תהלים, פרק נ״ה, פסוק י׳

In moments of deep crisis and internal betrayal, survival sometimes depends not on military strength, but on the internal collapse of the enemy's plans. Facing a severe rebellion and a direct threat to his life, King David turns to God with a specific plea to dismantle the unity of those conspiring against him. He asks God to bring ruin upon his enemies by separating them [רש״י, מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that David asks God to confuse the counsel of the rebels, particularly targeting the advice of Ahithophel and his allies [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, מאירי].

The most effective way to defeat these enemies is by creating deep division among them. By turning their speech against one another, the conspirators will split into different factions and pull in opposite directions. As they fail to agree, their plot will naturally fall apart because no one will listen to the others. Some commentators note that this request echoes the historical punishment of the Generation of the Dispersion, where God confused the language of those who united for an evil purpose so they could no longer understand each other [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד]. Another perspective presents this as a twofold request: David first asks God to swallow the rebels into the earth, much like the fate of Korah's followers. If that does not happen, he asks God to at least divide their speech so the public will witness their downfall and learn a moral lesson [אלשיך]. According to this view, the sheer violence of the enemies mirrors the corruption of the Generation of the Flood, while their constant arguing recalls Korah's rebellion.

The justification for such a severe prayer stems from the grim reality David either witnesses firsthand or learns about through messengers [מלבי״ם]. The city of Jerusalem has been overrun by evil deeds, robbery, violence, and conflict directly caused by the conspirators [רש״י, מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. Because the rebels have already infiltrated the city and organized their plot against the king, David faces an immediate, life-threatening danger. This urgent threat leaves him with no choice but to ask God to thwart their plans before they can ever be put into action [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, מאירי].