Psalm 64 Study Notes

64:1-3 Sharpen is often used with tongues to describe destructive speech (55:21; 57:4; see note at 52:2).

64:4 Shooting from concealed places pictures the enemies hiding in ambush and waiting to strike without notice (10:8; 11:2). This was not open conflict but guerrilla warfare. Not afraid is perhaps an abbreviated way to say no “dread of God” (36:1).

64:5 The enemies did not believe God was paying attention (see notes at 10:3-6; 14:1).

64:6 The heart is mysterious in the sense that it is full of concealed wickedness, as revealed in actions (Pr 12:20; Jr 17:9).

64:7 God takes on the role of warrior (7:12), with the picture of him shooting arrows at the psalmist’s enemies, even while they were hiding and waiting to shoot the innocent (v. 4).

64:8 The phrase tongues work against them may be a reference to the enemies’ provoking God through their destructive speech. Shaking the head was a gesture often associated with mocking (see note at 22:6-8).

64:9 One of the purposes in God’s punishment of the wicked is to teach others (see note at 59:11).