Psalms 64:2–4
The psalmist suffers from wrongdoers whose tongues are sharp as swords
Study it word by word2Hide me from the intimate counsel of evildoers, from the tumult of those who work wickedness,
3who have sharpened like a sword their tongue; they have drawn their arrow, a bitter word,
4to shoot from hiding places at the blameless; suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.
In its context
1For the director. A psalm of David. Hear, Elohim, my voice in my complaint; from the dread of the enemy guard my life.
…
5They hold fast to an evil matter; they talk of hiding traps; they say, “Who will see them?”
6They search out injustices: “We have completed a thoroughly searched-out plan.” And the inward part of each one and the heart are deep.
Its words in the original
- תַּסְתִּירֵtastire· hide
Hide, conceal; be hidden.
- סּוֹדsod· council; secret
Council: a gathering of people who deliberate in confidence; also a secret plan, close friendship.
- מְרֵעִיםmereim· do evil, harm
Do evil, cause harm; be bad, be displeasing ("it was evil in his eyes").
- רִגְשַׁתrigshat· throng
A noisy crowd, a throng in movement.
- פֹּעֲלֵיpoale· do, make
Do, make, carry out.
- אָוֶןaven· wickedness, trouble
Wickedness, trouble: what is empty and comes to nothing; also the evil and the affliction it brings.
- שָׁנְנוּshannu· repeat, sharpen
Repeat, impress: say something again and again so that it stays fixed; in its first sense, sharpen.
- חֶרֶבcherev· sword
Sword; also any tool with an edge, like a knife or a chisel.
- לְשׁוֹנָleshona· tongue
Tongue: the organ of the mouth and also language; also something shaped like a tongue (of flame, of land, of gold).
- דָּרְכוּdarchu· tread, march, bend
Tread, walk, march on; also string a bow by stepping on it.
- חִצָּchitsa· arrow
Arrow.
- דָּבָרdavar· word, matter, thing
Word; what is said. Also "matter" or "thing": what is spoken about, an affair, an event.
- מָרmar· bitter
Bitter; bitterness; bitterly.
- ירוֹתyrot· shoot, throw; teach
Throw, cast, shoot arrows; also set or lay. From the same root comes "teach" (point out the way).
- מִּסְתָּרִיםmistarim· hiding place, covert
A hiding place: a hidden spot where someone hides or takes cover.
- תָּםtam· complete; quiet, upright
Complete, upright, wholehearted; also quiet, simple, gentle.
- פִּתְאֹםpitom· suddenly
Suddenly, in an instant.
- יִירָאוּyirau· fear
Fear. It can be fright before a danger or deep reverence before God ("fear YHWH"). In some forms, be fearsome, awesome.