Psalms — Chapter 70

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1For the choirmaster. Of David. To bring remembrance. Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Hurry, O LORD, to help me!

2May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated.

3May those who say, “Aha, aha!” retreat because of their shame.

4May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, “Let God be magnified!”

5But I am poor and needy; hurry to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

1Make 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.

1[Make haste], O God, to deliver me; Make haste to help me, O Jehovah.

2Let them be put to shame and confounded That seek after my soul: Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor That delight in my hurt.

3Let them be turned back by reason 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 Jehovah, make no tarrying. Psalm 71

1For the music director, by David; written to get God’s attention. O God, please be willing to rescue me. O Lord, hurry and help me.

2May those who are trying to take my life be embarrassed and ashamed. May those who want to harm me be turned back and ashamed.

3May those who say, “Aha! Aha!” be driven back and disgraced.

4May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you. May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May God be praised!”

5I am oppressed and needy. O God, hurry to me. You are my helper and my deliverer. O Lord, do not delay.

1Hurry, God, to deliver me. Come quickly to help me, Yahweh.

2Let them be disappointed and confounded who seek my soul. Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

3Let them be turned because of their shame Who say, “Aha! Aha!”

4Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation continually say, “Let God be exalted!”

5But I am poor and needy. Come to me quickly, God. You are my help and my deliverer. Yahweh, don’t delay.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

A brief, urgent plea for help, nearly identical to the closing verses of Psalm 40. David asks God to hurry to his rescue and to turn back in shame those who seek his life and mock him (vv. 1-3). He prays that those who seek God would instead rejoice and continually praise him (v. 4). The psalm ends with David's own confession of need — poor and needy, he begs God, his only help and deliverer, not to delay (v. 5).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Individual Lament Psalm
Attributed Author: David
Key Themes: Urgency of prayer, pleading for speed, shame on enemies, joy for God-seekers, poverty and neediness before God
Historical Context: Psalm 70 is nearly identical to Psalm 40:13-17 and appears to be extracted from that longer psalm for independent liturgical use. The superscription says "to bring to remembrance" (lehazkir), suggesting it was used to call God's attention to the psalmist's situation — possibly accompanying a memorial offering (Leviticus 2:2). The psalm is only 5 verses but captures the essence of urgent prayer. David is in immediate danger and has no time for lengthy meditation — he needs God now. It serves as a model for crisis prayer: brief, direct, honest, and God-centered despite personal desperation. It closes Book II of the Psalter alongside Psalm 72.
Make Haste, O God (v.1): Make haste, O God, to deliver me, make haste to help me, O LORD. This psalm is Psalm 40:13-17 repeated with small changes, chiefly the substitution of God for the LORD, which is characteristic of Book II. The psalter keeps both and the duplication is deliberate rather than accidental, since the shorter version has its own superscription marking it as a separate liturgical piece.
Let Them Be Ashamed (vv.2-3): Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul. What is asked is reversal rather than destruction, let them be turned backward. And the quoted taunt is a single syllable of satisfaction, let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha, which is the same word Psalm 35:21 and Ezekiel 25:3 report.
Let God Be Magnified (v.4): Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee, and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. One verse set against the previous two: the same verb, let them say, with a different sentence in the mouth.
I Am Poor and Needy (v.5): But I am poor and needy, make haste unto me, O God, thou art my help and my deliverer, O LORD, make no tarrying. The psalm ends where it began, asking for speed, and the five verses contain no report of an answer. It is the shortest complete lament in the psalter and it is left open.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 70-71 | You Have Been My Refuge | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 70 - Help Quickly, O Lord
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Urgent Prayer Needs No Polish (v.1) — David's plea to "make haste" is brief, raw, and immediate, with no elaborate wording. Do you hold back from praying honestly because your words don't feel formal or put-together enough?
  • Praying for Others in Your Own Crisis (v.4) — Even while desperate for his own deliverance, David asks that all who seek God would find joy. Can you widen your prayers to include others even when you're in the middle of your own emergency?
  • Poor and Needy Is a Position of Strength (v.5) — David closes by openly naming himself as poor and needy before God rather than projecting self-sufficiency. Where do you need to trade the appearance of having it together for honest dependence on God?