64:5Meaning
Mutual reinforcement in hidden harm The opponents “encourage themselves” in what they already intend to do, strengthening one another’s resolve. Their conversation centers on placing traps in secret, suggesting deliberate concealment rather than open confrontation. They speak as if surveillance and accountability are absent, asking, “Who will see them?”—a confidence that their actions will remain undetected.
Unit 2 (v. 6a): Planning injustice and praising their plan
They move from general plotting to a specific aim: “injustice.” They present their work as carefully engineered, even calling it a “perfect plan.” The line conveys self-congratulation and the belief that their scheme is complete, coherent, and unlikely to fail.
Unit 3 (v. 6b): A concluding diagnosis of the human interior
The verse closes with a general statement about human inner capacity: a person’s “mind and heart” can be “cunning.” This functions like a summary judgment on how deeply the plotting runs—down into thought and desire—not just external actions.
