Psalm 64 is a prayer against hidden enemies: “Hear, O God, my prayer, when I make supplication to thee: deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy.” The wicked sharpen their tongues like swords and plot in secret, but God turns their own words against them, and “The just shall rejoice in the Lord.” In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 63. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 64 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
Unto the end, a psalm for David.
Hear, O God, my prayer, when I make supplication to thee: deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy.
Thou hast protected me from the assembly of the malignant; from the multitude of the workers of iniquity.
For they have whetted their tongues like a sword; they have bent their bow a bitter thing,
To shoot in secret the undefiled.
They will shoot at him on a sudden, and will not fear: they are resolute in wickedness. They have talked of hiding snares; they have said: Who shall see them?
They have searched after iniquities: they have failed in their search. Man shall come to a deep heart:
And God shall be exalted. The arrows of children are their wounds:
And their tongues against them are made weak. All that saw them were troubled;
And every man was afraid. And they declared the works of God: and understood his doings.
The just shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall hope in him: and all the upright in heart shall be praised.
Psalm 64 or Psalm 63?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 63 is Psalm 64 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Exaudi, Deus, orationem meam cum deprecor. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- Fear of hidden enemies: “Thou hast protected me from the assembly of the malignant.”
- Words as weapons: “they have whetted their tongues like a sword.”
- Secret plots: they set snares and say, “Who shall see them?”
- God sees all: God strikes them suddenly, and their own tongues bring them down.
- Joy for the just: “The just shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall hope in him.”
How the Church uses Psalm 64
- In the Liturgy of the Hours.
- When attacked by gossip, slander or plots, as a prayer for protection. See psalms for protection.
A prayer with Psalm 64
Written for this page:
Hear my voice, O God, as I bring you my fear.
Protect me from secret plots and from tongues as sharp as swords.
You see what is hidden; let no evil prevail against your children.
Let the just rejoice in you and take refuge in you. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
What is Psalm 64 about?
A prayer for protection from enemies who plot in secret and attack with words, trusting that God will bring their schemes to nothing.
Is Psalm 64 a prayer against slander?
Yes. It speaks of tongues sharpened like swords and bitter words aimed like arrows.
More psalms and prayers
- Psalm 140 (Rescue me from evil men)
- Psalm 12
- Psalm 52
- Psalm 57
- Psalms for protection
- How many psalms are there?
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 63 (64), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.