Psalms 70

King James Version

Full text for Psalms Chapter 70

1¶ To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David, to bring to remembrance. [Make haste], O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD.

2Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.

3Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.

4Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

5But I [am] poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou [art] my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Psalm 70 is a fervent prayer of David, urgently appealing to God for swift deliverance from his adversaries. He asks that his enemies be shamed and confounded, while those who seek God rejoice and magnify Him. David concludes by stressing his own needy state and God's role as his immediate helper and deliverer.

Medium Summary

This Psalm, designated "to bring to remembrance," presents David's earnest supplication for divine intervention. He begins with an urgent plea for God to hasten to his aid and deliver him from those who seek his harm. David specifically requests that his adversaries, who mock and pursue his soul, be put to shame, confusion, and turned back. Conversely, he prays that all who seek God might find joy and gladness, and that those who cherish God's salvation would continually extol His name. The psalm concludes with David reiterating his desperate condition as "poor and needy," reaffirming his trust in God as his sole help and deliverer, and imploring Him for immediate action without delay.

Long Summary

Psalm 70, titled "A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance," serves as an intense and urgent prayer for divine assistance. David immediately implores God to make haste in delivering him and providing help, underscoring the pressing nature of his distress. His petition then turns towards his enemies, those who actively seek his life and desire his hurt. He expresses a strong desire for their public humiliation, asking that they be shamed, confounded, turned backward, and put to confusion. This imprecation extends specifically to those who mock him with derisive cries of "Aha, aha," wishing for their retreat in shame. In stark contrast to the fate of his adversaries, David prays for the righteous. He desires that all who genuinely seek God would experience joy and gladness in Him. Furthermore, he asks that those who love God's salvation would perpetually declare God's greatness and magnify His name. The psalm culminates with David's renewed and poignant appeal, where he describes himself as "poor and needy." He reiterates his initial plea for God to make haste, affirming his unwavering conviction that God alone is his ultimate help and deliverer. The final phrase, "O LORD, make no tarrying," powerfully encapsulates the psalm's central theme of urgent reliance on divine intervention.

Core Concepts

  • Urgent DeliveranceThe psalmist repeatedly implores God to "make haste" to deliver him and provide help, underscoring the immediate and pressing nature of his distress.
  • Imprecation of AdversariesDavid prays for his enemies, who seek his soul and mock him, to be shamed, confounded, and turned back in confusion.
  • Rejoicing of the RighteousIn contrast to his enemies, the psalmist desires that those who seek God would rejoice and be glad, continually magnifying God's name.
  • Personal HelplessnessDavid describes himself as "poor and needy," emphasizing his complete reliance on God for assistance rather than his own resources.
  • Divine Help and RescueThe psalmist affirms God as his ultimate "help and deliverer," expressing unwavering trust in God's ability to provide immediate rescue.
  • A Prayer of RemembranceThe psalm's superscription indicates it is "to bring to remembrance," suggesting a plea for God to recall His covenant and the psalmist's urgent need.