Bird's-eye view
In this passage, David is reeling from a profound and intimate act of treachery. This is not the assault of a foreign enemy, but the calculated betrayal of a trusted friend. The sin is therefore doubled. It is an act of violence, to be sure, but it is primarily an act of sacrilege, a violation of a covenant bond. The psalmist dissects the anatomy of this betrayal, contrasting the smooth, flattering exterior of the traitor with the malice and violence raging in his heart. These verses are a stark reminder that the deepest wounds are often inflicted by those who stood closest to us, and that words can be as lethal as any sword.
The passage forces us to confront the reality of hypocrisy and the profound evil of covenant-breaking. It is a lament, but it is also a diagnosis of a particular kind of sin that plagued David, and which ultimately found its final and most grotesque expression in the betrayal of David's greater Son by Judas Iscariot. This is a portrait of a man whose piety is a mask for his warfare.
Outline
- 1. The Covenantal Assault (v. 20)
- a. The Betrayer Identified: A Companion (v. 20a)
- b. The Nature of the Attack: Against the Peaceful (v. 20a)
- c. The Ultimate Crime: A Violated Covenant (v. 20b)
- 2. The Hypocritical Weaponry (v. 21)
- a. The Deceptive Surface: Smooth as Butter, Soft as Oil (v. 21a, 21c)
- b. The Hidden Reality: A Heart of War (v. 21b)
- c. The True Nature of the Words: Drawn Swords (v. 21d)
Context In Psalms
Psalm 55 is a lament, a raw and personal cry to God from a man undone by betrayal. The historical context is widely thought to be Absalom's rebellion, and the companion in question is David's trusted counselor, Ahithophel, whose counsel was like the oracle of God (2 Sam. 16:23). When Ahithophel joined Absalom, it was a devastating blow, both politically and personally. This psalm, then, is not an abstract complaint about general wickedness, but a visceral reaction to a specific and grievous wound.
It stands in the tradition of psalms that teach the people of God how to process suffering and sin, especially sin from within the camp. It directs our gaze upward, showing that the only recourse in the face of such profound human faithlessness is to cast our burden upon the utterly faithful God (Ps. 55:22).
Key Issues
- The Sanctity of Covenant
- The Sin of Hypocrisy
- The Power and Danger of the Tongue
- Betrayal by a Friend
Commentary
Psalm 55:20
My companion has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has violated his covenant.
The verse opens with the source of the pain: "My companion." The Hebrew speaks of an ally, a familiar friend. This is not an Amalekite or a Philistine. This is one who had shared table fellowship, one who walked with him to the house of God (v. 14). The treachery is sharp precisely because the relationship was close. To be speared by an enemy is one thing; to be stabbed by the man next to you is another thing entirely. He "put forth his hands," a phrase indicating a deliberate act of aggression and violence. And against whom? Against those "who were at peace with him." This was not a counter-attack or a defensive maneuver. This was a bolt from the blue, an unprovoked assault on a state of shalom, of peace and wholeness.
But the psalmist gets to the heart of the matter in the final clause: "He has violated his covenant." This is the center of the indictment. A covenant is a sworn oath, a solemn bond that creates a new reality. It is not a mere contract or a business arrangement. It is a sacred relationship with attendant blessings for faithfulness and curses for unfaithfulness. To violate a covenant is to profane it, to treat a holy thing as common. This man did not just break a promise; he desecrated a sacred bond. All human covenants, whether of marriage or friendship, are faint pictures of the great covenant God makes with His people. To break covenant is therefore an act of high rebellion, an echo of Adam's original treason.
Psalm 55:21
His speech was smoother than butter, But his heart was war; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords.
Here David describes the traitor's methodology. The assault was not preceded by an honest declaration of hostilities. No, the attack was cloaked in the language of friendship. "His speech was smoother than butter." Think of the texture, the ease with which it flows. His words were accommodating, pleasant, flattering. But it was a facade. The antithesis is stark: "But his heart was war." The heart, in the biblical understanding, is the true center of a man, the command center of his being. While his mouth produced the soothing sounds of peace, his heart was strategizing, plotting, and maneuvering for destruction. This is the essence of hypocrisy, the terrible disjunction between the outward presentation and the inward reality.
The second half of the verse repeats the thought for emphasis, but with a sharper edge. "His words were softer than oil." Oil was used for healing, for anointing, for comfort. His words had this appearance. They seemed medicinal. But what were they in reality? "Yet they were drawn swords." Not just swords, but drawn swords. This means they were unsheathed, ready for immediate, lethal action. The soft words were not merely deceptive; they were the weapons themselves. With these words, he slandered, he divided, he lied, he destroyed. The tongue, which God created for blessing and praise, becomes in the hands of a covenant-breaker a deadly instrument of war.
Application
First, we must recognize that this kind of treachery is a feature of our fallen world. From Cain to Ahithophel to Judas, the story of man is shot through with such betrayals. We should not be surprised when they happen, but we should be prepared to respond biblically when they do, which is to take our lament and our burden to the Lord.
Second, this passage is a powerful summons to self-examination. We are all capable of this sin. Is there a disconnect between our words and our hearts? Do we use smooth, oily words to manipulate, to flatter, to hide our own ambitions and animosities? We must ask God to slay this hypocrisy in us, to make our hearts and our mouths congruent with His truth. Our speech should be seasoned with salt, not coated in butter.
Finally, when we are on the receiving end of such drawn swords, our ultimate comfort is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the one who was truly at peace, and his companion, Judas, lifted a hand against Him, violating the covenant of friendship for thirty pieces of silver. Christ endured the ultimate betrayal so that we, who are covenant-breakers by nature, might be forgiven. And in Him, we have a friend who sticks closer than a brother, a companion who will never violate His covenant, and whose words are not drawn swords, but rather the very words of eternal life.