The Bible — World English Bible
Psalm 70
In brief
Psalm 70 is a short, urgent prayer of David, which the title says is for remembrance. It calls on God for help, asks that those who want his ruin be confounded, then prays that those who seek God be glad. It ends with the cry of a poor and needy man who knows that God is his help and his deliverer. This psalm serves as a brief prayer in moments when we have no words left.
The title attributes this psalm to David and entrusts it to the chief musician, that is, to the singing of worship. The words for remembrance in the heading, also found at the head of Psalm 38, most likely point to a prayer meant to remind God of the distress of the one who prays; their exact use in worship is still debated. It is an individual lament, one of the shortest in the book of Psalms: five verses crying out for help. The text repeats, with a few variations, the end of Psalm 40, as if this prayer had been lifted out of it to be said on its own, at the moment of danger. The title does not name the circumstance. Since the early centuries, Christians have repeated its first verse as a brief prayer through the day, and the liturgy of several churches still opens its prayer times with these words. Many pray it today when the urgency leaves room for nothing but a cry.
The chapter in 3 parts
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.
Understanding Psalm 70 verse by verse
v. 1A direct cry: God, hurry to deliver me
After the title, the psalm gets straight to the point. There is no opening praise and no explanation: “Hurry, God, to deliver me.” The call for speed comes twice, hurry and then come quickly, with two names for God, God and Yahweh, and two requests, deliver and help. Everything here speaks of urgency. David does not prepare a fine speech; he calls for help the way you call someone you trust. This verse teaches you that a prayer does not need to be long to be true. Telling God that you need him now is not a lack of faith: it is already turning to him instead of to your fear. When you have no words left, this sentence is enough to begin.
v. 2-3Let those who want my ruin and mock me be turned back
David is not only in danger: he is surrounded by people who “seek my soul,” that is, who are after his life, and who “desire my ruin.” Their cry, Aha! Aha!, is the cry of people who gloat over someone else's misfortune and turn it into mockery. David asks that they be disappointed and confounded, turned back in disgrace: that their scheme fail and that they see their mistake. He does not take justice into his own hands; he hands his cause over to God. Christians do not all read these requests the same way: some see in them first of all a prayer that evil be stopped, while others pray them keeping in mind Jesus' call to love our enemies and pray for them. Either way, these verses give you permission to tell God how deeply mockery and hostility have wounded you, rather than answering with revenge.
v. 4In the middle of the trial, the joy of those who seek God
The tone changes. The mocking cry of the adversaries is answered by another cry: “Let God be exalted!” David widens his prayer to “all those who seek you.” To seek God is to turn to him, to count on him, to long for his presence. To love his salvation is to love the way he delivers, even before you see the result. Notice that David prays for the joy of others while he is himself in danger. Distress could have shut him up inside himself; instead it becomes intercession and praise. The word continually shows that this praise does not depend on circumstances. For you today, this verse opens a door: even in the middle of a crisis, praying for others and blessing God breaks isolation and reminds you that your joy is found in him, not only in the end of the problem.
v. 5Poor and needy, but with a God who helps
The last verse returns to the first person: “But I am poor and needy.” In the Psalms, these words are not first of all about money. They describe someone who has no support and no defense, and who depends on God. That even David describes himself this way shows that anyone can end up without resources one day. And yet, in the very heart of that lack, he confesses: “You are my help and my deliverer.” At this point, the end of Psalm 40 says that the Lord thinks of him; Psalm 70 replaces that with a fresh appeal: come to me quickly. The psalm stops without telling the story of the deliverance. It does not promise that everything will be settled right away; it declares who God is. In Jesus, who called the poor in spirit blessed, you discover that acknowledging your poverty before God is not a failure but the starting point of faith.
How to pray Psalm 70
When to pray this psalm
- When an emergency hits you and you have only a few seconds to call on God.
- When you are facing mockery, harassment or words meant to harm you.
- When anxiety is so strong that you cannot manage a long prayer.
- In a wait that drags on: a medical result, an important answer, news of a loved one.
- When you feel poor and helpless, with no resources and no solution in front of a problem.
- At the start of the day, to hand it over to God in a single sentence.
A prayer inspired by Psalm 70
O God, hurry to deliver me. Lord, come quickly to help me. I have no long speeches today: I am afraid, and I am at the end of my strength. You see those who wish me harm, the mockery that wounds me, the words that seek my ruin. I do not want to take revenge myself. I place all of this in your hands: stop what is evil, and turn back those who are wronging me. I also pray for all who are seeking you right now, in the middle of their own night. Give them the joy of being in you, and teach me to say with them, even today: Let God be exalted! I am poor and needy. I have nothing to claim before you except my need of you. But you are my help and my deliverer. Through Jesus, I know that you do not abandon me, even when your answer does not look like the one I expect. Lord, do not delay. Amen.
Key verses
Hurry, God, to deliver me. Come quickly to help me, Yahweh.
The psalm begins with no introduction, with a cry. It shows that we can pray briefly and directly, with only the need to be rescued.
Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation continually say, “Let God be exalted!”
In the middle of distress, David prays for those who seek God. He asks not only for his own salvation, but that joy in God be shared by all who love him.
But I am poor and needy. Come to me quickly, God. You are my help and my deliverer. Yahweh, don’t delay.
David declares himself poor and needy, without resources. The admission of his weakness becomes the foundation of his prayer: God is his help and his deliverer.
Bible verses to meditate on
Test your knowledge
Frequently asked questions about Psalm 70
What does Psalm 70 mean?
Psalm 70 is a cry of urgency addressed to God. David asks him to come and deliver him quickly, that those who wish him harm be confounded, and that those who seek God rejoice. It ends with an admission: I am poor and needy, but you are my help, do not delay.
Who wrote Psalm 70?
The title attributes it to David and says it is for remembrance, which points to a psalm meant to remind God of his distress. The text repeats almost word for word the end of Psalm 40, verses 13 to 17, which suggests it was set apart as an independent prayer.
Why does David ask God to hurry?
The request expresses the urgency of a distress that David can no longer bear. It does not suppose that God is late: in the Bible, we have the right to tell God that we need him now. In verse 5, David also acknowledges that God is his help, which feeds his trust.
How can I pray Psalm 70 in distress?
This psalm is short enough to be prayed by heart in an emergency. Say verse 1 again, then verse 5, naming your situation. Finish with verse 4 and thank God in advance. It suits moments when we have no words left for a long prayer.
World English Bible translation — public domain.