Psalms 70

Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!

Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt!

Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!”

May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”

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

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Psalms 70

Psalm 70 is a petition for rescue expressing urgency of request for divine rescue from enemies with abbreviated intensity, exemplifying the theological concerns of Book 3. The psalmist employs vivid imagery and direct address to God, establishing the intimate dialogue between worshiper and the divine that characterizes the psalmic tradition. The theological assertions center on God's character as both judge and redeemer, creating a comprehensive vision of divine justice and mercy integrated with human experience. The psalm reflects on both personal circumstance and communal identity, suggesting that individual faith finds validation through shared experience with the covenant community. The liturgical context indicates this psalm's function in worship where personal piety integrates with communal celebration of God's acts and attributes. The concluding movement typically affirms confidence in God's faithfulness, exemplifying the psalmic pattern of transformation through prayer and remembrance of divine acts throughout history.

Psalms 70:1

This opening invocation calling for God to make haste to deliver the psalmist establishes the psalm as a prayer of urgent petition in extremity. The emphasis on speed indicates that delay itself would be unbearable; the affliction is acute. The reference to being made to be put to shame establishes that the psalmist faces humiliation and degradation. This verse establishes the tone: desperate urgency grounded in trust that God can and will act swiftly.

Psalms 70:2

The continuation that evildoers should be turned back and put to shame establishes the petition for the reversal and humiliation of enemies. The turning back indicates that enemies will be scattered and forced to retreat. The shaming of enemies establishes that their apparent triumph will be reversed. This verse articulates the dual petition: rescue for the righteous and judgment for the wicked.

Psalms 70:3

The prayer that those who say "Aha, Aha" be turned back for their shame establishes that the taunters and mockers will experience reversal of their fortune. The exclamation "Aha, Aha" represents contemptuous mockery of the afflicted. The turning back in shame articulates that the mockers will become the objects of derision themselves. This verse focuses on the punishment of those who take pleasure in others' misery.

Psalms 70:4

The command that those who seek God be glad and rejoice establishes that the proper response to the possibility of divine aid is joyful celebration. The reference to those seeking God indicates that the desire for divine help characterizes the righteous. The love for God's salvation indicates that deliverance from God is the ultimate good. This verse establishes the proper emotional and spiritual stance of those waiting for divine response.

Psalms 70:5

The final affirmation that God is the help of the psalmist and the one who brings salvation, along with the plea that God not be far away, articulates the fundamental trust that undergirds the entire prayer. The acknowledgment of complete dependence on God establishes that the psalmist has nowhere to turn but to God. The plea that God not be far away indicates the fear that God might delay or withhold aid. This verse closes the psalm with the reassertion of dependence on God as the sole source of hope.