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Hear My Voice, O God

Representative Text

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
guard my life from terror of the foe.
Hide me from the plots of those who hate,
from the noisy mob of evil ones.

2 Sharp as swords the wicked whet their tongues
and like arrows aim their deadly words,
shoot from ambush at the innocent
without warning and without a fear.

3 They agree to form an evil plot;
secretly they talk of laying snares,
saying, "Who will learn of our designs?"
They plan carefully their wicked schemes.

4 They are ready with a cunning plot,
for the human heart is full of guile.
God will shoot an arrow straight at them;
without warning they will be struck down.

5 They will all be made to trip themselves
and undo themselves by their own tongues.
All who see them shake their heads in scorn;
then shall all the people fear the LORD.

6 They will ponder God's almighty deeds
and proclaim the marvel of his works.
Let the righteous all rejoice in God;
praise the LORD for his protecting care!


Source: Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #64

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Text Information

First Line: Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; Guard my life from terror of the foe
Title: Hear My Voice, O God
Meter: 9.9.9.9 D
Source: The Book of Psalms for Singing, 1973; alt.
Language: English
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Notes

A prayer for God's protection from a band of confident conspirators.

Scripture References:
st. 1 = vv. 1-2
st. 2 = vv. 3-4
st. 3 = vv. 5-6
st. 4 = vv. 6-7
st. 5 = vv. 8-9
st. 6 = vv. 9-10

As in many prayers of the psalms, the psalmist's enemies' chief weapon is an evil and vicious tongue. Curses, lies, threats, and plots in those days could dethrone kings more effectively than brandished spears and drawn swords. And only God could protect against the tongue's deadly arrows.

So the psalmist turns to God for safety (st. 1), identifying the enemies' tongues as their weapons–like arrows shot from ambush (st. 2)–and marking their plots and intrigue as their mode of operation (st. 3). Confident that God will shoot the conspirators with his own arrows (st. 4) and turn their tongues against them (st. 5), the psalmist proclaims that the saints (of all times) will praise and rejoice in the LORD "for his protecting care" (st. 6).

Largely unrhymed, this versification was altered from The Book of Psalms for Singing (1973).

Liturgical Use:
Expressions of confidence in God's saving power in the face of persecution or slander; expressions of solidarity with those who are persecuted.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988

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Tune

SCHMÜCKE DICH

Johann Crüger (PHH 42) composed SCHMÜCKE DICH for Franck's text and first published the tune as a setting for Franck's first stanza in Geistliche Kirchen-Melodien. The tune name is the incipit of the original German text. Johann S. Bach (PHH 7) used this tune in his Cantata 180; he and many other…

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WINDHAM


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Timeline

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Instances

Instances (1 - 2 of 2)
Text InfoTune InfoTextAudioPage Scan

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #64

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #64

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #64

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #64
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