Psalms 55:6

"Fearfulness and trembling have come on me. Horror has overwhelmed me."

Key Reflection

In Psalms 55:6, David expresses a profound sense of fear and dread that has overtaken him. The terms "fearfulness" (yir'ah) and "trembling" (pachad) convey a deep emotional and physical distress, reflecting his intense anguish possibly due to betrayal or conflict with those close to him. This verse captures the raw emotions experienced in times of extreme psychological pressure, highlighting the intensity of David's inner turmoil that a modern reader might easily overlook without understanding the cultural context of intense personal strife common among ancient leaders.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

And I said -That is, when I saw these calamities coming upon me, and knew not what the result was to be. Oh, that I had wings like a dove! -literally, “Who will give me wings like a dove?” or, Who will give me the pinion of a dove? The original word -אבר'êber- means properly, “a wing-feather;” a pinion; the penna major or flagfeather of a bird’s wing by which he steers his course, - as of an eagle,Isaiah 40:31, or of a dove, as here. It is distinguished from the wing itself,Ezekiel 17:3: “A great eagle, with great wings, “long-winged,” full of feathers.” The reference here is supposed to be to the turtle-dove - a species of dove common in Palestine. Compare the notes atPsalms 11:1.

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