Psalms 69

King James Version

Full text for Psalms Chapter 69

1¶ To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, [A Psalm] of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto [my] soul.

2I sink in deep mire, where [there is] no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

3I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

4They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, [being] mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored [that] which I took not away.

5O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

6Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.

7Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.

8I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.

9For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

10When I wept, [and chastened] my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.

11I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.

12They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I [was] the song of the drunkards.

13¶ But as for me, my prayer [is] unto thee, O LORD, [in] an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

14Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

15Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

16Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness [is] good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

17And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

18Draw nigh unto my soul, [and] redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.

19Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries [are] all before thee.

20Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked [for some] to take pity, but [there was] none; and for comforters, but I found none.

21They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

22¶ Let their table become a snare before them: and [that which should have been] for [their] welfare, [let it become] a trap.

23Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

24Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

25Let their habitation be desolate; [and] let none dwell in their tents.

26For they persecute [him] whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.

27Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.

28Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

29But I [am] poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

30¶ I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

31[This] also shall please the LORD better than an ox [or] bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

32The humble shall see [this, and] be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.

33For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

34Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.

35For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

36The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The psalmist, in profound distress likened to overwhelming waters, cries out to God for salvation from his numerous, unprovoked enemies. He endures deep reproach and alienation for his devotion to God, suffering a broken heart and cruel treatment. While seeking deliverance, he also calls for divine judgment upon his persecutors, concluding with a vow of praise and hope for God's future salvation of Zion.

Medium Summary

Psalm 69 opens with David's fervent plea to God, describing his overwhelming suffering as sinking in deep mire and being engulfed by floods. He laments the unprovoked hatred of his numerous enemies, acknowledging his own sins yet emphasizing that his reproach stems from his zeal for God's house. The psalmist recounts being alienated from his family and mocked by society, his heart broken by dishonour and lack of comfort. He earnestly prays for God's swift deliverance based on divine mercy and lovingkindness, recounting the cruel treatment of being given gall and vinegar. A significant portion of the psalm is an imprecation, calling for God's wrath and desolation upon his persecutors, who have added to the suffering of those God has already afflicted. Despite his sorrow, the psalmist expresses confidence in God's salvation, vowing to offer praise and thanksgiving, which is more pleasing than sacrifice. The psalm concludes with a hopeful vision of God hearing the poor and saving Zion, ensuring its inheritance for His servants.

Long Summary

Psalm 69, a psalm of David, begins with a desperate cry for divine intervention, as the psalmist feels overwhelmed by troubles, metaphorically sinking in deep mire and being engulfed by floods. He expresses weariness from crying and failing eyes from waiting for God, highlighting the vast number of his enemies who hate him without cause and wrongfully seek his destruction. The psalmist acknowledges his own foolishness and sins before God but asserts that his current profound reproach and shame are endured for God's sake, as his zeal for the Lord's house has consumed him. This devotion has led to alienation from his own family and becoming a public proverb and song among drunkards. He then turns to God in earnest prayer, seeking deliverance from his dire circumstances based on God's abundant mercy and truth of salvation, pleading for rescue from the mire and deep waters. The psalmist describes his heart as broken by reproach, finding no pity or comforters, and enduring the cruel indignity of being offered gall for food and vinegar for thirst. A significant section follows, where the psalmist invokes severe divine judgment upon his adversaries, praying that their prosperity turn into a snare, their eyes be darkened, their habitation desolate, and their names blotted from the book of the living. This imprecation is justified by their persecution of one whom God has already smitten and wounded. Despite his poor and sorrowful state, the psalmist expresses unwavering hope that God's salvation will exalt him. He vows to praise God's name with song and thanksgiving, declaring that such praise is more acceptable to the Lord than any animal sacrifice. The psalm concludes with an encouraging message for the humble and those who seek God, affirming that the Lord hears the poor and despises not His prisoners. It culminates in a grand vision of universal praise from heaven, earth, and seas, anticipating God's future salvation of Zion and the rebuilding of Judah's cities for His faithful servants to inherit.

Core Concepts

  • Deep Distress and OverwhelmThe psalmist vividly describes his suffering using metaphors of sinking in deep mire and being engulfed by floods, signifying an overwhelming sense of despair and imminent destruction.
  • Reproach for God's SakeDavid asserts that his profound shame, dishonour, and alienation from family are a direct consequence of his fervent zeal for God's house and the reproaches directed at God falling upon him.
  • Cruel Treatment and Lack of ComfortAmidst his suffering, the psalmist laments the absence of pity or comforters, highlighting the specific indignity of being offered gall for food and vinegar to drink by his adversaries.
  • Imprecation Against EnemiesA significant portion of the psalm is dedicated to calling upon God to bring severe judgment upon the persecutors, including desolation, darkness, and their names being blotted out, because they persecute those whom God has already afflicted.
  • Hope in Divine SalvationDespite his sorrowful state and the intensity of his enemies' malice, the psalmist maintains a steadfast hope that God's salvation will ultimately uplift him and set him on high.
  • Praise as Acceptable SacrificeThe psalmist vows to praise God with song and thanksgiving, declaring that such heartfelt worship is more pleasing to the Lord than any traditional animal sacrifice, like an ox or bullock.
  • God's Care for the Afflicted and Zion's RestorationThe psalm concludes with the assurance that God hears the poor and despises not His prisoners, culminating in a prophetic vision of God saving Zion and rebuilding the cities of Judah for His servants to inherit.