The Meaning of Psalms 64:5 Explained

Psalms 64:5

KJV: They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

YLT: They strengthen for themselves an evil thing, They recount of the hiding of snares, They have said, 'Who doth look at it?'

Darby: They encourage themselves in an evil matter, they concert to hide snares; they say, Who will see them?

ASV: They encourage themselves in an evil purpose; They commune of laying snares privily; They say, Who will see them?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They encourage  themselves [in] an evil  matter:  they commune  of laying  snares  privily;  they say,  Who shall see  them? 

What does Psalms 64:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 64:1-10 - Deliverance From Powerful Foes
Another of the psalms dating from Saul's persecution. There are two stanzas.
Prayer for preservation, Psalms 64:1-6
Insult, sarcasm, and slander still fall to the lot of those who will live godly in this world. Very few of us are safe from poisoned arrows. Because the world is so full of evil men, who are disposed to put the worst construction on every act, we should be constantly on our guard to give no needless cause to the enemy to blaspheme, 2 Samuel 12:14. Daniel gives us an admirable illustration of this, since his enemies had no cause against him, save as it concerned the law of his God, Daniel 6:5.
Assurance of divine vindication, Psalms 64:7-10
David felt that God had undertaken to be his champion. His arrows were flying through the air thick and fast. Curses come home to roost, and the overthrow of wickedness by the floating mines set to wreck the righteous, is evidence of God's government of the world. Let the righteous look forward with quiet confidence to the time when the world shall be righted, and when the water-pots that are now filled to the brim with tears shall yield the wine of the wedding-feast. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 64

1  David prays for deliverance, complaining of his enemies
7  He promises himself to see such an evident destruction of his enemies,
10  as the righteous shall rejoice at it

What do the individual words in Psalms 64:5 mean?

They encourage themselves [in] an matter evil they talk secretly of laying snares they say who will see them
יְחַזְּקוּ־ לָ֨מוֹ ׀ דָּ֘בָ֤ר רָ֗ע יְֽ֭סַפְּרוּ לִטְמ֣וֹן מוֹקְשִׁ֑ים אָ֝מְר֗וּ מִ֣י יִרְאֶה־ לָּֽמוֹ

יְחַזְּקוּ־  They  encourage 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
לָ֨מוֹ ׀  themselves 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
דָּ֘בָ֤ר  [in]  an  matter 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
רָ֗ע  evil 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
יְֽ֭סַפְּרוּ  they  talk  secretly 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.
לִטְמ֣וֹן  of  laying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: טָמַן  
Sense: to hide, conceal, bury.
מוֹקְשִׁ֑ים  snares 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מֹוקֵשׁ  
Sense: bait, lure, snare.
אָ֝מְר֗וּ  they  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יִרְאֶה־  will  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.