In Psalm 5, the superscription (the first part of which may refer to Psalm 4, as the Beyond Today Bible Commentary's introductory notes on Psalms explains) apparently describes accompaniment "with flutes," the latter word seeming to translate the Hebrew "Nehiloth" (KJV).

Psalm 5 is a morning prayer (verses 2-3) in which David seeks help for another day. Because the world is corrupt, God makes Himself a refuge and shield for the righteous (verses 11-12). Because the world is confused, He provides clear guidance if we will seek it: "Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness...make Your way straight before my face" (verse 8).

Only the righteous can come into God's presence and enjoy His blessings (verses 5, 11-12). David says in verse 5, "You hate all workers of iniquity." The Hebrew word for hate "is a strong term that speaks primarily of rejection" (Nelson, note on Psalm 11:4-6). We should understand this in terms of ultimate judgment, as the next verse continues: "You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man." What God really hates (what He rejects and wants to destroy) is what the wicked think and do—that is, the things that classify them as wicked. God in fact loves all humanity so much that He has provided an atonement for them through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (see John 3:16)—if they will repent and accept it. Yet ultimately, if they still reject God, then all that will constitute them are the things God hates—and He will in perfect justice utterly annihilate them (for their own good and the good of everyone else).

David immediately balances his reference to God's just hatred of evil by referring to "the multitude of Your mercy" (verse 7). "Mercy here is hesed, a term also translated as 'love,' 'covenant love [or loyalty],' and 'loving-kindness.' Hesed reminds us that God is totally committed to humankind. The love we see in Calvary's ultimate sacrifice draws us, as God's mercy drew David, to worship and serve the Lord" (Bible Reader's Companion, note on verse 7). Relying on God's mercy, David expresses his intent to worship God and asks for help in following Him—to provide no basis for his enemies' accusations—as he knows he would not succeed in obedience on his own (verses 7-8).

It is interesting that David says he will worship toward God's holy temple (verse 7) when there was as yet no temple in Jerusalem. Perhaps David was speaking of God's temple in heaven (compare Hebrews 9:23-24; Revelation 15:5-16:1). Or perhaps during his preparations for the building of the physical temple late in his life, David wrote this psalm (or modified an earlier one) to be sung when the temple was standing. Note that the psalm's superscription (or alternatively the postscript at the beginning of Psalm 6) is addressed "To the Chief Musician." For us today, the temple of God, in a spiritual sense, can also refer to the body of believers with God's Holy Spirit—the Church of God (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Corinthians 3:17).

David asks God to pass sentence on his enemies because they have "no faithfulness in their mouth" (Psalm 5:9). They boast, flatter, lie and curse. "Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction" (same verse, NIV). "Their throat is an open tomb; they flatter [deceivingly] with their tongue." Paul used these words to argue for the depravity of all humanity (Romans 3:13). Jesus stated that a man is defiled by what comes out of his heart: "Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man" (Matthew 15:18-29). The sins of the wicked (verses 4-5, 9-10)—which means everyone until they repent—spring from rebellion against God: "Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you" (verse 10, NIV). As mentioned above, ultimately the wicked will be cast out: "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7:19).

But God surrounds the righteous—those who repent and seek His will—with protection and favor, making Himself their refuge and shield (Psalm 5:11-12). Of course, this does not mean that God will allow no calamity to overtake His people, as we saw in the book of Job. But everything happens within His oversight, as He directs all things to a positive outcome for those who faithfully serve Him (see Romans 8:28). And in general, He does maintain a protective defense around His people, and He provides them with constant blessings.