U-God

Library

📚Library🔍Search☀️Daily Verse📅Sacred Calendar⭐Bookmarks

Discover

🌍ExploreNew📊TopicsNew⚖️CompareNew📝BlogNew

More

💡About📜Terms
Start Reading for Free

© 2026 U-God Sacred Library

Christianity

Psalms 5A Morning Plea for Guidance

Summary

Psalm 5 is a morning prayer that begins with the speaker setting his words before God at daybreak and waiting expectantly. It contrasts the LORD, who takes no pleasure in wickedness, with deceitful and violent people, and asks God to lead the speaker in righteousness. It ends by praying that all who trust in God will rejoice under his protection. Traditionally attributed to David, part of verse 7 is recited in the Jewish Mah Tovu prayer on entering a synagogue.

Key verse

“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”

Psalms 5:3

Themes

  • Morning Prayer
  • Divine Guidance
  • Holiness of God
  • Protection

Text

1

Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

2

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

3

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

4

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

5

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

6

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

7

But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

8

Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

9

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

10

Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

11

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

12

For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.

Across traditions

  • Judaism

    Tehillim 5 in the JPS 1917 Tanakh

    In the JPS numbering the verse beginning But as for me, in the abundance of Thy lovingkindness will I come into Thy house is verse 8, and it forms part of the Mah Tovu prayer said when entering a synagogue.

  • Christianity

    Romans 3: Their Throat Is an Open Sepulchre

    In Romans 3:13 Paul quotes Psalm 5:9 in a chain of psalm verses arguing that all people stand in need of God's righteousness.

Questions about Psalms 5

What prayer quotes Psalm 5?

The Jewish prayer Mah Tovu, said on entering the synagogue, includes the line from Psalm 5 about coming into God's house in the abundance of his lovingkindness and bowing toward his holy temple.

Why do several psalms speak of praying in the morning?

Psalm 5:3 and others reflect the ancient practice of beginning the day with prayer, which continues in Jewish morning services and Christian morning offices.