Listen to my prayer, God; And do not hide Yourself from my pleading.
Parallel translations
- WEB For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David. Listen to my prayer, God. Don’t hide yourself from my supplication.
- KJV Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
- BSB For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea.
- NKJV Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
- NLT Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David pleads with God to hear his prayer and not hide from his supplication. It opens a lament with urgent appeal for God's attention.
Overview
This psalm of David begins with a heartfelt cry that God would listen and not withdraw. The plea anticipates the deep anguish to follow, especially over betrayal. It reminds believers they may bring even their most distressed prayers boldly before God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- 1 Pet 3:12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
- Ps 86:6Hear, Yahweh, my prayer. Listen to the voice of my petitions.
- Ps 61:1For the Chief Musician. For a stringed instrument. By David. Hear my cry, God. Listen to my prayer.
- Ps 27:9Don’t hide your face from me. Don’t put your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Don’t abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation.
- Ps 64:1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. Hear my voice, God, in my complaint. Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
- Ps 80:1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm by Asaph. Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock, you who sit above the cherubim, shine out.
- Ps 84:8Yahweh, God of Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, God of Jacob. Selah.
- Ps 143:7Hurry to answer me, Yahweh. My spirit fails. Don’t hide your face from me, so that I don’t become like those who go down into the pit.
- Ps 54:1–2For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Isn’t David hiding himself among us?” Save me, God, by your name. Vindicate me in your might.
- Ps 5:1For the Chief Musician, with the flutes. A Psalm by David. Give ear to my words, Yahweh. Consider my meditation.
- Ps 80:4Yahweh God of Armies, How long will you be angry against the prayer of your people?
- Ps 6:1For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments, upon the eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm by David. Yahweh, don’t rebuke me in your anger, neither discipline me in your wrath.
- Lam 3:8Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
- Ps 17:1A Prayer by David. Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea; Give ear to my prayer, that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips.
- Ps 28:1By David. To you, Yahweh, I call. My rock, don’t be deaf to me; lest, if you are silent to me, I would become like those who go down into the pit.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 55:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.