Ps. 64.5 (the conspiracy)

As they talk / of laying snares secretly
they say, / “Who will notice them?
Who will / investigate the crimes?
We have perfected / a shrewd scheme!” 

At the only pointing the psalm where the wicked actually speak, we find an acknowledgment that they are committing “crimes”. They are fully aware that their actions are actions of chaos. However, their concern over their crimes is not, obviously, of repentance but of protection—they are deliberating over their schemes so as to nurture them against discovery and investigation. The nature of their concern is important to note. First, they wonder if anyone would have the ability to discover their hidden snares. Second, they wonder if, given the fact that they can be discovered, whether there is anyone who would be willing to further investigate them. The wicked are convinced that the guardians of justice and right order are either incapable or unwilling to move against them. For that reason, they believe they have devised the “perfect crime”. This sense of confidence is immensely rewarding to them, which is why the concluding statement is one, not of rhetorical questioning, but of self-satisfied assurance. There is something in this that speaks of the nature of chaos—its attempt to conceal its own activity speaks of its hidden acknowledgment that it functions, in some manner, within a greater sphere of justice (i.e., that it is aware of its own perversion of a ‘true’ order). Justice does not seek to be hidden, as it, itself, does not employ the methods of deception. However, in this questioning of the wicked, we come to see that they are not atheistic; they do not question the existence of another, greater order. Rather, as with all the wicked, they question whether anyone has the power or ability to thwart them. It is important that this section on the wicked concludes on this note of supreme confidence. As we are aware by now, these pinnacles of the wicked, Bable-like, are almost always preludes to a sudden and profound reversal by God. A good example is Psalm 2 where the nations congregate to overthrow God’s anointed on Zion, approach the mountain, speak their rebellious words and are immediately met by the deafening laughter of God.  By positioning the wicked in this way, the psalmist expertly exposes them, in their own words, to the judgment of God while, simultaneously, making them speak the pure words of their rebellion without any mediation by the poet.