All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The enemies aren't just disagreeing; they're actively twisting David's words, torturing them into something they're not to injure him. It's a chilling reminder that malice often operates by misrepresentation, crafting a narrative of evil from innocent expressions.
All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life.
English Standard Version (ESV)
David is in deep trouble, hiding from Saul and desperately trying to avoid being captured. His enemies are actively seeking him, twisting his words to make him look like a traitor and plotting his downfall every single day. This passage reveals his anguish and frustration as he feels constantly attacked and misrepresented.
Ever feel like your words are being twisted or misunderstood, even when you speak with good intentions? David faced this daily.
The verse highlights a specific type of attack: the deliberate distortion of speech. David's enemies didn't just disagree with him; they actively 'wrested' his words.
How Words Get Twisted:
This isn't just about accidental misunderstandings; it's about words being used as weapons to injure, discredit, and plot against someone.
Why do people go to such lengths to twist words and cause harm? It's often rooted in deeper motives.
The psalm doesn't just describe the action of twisting words; it reveals the intent behind it. 'All their thoughts are against me for evil.' This points to a consistent, deep-seated malice.
The Root of Evil Intent:
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Understand the original words
ra'ah · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
Actions, intentions, or results that are morally bad, destructive, or contrary to the will of God. It describes both the nature of the wicked and the impact of their actions against the righteous.
rîb · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew term referring to contention, discord, or a quarrel. It often denotes a conscious effort by adversaries to create conflict or legal opposition against the speaker.
This psalm captures David's raw vulnerability while hiding among the Philistines, a dangerous mission where he was constantly under suspicion and his every word was twisted by enemies who sought his life.
c. 1025–1015 BC
David's Rise and Saul's Persecution
David, a rising military hero, gains popularity, causing King Saul to fear him and pursue him relentlessly.
c. 1015 BC— this verse
David Flees to Gath
David, a fugitive from Saul, seeks refuge in the Philistine city of Gath, a move that places him in great peril.
c. 1015 BC
David Feigns Madness in Gath
Under threat from Achish, king of Gath, David pretends to be insane to escape execution, a desperate act of self-preservation.
c. 1015 BC
David's Escape from Gath
David successfully deceives the Philistines and escapes Gath, finding refuge in the cave of Adullam.
This passage describes the persistent plotting and slander against Jeremiah by his adversaries, mirroring the constant malice and twisted words David faces in Psalm 56.
Matthew 26:59-61Here, false witnesses twist Jesus' words to condemn Him, illustrating the same tactic of perverting speech for malicious intent that David experiences.
Acts 6:11-13This shows the accusation brought against Stephen, where false witnesses claim he spoke blasphemous words, highlighting how lies and distorted speech are used to target faithful individuals.
Romans 8:31This verse powerfully affirms that if God is for us, no evil plan or accusation against us can ultimately succeed, offering a profound assurance against the daily malice described in Psalm 56.
1 Peter 5:8This passage warns believers to be alert and self-controlled because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking to devour, which reflects the ever-present, malicious intent of enemies described in the Psalm.
clarkePsalms 56:5: "Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil."
Every day they wrest my words - They have been spies on my conduct continually; they collected all my sayings, and wrested my words out of their proper sense and meaning, to make them, by inuendos, speak treason against Saul. They are full of evil purposes against me.
gillPsalms 56:5: "Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil."
Every day they wrest my words,.... Form, fashion, and shape them at their pleasure; construe them, and put what sense upon them they think fit. The word (u) is used of the formation of the human body, in Job 10:8 ; They put his words upon the rack, and made them speak what he never intended; as some men wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction, 2 Peter 3:16 ; and as the Jews wrested the words of Chris…
The enemies aren't just disagreeing; they're actively twisting David's words, torturing them into something they're not to injure him. It's a chilling reminder that malice often operates by misrepresentation, crafting a narrative of evil from innocent expressions.
David is in deep trouble, hiding from Saul and desperately trying to avoid being captured. His enemies are actively seeking him, twisting his words to make him look like a traitor and plotting his downfall every single day. This passage reveals his anguish and frustration as he feels constantly attacked and misrepresented.
David is in deep trouble, hiding from Saul and desperately trying to avoid being captured. His enemies are actively seeking him, twisting his words to make him look like a traitor and plotting his downfall every single day. This passage reveals his anguish and frustration as he feels constantly attacked and misrepresented.
"All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life." — The enemies aren't just disagreeing; they're actively twisting David's words, torturing them into something they're not to injure him. It's a chilling reminder that malice often operates by misrepres…
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Last reviewed October 2026