי
רָאִ֨יתִי
חָמָ֖ס
וְ/רִ֣יב
בָּ/עִֽיר
בַּלַּ֣ע
bâlaʻ
H1104
to swallow up
V-Piel-Impv-2ms
אֲ֭דֹנָ/י
ʼĂdônây
H136
Lord
N-mp | Suff
פַּלַּ֣ג
pâlag
H6385
to divide
V-Piel-Impv-2ms
לְשׁוֹנָ֑/ם
lâshôwn
H3956
tongue
N-cs | Suff
כִּֽי
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
רָאִ֨יתִי
râʼâh
H7200
Provider
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
חָמָ֖ס
châmâç
H2555
violence
N-ms
וְ/רִ֣יב
rîyb
H7379
strife
Conj | N-cs
בָּ/עִֽיר
ʻîyr
H5892
excitement
Prep | N-fs
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 55:10
בַּלַּ֣ע
bâlaʻ
H1104
"to swallow up"
V-Piel-Impv-2ms
This word means to swallow or destroy something completely. It can be used to describe something being eaten up or destroyed, like in a natural disaster or a strong storm. The Bible uses it to convey total destruction.
Definition: 1) to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to swallow down 1a2) to swallow up, engulf 1b) (Niphal) to be swallowed up 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to swallow 1c2) to swallow up, engulf 1c3) squandering (fig.) 1d) (Pual) to be swallowed up 1e) (Hithpael) to be ended
Usage: Occurs in 48 OT verses. KJV: cover, destroy, devour, eat up, be at end, spend up, swallow down (up). See also: Genesis 41:7; Psalms 106:17; Psalms 21:10.
אֲ֭דֹנָ/י
ʼĂdônây
H136
"Lord"
N-mp | Suff
Adonay is a title used to refer to God, spoken in place of Yahweh as a sign of reverence and respect. It is used throughout the Bible to address God or refer to Him in a formal way. Adonay is a term of worship and devotion.
Definition: Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
Usage: Occurs in 430 OT verses. KJV: (my) Lord. See also: Genesis 15:2; Isaiah 3:17; Psalms 2:4.
פַּלַּ֣ג
pâlag
H6385
"to divide"
V-Piel-Impv-2ms
This verb means to split or divide something, like a river or a group of people. It is used in the Bible to describe things being separated.
Definition: 1) to divide, split 1a) (Niphal) to be split, be divided 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to split, cleave 1b2) to divide Aramaic equivalent: pe.lag (פְּלַג "to divide" H6386)
Usage: Occurs in 4 OT verses. KJV: divide. See also: Genesis 10:25; Job 38:25; Psalms 55:10.
לְשׁוֹנָ֑/ם
lâshôwn
H3956
"tongue"
N-cs | Suff
The tongue, used for eating, speaking, or describing a language. In the Bible, it appears in many books, including Genesis 11:1 and Acts 2:4.
Definition: : tongue/words 1) tongue 1a) tongue (of men) 1a1) tongue (literal) 1a2) tongue (organ of speech) 1b) language 1c) tongue (of animals) 1d) tongue (of fire) 1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)
Usage: Occurs in 115 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] babbler, bay, [phrase] evil speaker, language, talker, tongue, wedge. See also: Genesis 10:5; Psalms 126:2; Psalms 5:10.
כִּֽי
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
רָאִ֨יתִי
râʼâh
H7200
"Provider"
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
The Hebrew word for provider means to see or look after, and is used to describe God's care for his people. It appears in various forms throughout the Bible, including in Genesis and other books.
Definition: (Lord will) Provide, cause to be seen. This name means to see, look at, inspect, look after
Usage: Occurs in 1206 OT verses. KJV: advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, [idiom] be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), [idiom] sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, [idiom] surely, [idiom] think, view, visions. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 41:41; Exodus 33:13.
חָמָ֖ס
châmâç
H2555
"violence"
N-ms
This word describes violence, injustice, or cruelty, often referring to unfair treatment of others. In Isaiah and Jeremiah, it condemns oppressive behaviors, highlighting the need for justice and fairness. It involves wrongdoing and harm to others.
Definition: violence, wrong, cruelty, injustice
Usage: Occurs in 59 OT verses. KJV: cruel(-ty), damage, false, injustice, [idiom] oppressor, unrighteous, violence (against, done), violent (dealing), wrong. See also: Genesis 6:11; Proverbs 10:11; Psalms 7:17.
וְ/רִ֣יב
rîyb
H7379
"strife"
Conj | N-cs
This Hebrew word refers to a dispute or quarrel between people, which can be a physical fight or a verbal argument. It is often used to describe a lawsuit or controversy, and appears in books like Deuteronomy and Job.
Definition: 1) strife, controversy, dispute 1a) strife, quarrel 1b) dispute, controversy, case at law
Usage: Occurs in 60 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] adversary, cause, chiding, contend(-tion), controversy, multitude (from the margin), pleading, strife, strive(-ing), suit. See also: Genesis 13:7; Proverbs 17:1; Psalms 18:44.
בָּ/עִֽיר
ʻîyr
H5892
"excitement"
Prep | N-fs
In the Bible, this word refers to a city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Definition: 1) excitement, anguish 1a) of terror
Usage: Occurs in 936 OT verses. KJV: Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town. See also: Genesis 4:17; Deuteronomy 3:6; Joshua 14:12.
Study Notes — Psalms 55:10
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 55:10 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 55:10
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 55:10
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 55:10
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 55:10
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 55:10
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 55:10
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 55:10
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 55:10
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 55:10
- Sermons on Psalms 55:10
Context — Cast Your Burden upon the LORD
8I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”
9O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.
10Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within.
11Destruction is within; oppression and deceit never leave the streets. 12For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 59:14–15 | They return in the evening, snarling like dogs and prowling around the city. They scavenge for food, and growl if they are not satisfied. |
| 2 | Isaiah 59:6–15 | Their cobwebs cannot be made into clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their deeds are sinful deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake. The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their tracks. They have turned them into crooked paths; no one who treads on them will know peace. Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom. Like the blind, we feel our way along the wall, groping like those without eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead. We all growl like bears and moan like doves. We hope for justice, but find none, for salvation, but it is far from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. Our transgressions are indeed with us, and we know our iniquities: rebelling and denying the LORD, turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lies from the heart. So justice is turned away, and righteousness stands at a distance. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter. Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil becomes prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. |
| 3 | Ezekiel 9:4 | “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.” |
| 4 | Micah 2:1–2 | Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands. They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance. |
| 5 | Zephaniah 3:1–3 | Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She heeded no voice; she accepted no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she has not drawn near to her God. Her princes are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, leaving nothing for the morning. |
| 6 | Acts 9:24 | but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him. |
| 7 | Psalms 59:6 | They return in the evening, snarling like dogs and prowling around the city. |
| 8 | 1 Samuel 19:11 | Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!” |
| 9 | 2 Samuel 16:21–22 | Ahithophel replied, “Sleep with your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become a stench to your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.” So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. |
| 10 | 2 Samuel 17:1–2 | Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. I will attack him while he is weak and weary; I will throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will flee; I will strike down only the king |
Psalms 55:10 Summary
This verse, Psalms 55:10, is saying that the city is surrounded by danger, both from the outside and from within. The phrase 'day and night they encircle the walls' suggests that the city is constantly under threat, and that there is no escape from the malice and trouble that lies within. Just like the city in this verse, we too can feel surrounded by danger and uncertainty, but we can trust in God's protection and care, as promised in Psalms 91:4 and Jeremiah 29:11. By turning to God and trusting in His goodness, we can find peace and refuge in the midst of trouble.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for malice and trouble to lie within the city?
This phrase suggests that the problems in the city are not just external, but also internal, and that the wickedness is deeply ingrained, as seen in Psalms 55:11, where it says 'Destruction is within'
How can we apply this verse to our own lives?
We can apply this verse by recognizing that just as the city in Psalms 55:10 was surrounded by danger, we too are surrounded by spiritual dangers, and we must turn to God for protection, as encouraged in Psalms 91:4
Is this verse talking about a physical city or a spiritual city?
While the context of Psalms 55 suggests that the city is likely a physical city, such as Jerusalem, the principles can also be applied to the spiritual city, the church, where malice and trouble can also lie within, as warned in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13
How does this verse relate to the rest of the chapter?
This verse is part of a larger lament by the psalmist, who is crying out to God for help in the midst of violence and strife, and it sets the stage for the rest of the chapter, which expresses the psalmist's trust in God's deliverance, as seen in Psalms 55:22-23
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that malice and trouble can lie within my own heart, and how can I ask God to search me and know me, as in Psalms 139:23-24?
- How can I, like the psalmist, cry out to God for help in the midst of danger and uncertainty, and what does it mean to 'cast my cares on Him' as in 1 Peter 5:7?
- What are some ways that I can be a source of peace and refuge in a world filled with malice and trouble, and how can I be a reflection of God's love, as in Matthew 5:14-16?
- How can I balance the need to be aware of the dangers that surround me with the need to trust in God's sovereignty and protection, as in Psalms 23:4?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 55:10
Day and night they go about it, upon the walls thereof,.... That is, "violence" and "strife" go about the walls of it continually; men of violence and contention are the only watchmen of it: a city
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 55:10
Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. Day and night they go about it - at all times.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 55:10
They, i.e. the violence and strife last mentioned, , go about it; do encompass it, and are as it were the garrison by which they design to defend it. Upon the walls thereof; in the more outward parts, as also in the very midst of it, as it follows. So that all parts were horribly corrupted.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 55:10
Psalms 55:10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow [are] in the midst of it.Ver. 10. Day and night they go about it, upon the walls thereof] The ruffian soldiers do, as in garrisons is usual; or violence and strife do; so that in no place are good men in safety from rapines and robberies. Mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it] What work may be thought to be made the common soldiers, among the women especially, when Absalom openly defileth his father’ s concubines in the sight of all Israel! 2 Samuel 16:22. When Tilly took Magdeburg in the late German wars, besides many other outrages, the ladies, gentlewomen, and others, like beasts and dogs, they yoked and coupled together, leading them into the woods to ravish them. Such as resisted they stripped naked, whipped them, cropped their ears, and so sent them home again.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 55:10
(10) They go.—It is quite in keeping with the Hebrew style to suppose mischief and strife personified here as the ancient versions do, and not only occupying the city as inhabitants, but prowling about its walls. So in the next verse corruption (see Psalms 5:9, Note), deceit, and guile are personified. Comp. Virgil’s “ubique Luctus, ubique Pavor, et plurima mortis imago.”
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 55:10
Verse 10. Day and night they go about] This and the following verse show the state of Jerusalem at this time. Indeed, they exhibit a fair view of the state of any city in the beginning of an insurrection. The leaders are plotting continually; going about to strengthen their party, and to sow new dissensions by misrepresentation, hypocrisy, calumny, and lies.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 55:10
10. they go about it upon the walls thereof] A metaphor from watchmen going their rounds on the city walls. But who are meant by they? Perhaps the party hostile to the Psalmist, who are ever patrolling the city, on the alert for mischief. Cp. Isaiah 29:20. But perhaps rather Violence and Strife personified. These he implies with a bitter irony are the watchmen who are now in charge of order and safety in the city. This explanation agrees well with the following lines: Iniquity also and Mischief are in the midst of it, Destruction is in the midst thereof: Oppression and Deceit depart not from her streets.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 55:10
Day and night they go about it, upon the walls thereof - That is, continually. The word “they” in this place probably refers to the violence and strife mentioned in the preceding verse.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 55:10
10. They go about it upon the walls—That is, the conspirators, or their spies, mentioned Psalms 55:3.
Sermons on Psalms 55:10
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Doctrine of the Remnant - Part 1 by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher begins by praying for mercy upon America and for people to turn away from idols and serve God. He emphasizes the importance of not just worshiping God |
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The Glory of God and the Image of Jealousy by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the preacher warns the congregation about the dangers of turning away from God and indulging in sinful behavior. He emphasizes that those who take pleasure in wicke |
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The Touch of God - Slovakia Conference 2003 (Slovakian/english) by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of being a man of prayer and brokenness. He shares his own journey of spiritual laziness and how he had to make a decision to |
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Church History - Session 8 (The Book of Revelation) by Edgar F. Parkyns | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on Revelation 13 and the rise of the beast from the sea. The beast is described as having seven heads and ten horns, with the dragon giving it |
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(Timeless Doctrines) Revelation's Timeless Doctrines - Part 4 by Denny Kenaston | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of preparing oneself to face persecution and potential martyrdom for the sake of their faith in God. He urges the audience to |
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(Audio Sermon) Freedom From Denominationalism by Zac Poonen | This sermon emphasizes the need to break free from denominationalism and focus on building solid local churches where genuine concern, weeping, and groaning over the spiritual cond |
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Marked Men #2 by Gareth Evans | In this sermon, the speaker shares two powerful stories that illustrate the brokenness and suffering in the world. The first story is about a missionary in Haiti who brings doctors |