Psalms 55:4My heart is severely pained within me. The terrors of death have fallen on me.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~1000 BC. Night. David alone in his chamber, chest tight with anxiety as reports come of his son's army approaching the city...
The emotion here: experiencing physical symptoms of terror and grief
The original word
chûl (חול) — to writhe in pain like a woman in childbirth, physical agony from emotional trauma
Why it matters
The Hebrew describes literal heart palpitations and physical chest pain from stress
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 55:4
David is having what we'd now call a panic attack - rapid heartbeat, chest pain, terror
Common misconceptionPeople spiritualize this, but David is describing actual panic attack symptoms - racing heart, chest pain, terror of dying.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 55:4
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 55:4 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 55:4 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 90% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include death, terror, heart pain. Notable phrases: heart is severely pained; terrors of death. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Psalms 55:4 mean to you, today?
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