David begins this psalm with a plea for God to "give hear to my words," which is similar to the his petition in Psalm 4, "Answer me when I call." My best guess is that this is some type of poetic tradition where the speaker calls upon God in the beginning.
Whenever I get too far from the King James while reading the psalms, a verse like this pulls me back. Look at the difference between the ESV and KJ here.
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:3 KJ
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. Psalm 5:3 ESV
direct
ârak
aw-rak'
A primitive root; to set in a row, that is, arrange, put in order (in a very wide variety of applications): - put (set) (the battle, self) in array... -Strongs
look up
tsâphâh
tsaw-faw'
A primitive root; properly to lean forward, that is, to peer into the distance; by implication to observe, await: - behold, espy, look up (well), wait for, (keep the) watch (-man).
I love the clear picture the KJ paints here. It's a picture of man who expects to hear from God each morning. He puts his prayers in order then leans forward to hear. A simple but profoundly significant pattern.
All this amid difficulty as the second half of the psalm creates a contrast between the psalmist and the wicked. The wicked are characterized as "boastful," "deceitful," and "blood thirsty" (v5-6). He focuses on the quality of inner world: "their inmost self is destruction." Clearly, nothing comes out of a destructive core. Carrying the seeds of their own ultimate failure, the future of evildoers is a matter of natural forces and consequences unfolding.
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