Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While David asks God to listen to his "words," the word for "meditation" here can suggest something even deeper than spoken prayer. It hints at the quiet, unspoken thoughts and even the raw, inarticulate groanings of the heart that words can't fully capture, showing a prayer that goes beyond mere speaking. This invites us to recognize that our deepest needs and cries, even when we can't articulate them, are heard by God.
Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning.
English Standard Version (ESV)
David is pouring out his heart in distress, likely feeling overwhelmed by enemies and their deceitful plots, as he appeals to God for help. Before this, he's described the wickedness of those who oppose him, and immediately after, he'll express his trust in God's justice and his desire for guidance through the trouble. This verse serves as a desperate plea, emphasizing that his prayer isn't just words but a deep, internal groaning that only God can fully comprehend.
Sometimes, our pain is so deep that words just fail us. How does God respond when our groans are all we can muster?
In Psalm 5:1, David doesn't just ask God to hear his 'words.' He also asks God to 'consider my groaning.' This isn't just a sad sound; it's a profound expression of deep inner turmoil, distress, and even a kind of prayer that bypasses language.
Think of it like this:
David repeats his plea to be heard in different ways. Why the repetition, and what does it teach us about true prayer?
David uses multiple phrases in quick succession – 'Give ear to my words,' 'consider my groaning' – to convey the intensity and persistence of his prayer. This isn't about just saying a lot of words; it's about the depth of his engagement with God.
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Here's what this repetition highlights:
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
A covenant name for God, representing His self-existence, eternal nature, and faithful presence with His people. It is the personal name by which God revealed Himself to Israel.
emerah · Hebrew Noun
An utterance, expression, or message. In a biblical context, it often refers to God’s promises, law, or the prayers of His people directed toward Him.
hagig · Hebrew Noun
An articulate expression of deep, inward distress, sorrow, or pain. It denotes a sound that conveys emotional or physical suffering beyond mere verbal speech.
This psalm likely arose during the tumultuous period of David's early reign, when he was fighting to consolidate his kingdom and facing numerous threats, making his plea for God's attention deeply personal and urgent.
c. 1050 BC
Reign of King Saul
David experienced intense persecution and was forced to flee from King Saul, living as a fugitive.
c. 1010 BC
David Anointed King of Israel
David was anointed king but had to wait years to fully assume the throne due to ongoing conflict and political instability.
c. 1010 BC - 1000 BC— this verse
Years of Civil Strife
Following Saul's death, a period of civil war and consolidation of power ensued as David fought to unite the kingdom.
c. 1000 BC
David Establishes Jerusalem
David conquered Jerusalem, making it the capital of his united kingdom, a significant step in securing his reign.
This passage speaks of the Spirit helping us in our weakness, interceding for us with 'groanings too deep for words,' which beautifully echoes David's plea for God to consider his inner, perhaps unspoken, groans and meditations.
1 Samuel 1:13Hannah's silent prayer, where her lips moved but her voice was not heard, is a powerful example of 'meditation' or unspoken prayer that God hears, mirroring David's request for God to 'consider' more than just his spoken words.
Matthew 6:6Jesus instructs us to go into our inner room and pray to our Father who sees in secret. This highlights the importance of private, heartfelt prayer, aligning with David's desire for God to attend to his inner 'meditation' and groaning.
Psalm 39:3The Psalmist here says, 'My heart became hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue.' This shows the process of inner turmoil and thought leading to outward expression, much like David's 'meditation' might have preceded his spoken words.
Job 33:14God speaks to people 'in one way, or in two,' through dreams or visions, or by His Spirit. This suggests God is attentive not only to spoken prayers but also to the inner stirrings of the soul, reinforcing the idea that God hears David's 'meditation' and groaning.
calvinPsalms 5:1-2: "<> Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation."
- Give ear unto my words, O Jehovah; attend to my speech. 2. Hearken to the voice of my cry, my King and my God: for unto thee will Ipray.
I presume not positively to determine whether David, in this psalm, bewails the wrongs which he suffered from his enemies at some particular time, or whether he complains generally of the various persecutions with which, for a long time, he was harassed under Saul. Some of the Jewish…
clarkePsalms 5:1: "To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation."
Give ear to my words - This is properly a morning hymn, as the preceding was an evening hymn. We have seen from the conclusion of the last Psalm that David was very happy, and lay down and slept in the peace and love of his God. When he opens his eyes on the following morning, he not only remembers but feels the happiness of which he spoke; and with his first recollections…
While David asks God to listen to his "words," the word for "meditation" here can suggest something even deeper than spoken prayer. It hints at the quiet, unspoken thoughts and even the raw, inarticulate groanings of the heart that words can't fully capture, showing a prayer that goes beyond mere speaking. This invites us to recognize that our deepest needs and cries, even when we can't articulate them, are heard by God.
David is pouring out his heart in distress, likely feeling overwhelmed by enemies and their deceitful plots, as he appeals to God for help. Before this, he's described the wickedness of those who oppose him, and immediately after, he'll express his trust in God's justice and his desire for guidance through the trouble. This verse serves as a desperate plea, emphasizing that his prayer isn't just words but a deep, internal groaning that only God can fully comprehend.
David is pouring out his heart in distress, likely feeling overwhelmed by enemies and their deceitful plots, as he appeals to God for help. Before this, he's described the wickedness of those who oppose him, and immediately after, he'll express his trust in God's justice and his desire for guidance through the trouble. This verse serves as a desperate plea, emphasizing that his prayer isn't just words but a deep, internal groaning that only God can fully comprehend.
"Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning." — While David asks God to listen to his "words," the word for "meditation" here can suggest something even deeper than spoken prayer. It hints at the quiet, unspoken thoughts and even the raw, inarticu…
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Last reviewed October 2026