Psalms 55:15

The mournful recollections of past friendships so cruelly outraged give way to a fierce invocation of vengeance, and the individual disappears behind the whole body of the Psalmist's enemies. It will be noted that he avoids any personal execration of his old friend.

Let death&c. The consonants of the written text must be rendered, Desolations be upon them!but the word for desolationsis one which only occurs in the name of a place (Beth-jeshimoth) and is not a natural word to apply to persons; and the marginal reading, with which all the Ancient Versions agree, should certainly be followed in its division of the consonants into two words. Render, Let death come upon them unawares. In this and in the next line, Let them go down alive into Sheol, there may be an allusion to the fate of Korah and his company of rebels (Numbers 16:30; Numbers 16:33). Let them be overtaken in the midst of their villany by a sudden and premature death, which will be a visible judgement on their crimes. Cp. Psalms 35:8; and Psalms 124:3; Proverbs 1:12. Quickin A.V. regularly retains its old meaning alive. Sheol(A.V. hell) is not the place of torment, but the abode of the departed, the O.T. equivalent of Hades, by which it is rendered in the LXX. See note on Psalms 6:5.

for wickedness&c. For wickedness (lit. evils) is in their dwelling, in the midst of them (lit. in their inward part). Evil of every kind finds a home, not only in their dwellings, but in their hearts.