Psalms 55:2 — Word Study
WLCהַקְשִׁ֣יבָה לִּ֣י וַעֲנֵ֑נִי אָרִ֖יד בְּשִׂיחִ֣י וְאָהִֽימָה׃
BSAto listenʼâzan Godʼĕlôhîym prayertᵉphillâh notʼal to concealʻâlam supplicationtᵉchinnâh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַקְשִׁ֣יבָה | pay attention ! | Verb hiphil imperative second person masculine singular, suffix |
| לִּ֣י | to me | Preposition, suffix |
| וַעֲנֵ֑נִי | and answer me | Conjunction, verb qal imperative second person masculine singular, suffix |
| אָרִ֖יד | I am restless | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect first person common singular |
| בְּשִׂיחִ֣י | in complaint my | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וְאָהִֽימָה׃ | and I am distraught | Conjunction, verb hiphil infinitive construct first person common singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught |
| KJV | Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; |
| ASV | Attend unto me, and answer me: I am restless in my complaint, and moan, |
| YLT | Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise, |
| WEB | Attend to me, and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan |
| BBE | Give thought to me, and let my prayer be answered: I have been made low in sorrow; |
The translations agree on the essence of the psalmist's plea for God's attention and response.
The verse has a main clause that directly addresses God, followed by a subordinate clause detailing the psalmist's emotional turmoil.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbעָלַם
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 55:2
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Lament for Helpgenerated
Psalm 55:2 captures a moment of deep emotional distress where the psalmist calls upon God to listen and respond. This plea reflects a broader theme in the Psalms, where individuals express their anguish and seek divine assistance in times of trouble. The surrounding verses illustrate a context of fear and turmoil, emphasizing the urgency of the psalmist's cry for help.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 13:1–2 | How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? |
| 2 | Psalm 32:3 | When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. |
| 3 | Psalm 38:6 | I am bent and brought low; all day long I go about mourning. |
| 4 | Psalm 43:2 | For You are the God of my refuge. Why have You rejected me? Why must I walk in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression? |
| 5 | Psalm 102:9–10 | For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הַקְשִׁ֣יבָה, hak.Shi.vahgenerated
The word הַקְשִׁ֣יבָה (hak.Shi.vah) is a hiphil imperative form of the verb קָשַׁב (qashab), meaning to listen or pay attention. This form indicates a command directed at God, urging Him to listen intently to the psalmist's plea.
The use of the imperative suggests a sense of urgency and desperation, as the psalmist implores God to take notice of his situation. It reflects the relational aspect of prayer, where the believer seeks an attentive response from the divine.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses attend for הַקְשִׁ֣יבָה and answer for וַעֲנֵ֑נִי, aligning with the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb וַעֲנֵ֑נִי (va.'a.Ne.ni, and answer me) governs the verse, with two phrases following: a prepositional phrase indicating the object of the plea and a clause expressing the psalmist's emotional state. The structure emphasizes the urgency of the request.
The word order places the imperative first, highlighting the psalmist's direct appeal to God, followed by his expression of distress, which serves to deepen the emotional impact of the plea.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הַקְשִׁ֣יבָה as θεός (Theos), which denotes a divine being, indicating an interpretation that emphasizes God's nature as attentive and responsive.
This choice reflects a broader understanding of God's role in the life of the believer, portraying Him as one who is always ready to listen and act.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 55:2 shows the psalmist asking God to listen and respond to his distress. He feels restless and troubled, expressing his emotions through a prayer. This verse highlights the deep need for divine attention in times of trouble.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist expresses a state of inner turmoil and anxiety, feeling unable to find peace or rest due to his circumstances.
He seeks God's attention in his distress, believing that divine intervention is necessary for relief from his troubles.
The complaint refers to his heartfelt prayer and supplication, where he expresses his anguish and need for help.
This verse is consistent with other psalms where individuals cry out to God in distress, seeking comfort and resolution in their struggles.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I express my own feelings of distress to God in prayer?
- What are some ways I can seek God's attention when I feel overwhelmed?
- In what situations have I felt restless, and how did I find peace?
- How can I support others who are experiencing distress, as the psalmist does?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentary on this verse includes Augustine of Hippo, who reflects on the emotional state expressed in the psalm.
"I have been made sad in my exercise, and have been troubled" [Psalms 55:2]. Where made sad, where troubled? "In my exercise," he says.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 55 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 55:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAttend unto me, and hear me,.... So as to answer, and that immediately and directly, his case requiring present help; I mourn in my complaint; or "in my meditation" (p); solitary thoughts, and melancholy views of things.
Read John Gill on Psalms 55 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAttend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Development of the prayer generally set forth in the introduction; two strophes (Psalms 55:2-8, and Psalms 55:9-15).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 55 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleFor my misery is very great, and forceth tears and bitter cries from me.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 55 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 55:2 Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;Ver. 2. Attend unto me, and hear me] Heb. answer me, that is, grant me deliverance from this death which threateneth me. This is his sense, as appeareth by the sequel; though at present he could not instance, but only beggeth audience. I mourn in my complaint] Heb. I toss this way and that way; I am so much troubled ut meipsum lamentando huc et illuc versare, et mire agitare cogar. Prae dolore moveo me nunc huc nunc illuc (Campensis). And make a noise] Plungo, et perstrepo. Of our Saviour it is said, that, being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly; he bent, as it were, all his nerves, and set up his note…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 55 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) I mourn.—A verb found in this form only in three other passages, always with the idea of restlessness—e.g., Genesis 27:40, of the roving life of a Bedouin; Jeremiah 2:31, of moral restlessness; Hosea 12:1, of political instability. Here it may either indicate that bodily restlessness which often serves as an outlet of grief: “Hard mechanic exercise, Like dull narcotics, numbing pain,” or the distracted state of the mind itself. And make a noise.—Better, and must roar, the form of the verb expressing the compulsion which the sufferer feels to give vent to his feelings in groans and murmurs. (See Note on Psalms 42:5.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 55 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 2. I mourn in my complaint] בשיחי besichi, in my sighing; a strong guttural sound, expressive of the natural accents of sorrow. And make a noise] I am in a tumult - I am strongly agitated.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 55 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges2. hear me] Answer me. I mourn &c.] Render, I am restless in my complaint, and am distracted (R.V. moan). A word used in Genesis 27:40 of a roving life, in Jeremiah 2:31 of impatience of restraint (R.V. break loose), is here applied to the restlessness of a distracted mind.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 55 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAttend unto me, and hear me - This also is the language of earnest supplication, as if he was afraid that God would not regard his cry.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 55 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught
Attend to me, and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan
Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught
Pay attention to me and answer me! I am so upset and distressed, I am beside myself,
Tyndale line
Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
Attend unto me, and answer me: I am restless in my complaint, and moan,
Attend unto me, and answer me: I am restless in my complaint, and moan;
Attend to me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
Hearken vnto me, and answere me: I mourne in my prayer, and make a noyse,
Strictly literal
Attend unto me, and answer me: I wander about in my plaint, and I moan aloud,
Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise,
Attend to me, and answer me, || I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise,
(55:3) Listen unto me, and answer me: I mourn in my grief, and moan;
Pay attention to me and answer me; I have no rest in my troubles
From the Latin
Have mercy on me, O God, for man hath trodden me under foot; all the day long he hath afflicted me fighting against me.
Simplified
Please listen, and give me an answer. I'm terribly troubled by my problems! I'm frantic!
Give thought to me, and let my prayer be answered: I have been made low in sorrow;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely align in this verse, with five of the six words matching. The Septuagint's different word order does not alter the essential meaning, indicating a consistent understanding of the psalmist's plea.
הַקְשִׁ֣יבָה לִּ֣י וַעֲנֵ֑נִי אָרִ֖יד בְּשִׂיחִ֣י וְאָהִֽימָה׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 55:2
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
קָשַׁב (qashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to listen or pay attention, particularly with reference to inclining one's ears. It encompasses actions like hearkening and giving heed. The word appears in contexts such as Isaiah 32:3, where it emphasizes attentiveness. The entries consistently describe its usage in both the Qal and Hiphil forms.
[קָשַׁב] 46 vb. incline, attend, of ears
Qal Is 32:3
Hiph. give attention
base
H7181 קָשַׁב incline, attend, of ears
7181 qashab kaw-shab'
a primitive root; to prick up the ears, i.e.
hearken:--attend, (cause to) hear(-ken), give heed, incline,
mark (well), regard.
קָשַׁב (qa.shav) — to listen.
1) to hear, be attentive, heed, incline (of ears), attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen
1a) (Qal) incline, attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen
1b) (Hiphil) to pay attention, give attention
HVhv2ms/Sh — Verb hiphil imperative second person masculine singular · suffixHVhv2ms/Sh
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HRd/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word עָנָה (*anah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to heed or pay attention, covering a range of meanings including to answer, respond, testify, and sing. It appears in contexts where one responds to speech or circumstances, and can also refer to singing. The lexicons indicate that it can imply both verbal responses and musical expression.
[עוּן] vb. dwell
base
עָנָה 316 vb. answer, respond
Qal
answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied
respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances
money meets all demands
specif. respond as a witness, testify
less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)
Niph.
make answer
be answered
Hiph. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart
base
עָנָה vb. sing
Qal sing, utter tunefully
Pi. sing sweetly of it
base
H6030a עוּן dwell H6030b עָנָה answer, respond .. answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied
. . respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances
. money meets all demands
. . specif. respond as a witness, testify
. less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)
. . make answer
. be answered
. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart
H6030c עָנָה sing
6030 `anah aw-naw'
a primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed,
i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extens. to
begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify,
announce:--give account, afflict (by mistake for 6031),
(cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for 6031), cry,
hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, X scholar, (give a) shout, sing
(together by course), speak, testify, utter, (bear) witness.
See also 1042, 1043.
see HEBREW for 06031
see HEBREW for 06031
see HEBREW for 01042
see HEBREW for 01043
עוּן (un) — to dwell.
(Qal) to dwell
עָנָה (a.nah) — to answer.
1) to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to answer, respond to
1a2) to testify, respond as a witness
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to make answer
1b2) to be answered, receive answer
Aramaic equivalent: a.nah (עֲנָה "to answer" H6032)
עָנָה (a.nah) — to sing.
(Qal) to sing, utter tunefully
HC/Vqv2ms/Sp1bs — Conjunction · verb qal imperative second person masculine singular · suffixHC/Vqv2ms/Sp1bs
רוּד (ruwd) is a primitive root meaning to wander restlessly or roam. It includes nuances of showing restlessness and can imply a lack of knowledge. The entries indicate its use in different forms, such as Qal and Hiphil, but do not provide specific verse references.
רוּד vb. wander restlessly, roam
Qal lacks knowledge
Hiph. shew restlessness
base
H7300 רוּד wander restlessly, roam .lacks knowledge
. shew restlessness
7300 ruwd rood
a primitive root; to tramp about, i.e. ramble (free or
disconsolate):--have the dominion, be lord, mourn, rule.
רוּד (rud) — to roam.
1) to wander restlessly, roam
1a) (Qal) to roam
1b) (Hiphil) to be restless, show restlessness
HVhi1cs — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect first person common singularHVhi1cs
שִׂיחַ (siyach) refers to a form of contemplation or utterance, encompassing meanings such as communication, complaint, meditation, and talk. It is derived from a related root and is associated with expressions of musing or anxiety. The entries suggest a focus on the emotional aspects of communication, particularly in the context of complaints or meditative thoughts.
שִׂיחַ n.m. complaint, musing
base
H7879 שִׂיחַ
7879 siyach see'-akh
from 7878; a contemplation; by implication, an
utterance:--babbling, communication, complaint, meditation,
prayer, talk.
see HEBREW for 07878
שִׂיחַ (si.ach) — complaint.
1) meditation, complaint, musing
1a) plaint, complaint
1b) following are uncertain
1b1) musing
1b2) anxiety, trouble
1b3) talk
HR/Ncmsc/Sp1bs — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word הוּם (*huwm*) is a primitive root meaning to make noise or uproar. It covers a range of meanings including to murmur, roar, and discomfit, and can describe agitation or disturbance in various contexts. The entries indicate its use in different forms, such as Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, each with specific nuances.
[הוּם, הִים] vb. murmur, roar, discomfit
Qal and he shall discomfit them (with) a great discomfiture
Niph. be in a stir, of a city; of ground re-echoing shout
Hiph. shew disquietude; they (i.e. fold & pasture) shall murmur with men.
base
H1949 [הוּם, הִים] murmur, roar, discomfit .and he shall discomfit them (with) a great discomfiture
. be in a stir, of a city; of ground re-echoing shout
. shew disquietude; they (i.e. fold & pasture) shall murmur with men.
1949 huwm hoom
a primitive root (compare 2000); to make an uproar, or
agitate greatly:--destroy, move, make a noise, put, ring
again.
see HEBREW for 02000
הוּם (hum) — to make noise.
1) to distract, ring again, make a (great) noise, murmur, roar, discomfit, be moved
1a) (Qal) to discomfit
1b) (Niphal) to be in a stir
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to murmur
1c2) to show disquietude
HC/Vhc1cs — Conjunction · verb hiphil infinitive construct first person common singularHC/Vhc1cs