Psalms 64:5 Meaning and Explanation
“They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Wrongdoing often grows through companionship. A person may entertain a harmful thought alone, then find courage for it when others approve, repeat, and improve the plan. Psalm 64:5 shows that process plainly. Its searching question, "Who shall see them?" uncovers the false security that secrecy can create. The verse calls us to remember that God sees hidden counsel and that shared approval never turns an evil matter into a good one.
Psalm 64:5 reveals evil becoming organized and self-assured. David's enemies strengthen one another in wrongdoing, privately prepare traps, and falsely suppose that their concealed plans escape all observation.
The Context of Psalms 64:5
David has asked God to hear his prayer and shield him from the secret counsel of his enemies. In verses 3 and 4, their tongues are compared to swords and bows, with bitter words aimed suddenly at the upright. Verse 5 moves from the attack itself to the conversations that prepare it. These people encourage one another, discuss private snares, and assume their work is unseen. Verse 6 deepens the description by speaking of their diligent search for iniquities and the depth of the human heart. Then verses 7 and 8 declare God's answering judgment, while verses 9 and 10 call all people to consider his deeds and trust in him.
What Does Psalms 64:5 Mean?
"They encourage themselves in an evil matter" describes mutual strengthening in a course that God condemns. Their courage is real, though it is courage bent toward harm. They "commune" together, meaning that they confer and exchange counsel about laying snares "privily." A snare is set to catch someone who does not see the danger, so the language includes calculated deception as well as open hostility. Their closing question, "Who shall see them?" gives their inward reasoning a voice. They assume concealment protects them from discovery and consequence. David exposes that assumption rather than arguing with it at length. The rest of the psalm answers it by declaring that God sees, acts, and causes people to consider his work.
The verse belongs to the psalm's repeated contrast between secret human counsel and the Lord's rule. David asks to be hidden from the enemies' secret counsel in verse 2; they plan snares in private in verse 5; they search deeply for iniquity in verse 6. Human hearts can become difficult to read, and harmful plans can be carefully concealed from their intended victim. Yet the psalm never suggests that such depth confuses God. His judgment in verse 7 comes suddenly upon those who planned a sudden attack. Their own tongue falls upon them in verse 8, showing that the instrument they used against another becomes part of their exposure. God brings hidden evil into a public moral reckoning.
The Bible's story repeatedly warns against counsel that joins people together against God's purposes. Psalm 2 pictures rulers taking counsel against the Lord and his anointed; Psalm 64 focuses more closely on the private speech and traps of such opposition. The chief priests and others who sought Jesus also gathered in counsel, plotting to take him by subtlety. Their plans were morally serious, and God's purpose was never outside his knowledge. The cross shows both the reality of human responsibility and the sovereign work of God through events people meant for evil. Psalm 64 therefore directs our confidence toward God without making secret schemes seem unreal or excusable. His sight reaches every hidden room and every inward intention.
Bible Verses Related to Psalms 64:5
“They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.”
- Psalm 64:6
“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,”
- Psalm 2:2
“My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.”
- Proverbs 1:10
“Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?”
- Acts 4:25
Where Psalms 64:5 Echoes in Scripture
Acts 4:25 is an especially strong later echo because the gathered believers apply Psalm 2 to the opposition against God's Anointed. That prayer recognizes hostile rulers and peoples as acting together while also confessing God's sovereign purpose. Psalm 64:5 supplies a close companion picture: people commune together in evil and assume their secret counsel will stand. The early church answers such threats with prayer directed to the God who sees and rules.
How to Apply Psalms 64:5 Today
This verse invites careful attention to the kinds of conversations that shape our choices. We may ask whether a private discussion is making us more truthful, merciful, and accountable before God, or whether it is teaching us to enjoy another person's weakness. When a group presses toward a harmful decision, a quiet refusal to add our voice can interrupt the momentum. Seeking wise counsel from people who fear God can also bring hidden reasoning into the light. For those who suspect a snare has been laid, the psalm encourages prayer, prudence, and patience rather than panic. God sees what human eyes may miss.
Reflection & Prayer
What private conversation, shared resentment, or untested assumption needs to be brought honestly before God? Pray: "God who sees in secret, search our hearts. Keep us from encouraging evil in one another, give us courage to speak truth with charity, and protect those exposed to concealed harm."