Psalm 55

It’s likely that this psalm was written early in Absalom’s rebellion (2 Sam. 15–17), when David was still in Jerusalem (vv. 9-11) and the revolt was gathering momentum. If so, then the “friend” of verses 12-14 and 20-21 had to be David’s counselor Ahithophel, who had sided with Absalom. Many commentators claim that the king and his officers didn’t know about Ahithophel’s treachery until after David had fled the city (2 Sam. 15:31), but this isn’t clearly stated in Scripture. David was a man with keen discernment, and it is difficult to believe that his closest adviser’s treachery was hidden from him. If this psalm was David’s prayer while still in Jerusalem, then his prayer in 2 Samuel 15:31 is simply a repetition of verse 9. The psalm reveals four possible approaches to handling the painful problems and battles of life.