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My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/psalms/55.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/psalms/55.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/psalms/55.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/psalms/55.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/psalms/55.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/psalms/55.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Give <i>Your</i> attention to me and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and severely distracted,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/psalms/55.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Give heed to me and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/psalms/55.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />Give heed to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/psalms/55.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Give heed to me and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/psalms/55.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Listen to me and answer me; I am restless <i>and</i> distraught in my complaint and distracted<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/psalms/55.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Pay attention to me and answer me. I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/psalms/55.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Pay attention to me and answer me. I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/psalms/55.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Attend unto me, and answer me: I am restless in my complaint, and moan,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/psalms/55.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Please listen and help me. My thoughts are troubled, and I keep groaning <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/psalms/55.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Attend unto me, and answer me: I am restless in my complaint, and moan;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/psalms/55.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />Pay attention to me, and answer me. My thoughts are restless, and I am confused<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/psalms/55.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />Listen to me and answer me; I am worn out by my worries. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/psalms/55.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />Pay attention to me and answer me. I moan and groan in my thoughts,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/psalms/55.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/psalms/55.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Pay attention to me and answer me! I am so upset and distressed, I am beside myself, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/psalms/55.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Attend to me, and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/psalms/55.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Attend to me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/psalms/55.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Attend to me, and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/psalms/55.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Attend to me, and answer me, "" I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/psalms/55.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/psalms/55.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Attend to me and answer me; I shall flow down and make a noise in my complaint.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/psalms/55.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />be attentive to me and hear me. I am grieved in my exercise; and am troubled, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/psalms/55.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br /><V 54:3>Be attentive to me, and heed me. I have been grieved in my training, and I have been disturbed<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/psalms/55.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />hear me and give answer. I rock with grief; I groan <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/psalms/55.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Attend to me, and answer me; I am troubled in my complaint. I am distraught <div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/psalms/55.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Hear me and answer me; return to my cry and incline to me,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/psalms/55.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Hear me and answer me and turn to my crying and hear me<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/psalms/55.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Attend unto me, and answer me; I am distraught in my complaint, and will moan;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/psalms/55.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Attend to me, and hearken to me: I was grieved in my meditation, and troubled;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/psalms/55-2.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nFaD2oDhKPc?start=6420" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/psalms/55.htm">Cast Your Burden upon the LORD</a></span><br><span class="reftext">1</span>For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea. <span class="reftext">2</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/7181.htm" title="7181: haq·šî·ḇāh (V-Hifil-Imp-ms:: 3fs) -- To incline (ears), attend. A primitive root; to prick up the ears, i.e. Hearken.">Attend</a> <a href="/hebrew/lî (Prep:: 1cs) -- ">to me</a> <a href="/hebrew/6030.htm" title="6030: wa·‘ă·nê·nî (Conj-w:: V-Qal-Imp-ms:: 1cs) -- To answer, respond.">and answer me.</a> <a href="/hebrew/7300.htm" title="7300: ’ā·rîḏ (V-Hifil-Imperf-1cs) -- To wander restlessly, roam. A primitive root; to tramp about, i.e. Ramble.">I am restless</a> <a href="/hebrew/7879.htm" title="7879: bə·śî·ḥî (Prep-b:: N-msc:: 1cs) -- Complaint, musing. From siyach; a contemplation; by implication, an utterance.">in my complaint,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1949.htm" title="1949: wə·’ā·hî·māh (Conj-w:: V-Hifil-ConjImperf.Cohort-1cs) -- To murmur, roar, defeat in battle. A primitive root; to make an uproar, or agitate greatly.">and distraught</a> </span><span class="reftext">3</span>at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they release disaster upon me and revile me in their anger.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/26-38.htm">Matthew 26:38</a></span><br />Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/philippians/4-6.htm">Philippians 4:6-7</a></span><br />Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. / And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/5-7.htm">1 Peter 5:7</a></span><br />Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/11-28.htm">Matthew 11:28-30</a></span><br />Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. / Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. / For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_corinthians/1-8.htm">2 Corinthians 1:8-10</a></span><br />We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. / Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. / He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/5-7.htm">Hebrews 5:7</a></span><br />During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/22-44.htm">Luke 22:44</a></span><br />And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/12-27.htm">John 12:27</a></span><br />Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/8-26.htm">Romans 8:26</a></span><br />In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_corinthians/12-8.htm">2 Corinthians 12:8-10</a></span><br />Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. / But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. / That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/53-3.htm">Isaiah 53:3-4</a></span><br />He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. / Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/20-7.htm">Jeremiah 20:7-9</a></span><br />You have deceived me, O LORD, and I was deceived. You have overcome me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. / For whenever I speak, I cry out; I proclaim violence and destruction. For the word of the LORD has become to me a reproach and derision all day long. / If I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/3-55.htm">Lamentations 3:55-57</a></span><br />I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the depths of the Pit. / You heard my plea: “Do not ignore my cry for relief.” / You drew near when I called on You; You said, “Do not be afraid.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/30-27.htm">Job 30:27</a></span><br />I am churning within and cannot rest; days of affliction confront me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_samuel/1-15.htm">1 Samuel 1:15</a></span><br />“No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have not had any wine or strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Attend to me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;</p><p class="hdg">I mourned</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/13-1.htm">Psalm 13:1,2</a></b></br> To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/32-3.htm">Psalm 32:3</a></b></br> When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/38-6.htm">Psalm 38:6</a></b></br> I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/psalms/28-5.htm">Attend</a> <a href="/job/33-19.htm">Complaint</a> <a href="/luke/10-40.htm">Distracted</a> <a href="/hosea/4-14.htm">Distraught</a> <a href="/psalms/54-2.htm">Hear</a> <a href="/psalms/39-1.htm">Heed</a> <a href="/psalms/49-2.htm">Low</a> <a href="/psalms/49-3.htm">Meditation</a> <a href="/nahum/2-7.htm">Moan</a> <a href="/job/14-22.htm">Mourn</a> <a href="/psalms/47-1.htm">Noise</a> <a href="/psalms/44-5.htm">Overcome</a> <a href="/proverbs/23-29.htm">Plaint</a> <a href="/psalms/55-1.htm">Prayer</a> <a href="/genesis/27-40.htm">Restless</a> <a href="/psalms/43-2.htm">Sorrow</a> <a href="/psalms/54-4.htm">Surely</a> <a href="/psalms/50-21.htm">Thought</a> <a href="/psalms/49-3.htm">Thoughts</a> <a href="/psalms/54-7.htm">Trouble</a> <a href="/job/38-41.htm">Wander</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/psalms/61-1.htm">Attend</a> <a href="/psalms/55-17.htm">Complaint</a> <a href="/psalms/88-15.htm">Distracted</a> <a href="/hosea/4-14.htm">Distraught</a> <a href="/psalms/55-17.htm">Hear</a> <a href="/psalms/58-5.htm">Heed</a> <a href="/psalms/56-7.htm">Low</a> <a href="/psalms/64-1.htm">Meditation</a> <a href="/psalms/55-17.htm">Moan</a> <a href="/proverbs/5-11.htm">Mourn</a> <a href="/psalms/55-3.htm">Noise</a> <a href="/psalms/61-2.htm">Overcome</a> <a href="/psalms/102-1.htm">Plaint</a> <a href="/psalms/55-16.htm">Prayer</a> <a href="/jeremiah/49-23.htm">Restless</a> <a href="/psalms/55-3.htm">Sorrow</a> <a href="/psalms/58-11.htm">Surely</a> <a href="/psalms/55-19.htm">Thought</a> <a href="/psalms/56-5.htm">Thoughts</a> <a href="/psalms/55-3.htm">Trouble</a> <a href="/psalms/55-7.htm">Wander</a><div class="vheading2">Psalm 55</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/55-1.htm">David in his prayer complains of his fearful case</a></span><br><span class="reftext">9. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/55-9.htm">He prays against his enemies, of whose wickedness and treachery he complains</a></span><br><span class="reftext">16. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/55-16.htm">He comforts himself in God's preservation oh him, and confusion of his enemies</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/psalms/55.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/psalms/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/psalms/55.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>Attend to me and answer me.</b><br>This plea reflects the psalmist's urgent need for God's attention and intervention. In the context of ancient Israel, prayer was a vital means of communication with God, often seeking His guidance and deliverance. The psalmist's request for God to "attend" and "answer" underscores a deep reliance on divine responsiveness, a theme echoed throughout the Psalms (e.g., <a href="/psalms/4.htm">Psalm 4:1</a>, <a href="/psalms/17-6.htm">Psalm 17:6</a>). This phrase also highlights the personal relationship between the psalmist and God, emphasizing trust in God's willingness to listen and respond. The call for God to "answer" can be seen as a precursor to the New Testament assurance found in 1 <a href="/john/5-14.htm">John 5:14-15</a>, where believers are encouraged that God hears and answers prayers according to His will.<p><b>I am restless in my complaint,</b><br>The psalmist's restlessness indicates a state of inner turmoil and anxiety. This reflects the human condition of distress when faced with overwhelming circumstances. The term "complaint" here is not merely a grievance but a heartfelt lament, a common feature in the Psalms where the psalmist pours out their soul before God (e.g., <a href="/psalms/142-2.htm">Psalm 142:2</a>). This expression of restlessness can be connected to the broader biblical narrative of human suffering and the quest for divine justice and peace. It also foreshadows the New Testament's call to cast all anxieties on God, as seen in <a href="/1_peter/5-7.htm">1 Peter 5:7</a>, emphasizing God's care for His people.<p><b>and distraught.</b><br>The word "distraught" conveys a sense of being overwhelmed and in despair. This emotional state is often depicted in the Psalms as a result of external threats or internal struggles. Historically, the psalmist may have been facing betrayal or persecution, common themes in Davidic psalms, which resonate with the experiences of many biblical figures, including Jesus Christ. The feeling of being "distraught" can be linked to Jesus' own anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane (<a href="/matthew/26-38.htm">Matthew 26:38</a>), where He experienced deep sorrow and distress. This connection highlights the typology of Christ as the ultimate sufferer who identifies with human pain and offers hope through His redemptive work.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/d/david.htm">David</a></b><br>Traditionally attributed as the author of <a href="/bsb/psalms/55.htm">Psalm 55</a>, David is expressing his deep distress and seeking God's attention and intervention.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/j/jerusalem.htm">Jerusalem</a></b><br>While not explicitly mentioned in this verse, the context of David's life and many of his psalms often relate to his experiences in and around Jerusalem.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/e/enemies.htm">Enemies</a></b><br>The psalm reflects David's struggles with adversaries, which could include personal enemies or broader threats to his kingship.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/g/god.htm">God</a></b><br>The central figure to whom David directs his plea, seeking divine attention and response.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/p/prayer.htm">Prayer</a></b><br>The act of communicating with God, which is the primary action David is engaged in within this verse.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_importance_of_honest_prayer.htm">The Importance of Honest Prayer</a></b><br>David's raw and honest expression of his feelings teaches us that we can bring our true emotions and struggles before God without fear.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_attentiveness.htm">God's Attentiveness</a></b><br>This verse reassures us that God is attentive to our cries and desires to respond to our needs, encouraging us to seek Him earnestly.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/d/dealing_with_distress.htm">Dealing with Distress</a></b><br>Like David, we can find solace in turning to God during times of distress, trusting that He hears and will provide comfort and guidance.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_power_of_lament.htm">The Power of Lament</a></b><br>Lamenting is a biblical way to process pain and seek God's intervention, reminding us that it's okay to express sorrow and seek help.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/f/faith_in_god's_response.htm">Faith in God's Response</a></b><br>Even when feeling restless and distraught, maintaining faith that God will answer is crucial for spiritual resilience.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_psalm_55.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 55</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_no_records_of_psalm_55_events.htm">If David wrote Psalm 55, why is there no extrabiblical record of these specific events or divine interventions?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_can_psalm_55_and_silent_god_align.htm">Psalm 55 depicts a God who intervenes quickly, yet other biblical texts describe God as silent or distant. How can these verses be harmonized?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_is_the_theme_of_house_of_bondage.htm">What does 'lead a quiet life' mean?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_to_reconcile_psalm_55_22_with_suffering.htm">Psalm 55:22 promises God will sustain those who cast their burdens on Him. How do we reconcile this with the extensive suffering often seen in reality?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/psalms/55.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(2) <span class= "bld">I mourn.</span>--A verb found in this form only in three other passages, always with the idea of <span class= "ital">restlessness</span>--<span class= "ital">e.g., </span><a href="/genesis/27-40.htm" title="And by your sword shall you live, and shall serve your brother; and it shall come to pass when you shall have the dominion, that you shall break his yoke from off your neck.">Genesis 27:40</a>, of the roving life of a Bedouin; <a href="/jeremiah/2-31.htm" title="O generation, see you the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel? a land of darkness? why say my people, We are lords; we will come no more to you?">Jeremiah 2:31</a>, of moral restlessness; <a href="/hosea/12-1.htm" title="Ephraim feeds on wind, and follows after the east wind: he daily increases lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.">Hosea 12:1</a>, of political instability. Here it may either indicate that bodily restlessness which often serves as an outlet of grief:<p>"Hard mechanic exercise,<p>Like dull narcotics, numbing pain,"<p>or the distracted state of the mind itself.<p><span class= "bld">And make a noise.</span>--Better, <span class= "ital">and must roar, </span>the form of the verb expressing the compulsion which the sufferer feels to give vent to his feelings in groans and murmurs. (See Note on <a href="/psalms/42-5.htm" title="Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted in me? hope you in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.">Psalm 42:5</a>.) . . . <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/psalms/55.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 2.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Attend unto me, and hear me</span>. A very special need is indicated by these <span class="accented">four</span> petitions to be heard (vers. 1, 2). <span class="cmt_word">I mourn in my complaint, and</span> <span class="cmt_word">make a noise;</span> rather, I <span class="accented">wander in my musing</span>, <span class="accented">and moan aloud.</span> "I wander," <span class="accented">i.e.</span> "from one sad thought to another" (Kay); and, unable to constrain myself, I give vent to meanings. Orientals are given to open displays of their grief (Herod., 8:99; AEschylus, 'Persae,' <span class="accented">passim</span>). <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/psalms/55-2.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Attend</span><br /><span class="heb">הַקְשִׁ֣יבָה</span> <span class="translit">(haq·šî·ḇāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7181.htm">Strong's 7181: </a> </span><span class="str2">To prick up the ears, hearken</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to me</span><br /><span class="heb">לִּ֣י</span> <span class="translit">(lî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/.htm">Strong's Hebrew</a> </span><span class="str2"></span><br /><br /><span class="word">and answer me.</span><br /><span class="heb">וַעֲנֵ֑נִי</span> <span class="translit">(wa·‘ă·nê·nî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6030.htm">Strong's 6030: </a> </span><span class="str2">To answer, respond</span><br /><br /><span class="word">I am restless</span><br /><span class="heb">אָרִ֖יד</span> <span class="translit">(’ā·rîḏ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7300.htm">Strong's 7300: </a> </span><span class="str2">To wander restlessly, roam</span><br /><br /><span class="word">in my complaint,</span><br /><span class="heb">בְּשִׂיחִ֣י</span> <span class="translit">(bə·śî·ḥî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7879.htm">Strong's 7879: </a> </span><span class="str2">A contemplation, an utterance</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and distraught</span><br /><span class="heb">וְאָהִֽימָה׃</span> <span class="translit">(wə·’ā·hî·māh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1949.htm">Strong's 1949: </a> </span><span class="str2">To make an uproar, agitate greatly</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/psalms/55-2.htm">Psalm 55:2 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/psalms/55-2.htm">Psalm 55:2 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/psalms/55-2.htm">Psalm 55:2 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/psalms/55-2.htm">Psalm 55:2 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/psalms/55-2.htm">Psalm 55:2 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/psalms/55-2.htm">Psalm 55:2 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/psalms/55-2.htm">Psalm 55:2 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/psalms/55-2.htm">Psalm 55:2 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/psalms/55-2.htm">Psalm 55:2 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/psalms/55-2.htm">Psalm 55:2 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/psalms/55-2.htm">OT Poetry: Psalm 55:2 Attend to me and answer me (Psalm Ps Psa.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/psalms/55-1.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Psalm 55:1"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Psalm 55:1" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/psalms/55-3.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Psalm 55:3"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Psalm 55:3" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>