Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;

PSALMS 55:2KJV
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Psalms 55:2 (KJV)

What does Psalms 55:2 mean?

Psalms 55:2 is a plea from the psalmist, asking God to listen and pay attention as he pours out his troubled heart. The verse shows the psalmist expressing deep distress, describing himself as mourning and making noise because of his overwhelming complaint.

David is the speaker in Psalms 55:2, directing his words to God during a time of personal anguish and betrayal. The verse highlights his emotional state—he is not just quietly praying but is openly lamenting, almost crying out in pain. This sets the tone for the rest of the psalm, where David continues to lay out his fears and troubles before God.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 55:2

  • "Attend" (קַשֵּׁ֣ב, qashshev; H7181) means to pay close attention or give heed. The word suggests that David is urgently asking God not just to hear, but to focus on his plea.
  • "Mourn" (רוּד, rud; H7300) often carries the sense of wandering restlessly or being agitated. David is not just sad; he is unsettled and deeply troubled, which adds intensity to his prayer.
  • "Complaint" (שִׂיחִי, siḥi; H7879) refers to a musing or meditation, but here it means a troubled, anxious outpouring. David is not presenting a formal prayer but an honest, emotional complaint.
  • "Noise" (הָמָה, hamah; H1949) means an uproar or groaning. This word shows that David’s distress is so great it cannot be contained quietly—it comes out as a loud cry or moan.

Why Psalms 55:2 matters

  • Psalms 55:2 clears up the idea that prayer must always be calm or composed; David’s example shows that honest, even noisy, expressions of pain are welcomed by God.
  • The verse emphasizes the depth of David’s trouble, helping readers understand that the psalm is rooted in real, raw emotion rather than polite religious language.
  • By starting with this intense plea, Psalms 55:2 sets up the rest of the psalm’s themes of betrayal, fear, and trust in God, giving context to the psalmist’s later requests and declarations.

Where else these words appear

“mourn” Hebrew H7300 · used in 4 verses

  • Genesis 27:40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
  • Jeremiah 2:31 O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?
  • Hosea 11:12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.

“noise” Hebrew H1949 · used in 6 verses

  • Deuteronomy 7:23 But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.
  • Ruth 1:19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
  • 1 Kings 1:45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.

“complaint” Hebrew H7879 · used in 14 verses

  • 1 Samuel 1:16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
  • Job 9:27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:
  • Psalms 64:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

“Attend” Hebrew H7181 · used in 45 verses

  • 1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
  • Proverbs 2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
  • Isaiah 49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.