Shared ground

Psalm 5:9–10 presents the enemies primarily through their speech. The text explicitly claims their words are not reliable (“no faithfulness in their mouth”), their inner intent is pictured as ruin (destruction), and their talk is compared to an “open tomb,” a vivid image of death and corruption. It also explicitly says they “flatter” with their tongues, meaning they use smooth speech to mislead.

The prayer then moves from description to request. The speaker asks God to treat them as guilty, to let their plotting collapse on them (“fall by their own counsels”), and to push them out because their wrongdoing is extensive. The closing reason given is direct: “they have rebelled against you.”

Where interpretation differs (only where needed)

One question is what “thrust them out” means in context. Some read it mainly as social or worship exclusion (being driven away from the community or God’s presence). Others read it as a broader request for defeat and removal from power, without specifying the setting.

A second question is how to hear “fall by their own counsels.” Some take it as the speaker asking God to actively judge by turning their plans into their downfall. Others hear it as a request for God to allow built-in consequences to catch up with them—still God’s rule, but emphasizing the self-defeating nature of evil plotting.

Why the disagreement exists The Hebrew poetry is compact and image-heavy, so it does not spell out the concrete situation. Also, phrases like “thrust them out” can fit several settings (community, worship space, political court, battlefield) and still make good sense.

What this passage clearly contributes This unit ties deception to spiritual rebellion: lying and manipulative speech are not treated as small private faults but as part of resisting God (“rebelled against you”). It also frames judgment as morally grounded: the speaker’s request rests on their “multitude of transgressions,” not on a bare personal dislike. Finally, it portrays a form of justice where the enemies’ own schemes become the means of their collapse, even as the speaker asks God to oversee that outcome (compare Psalm 5:8 for the immediate setup).