Psalm 55:15
ESV
Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.
NIV
Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the realm of the dead, for evil finds lodging among them.
NASB
May death come deceitfully upon them; May they go down alive to Sheol, For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.
CSB
Let death take them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, because evil is in their homes and within them.
NLT
Let death stalk my enemies; let the grave swallow them alive, for evil makes its home within them.
KJV
Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
NKJV
Let death seize them; Let them go down alive into hell, For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.
What does Psalm 55:15 mean?
After expressing his fear of impending death (Psalm 55:1–8) and mourning betrayal of a former ally (Psalm 55:12–14), David prays for divine retribution. He not only prays that God would defeat his enemies, but that they would be taken directly to the land of death. His justification for seeking such dire consequences is the absolute evil which his foes exemplify.The punishment David describes calls to mind how God destroyed Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Those men rebelled against Moses. Numbers 16:31–32 relates that an earthquake swallowed them. Verse 33 says, "So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly." At the end of the tribulation, when Jesus returns to earth in a blaze of glory, He will judge the wicked. Revelation 19:20 says, "And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet…These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur."
Psalm 55:9–15 transitions from David asking for rescue into a description of the evil his enemies commit. His foes bring violence, division, fraud, and oppression to the capital city of Jerusalem. Further, a former ally has betrayed David. These descriptions seem to match his experience during the rebellion of Absalom, who was aided by David's prior counselor, Ahithophel (2 Samuel 15:13–14, 31). Rather than seeking revenge himself, David prays for the Lord's judgment to come on these ungodly persecutors.
David begins this song with a prayer for rescue, likely from his rebelling son, Absalom (2 Samuel 15:1–12). David is pained because of a close ally's betrayal; this would refer to Ahithophel, who sided with the rebels (2 Samuel 15:31). This situation creates intense fear. However, David is confident God will rescue him. He is fully assured that those who attack him will be humbled and judged by the Lord.
