Hurry, God, to Deliver Me
Psalm 70 summary: what it means
Psalm 70 is a short, urgent prayer. It begins and ends with the same plea: hurry, come quickly, do not delay. In between, the writer asks that those who seek his life be turned back in disgrace, including those who mock him with "Aha, aha". He also asks that everyone who seeks God rejoice and keep saying, let God be exalted. The whole psalm is five verses long.
The psalm closes with the writer calling himself poor and needy and naming God as his help and deliverer. Its five verses closely match Psalm 40:13 to 17, with small differences in wording, such as God where Psalm 40 has LORD. The heading calls it a reminder.
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Psalm 70: Hurry, God, to Deliver Me
World English Bible, public domain. allpsalms.com/psalm-70
Psalm 70 commentary: explained verse by verse
Hurry, God, to deliver me.Come quickly to help me, LORD.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD.
The psalm opens without any introduction. It asks God to hurry to deliver and to come quickly to help. Psalm 40:13 has almost the same words, but begins "Be pleased, LORD".
Also read Psalm 71:12, Psalm 69:18, 2 Samuel 17:1-21, Psalm 40:13-17
Let them be disappointed and confounded who seek my soul.Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.
The writer asks that those who seek his soul be disappointed and confounded. Those who desire his ruin are to be turned back in disgrace. The prayer is that their plans fail.
Also read Psalm 109:29, John 18:6, Isaiah 41:11, Psalm 35:26
Let them be turned because of their shamewho say, “Aha! Aha!”
Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.
These opponents are identified by what they say: "Aha, aha." It is the sound of mockery. The writer asks that their own shame turn them back.
Also read Acts 1:18, Psalm 40:15, Ezekiel 36:2, Ezekiel 25:3
Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you.Let those who love your salvation continually say,“Let God be exalted!”
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.
The prayer turns from enemies to friends. Everyone who seeks God should rejoice and be glad, and those who love his salvation should keep saying, let God be exalted. The writer prays for others while still in need himself.
Also read Isaiah 61:10, Isaiah 65:13-14, Psalm 5:11, Psalm 97:12
But I am poor and needy.Come to me quickly, God.You are my help and my deliverer.LORD, don’t delay.
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 in need. The writer says he is poor and needy and asks God to come quickly. He names God as his help and deliverer, and his last words ask the LORD not to delay.
Also read Revelation 22:20, Psalm 141:1, Hebrews 10:37, Psalm 69:29
A prayer from Psalm 70
Hurry, God, to deliver me. Come quickly to help me, LORD. There are people who want my ruin, and some mock me with their Aha. Let their plans come to nothing, and I leave them with you. Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation keep saying, Let God be exalted. I am poor and needy. Come to me quickly, God. You are my help and my deliverer. LORD, do not delay. Amen.
Psalm 70 Bible study questions
- What request for speed appears in verse 1, and how is it repeated in verse 5?
- In verse 4, what does the psalm want those who love God's salvation to keep saying?
- Verse 5 begins But I am poor and needy; how might admitting need change the way someone prays?
- This psalm is only five verses long; what do you notice about praying with few words when help is needed quickly?
- Psalm 40:13 to 17 is almost the same as Psalm 70; what differences do you notice when you read them side by side?
Questions about Psalm 70
What does Psalm 70 mean?
It is an urgent prayer for rescue from people who want to harm and mock the writer. It asks God to hurry, prays that all who seek God will rejoice, and ends with the writer calling himself poor and needy.
Who wrote Psalm 70?
The heading attributes it to David, addresses it to the Chief Musician and calls it a reminder. The King James Version heading has "to bring to remembrance".
How is Psalm 70 related to Psalm 40?
Its five verses closely match Psalm 40:13 to 17. The wording differs in small ways, for example God where Psalm 40 has LORD.
What does Psalm 70:4 mean?
It prays that all who seek God will rejoice and be glad in him, and that those who love his salvation will keep saying, let God be exalted.
What does Psalm 70:5 mean?
The writer calls himself poor and needy, asks God to come quickly, and names him as help and deliverer. It ends the psalm with the request not to delay.
What is Psalm 70:1 in the KJV?
The King James Version reads: "Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD."
Psalm 70 KJV: the King James Version
Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD.1
Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.2
Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.3
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.4
But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.5
Psalm 70 in Hebrew
The Hebrew text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, which counts a psalm's heading as verse 1, so they can run one ahead of English Bibles.
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1 לַ֝מְנַצֵּ֗חַ לְדָוִ֥ד לְהַזְכִּֽיר׃
2 אֱלֹהִ֥ים לְהַצִּילֵ֑נִי יְ֝הוָ֗ה לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי חֽוּשָֽׁה׃
3 יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ֮ מְבַקְשֵׁ֪י נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י יִסֹּ֣גוּ אָ֭חוֹר וְיִכָּלְמ֑וּ חֲ֝פֵצֵ֗י רָעָתִֽי׃
4 יָ֭שׁוּבוּ עַל־עֵ֣קֶב בָּשְׁתָּ֑ם הָ֝אֹמְרִ֗ים הֶ֘אָ֥ח ׀ הֶאָֽח׃
5 יָ֘שִׂ֤ישׂוּ וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ ׀ בְּךָ֗ כָּֽל־מְבַ֫קְשֶׁ֥יךָ וְיֹאמְר֣וּ תָ֭מִיד יִגְדַּ֣ל אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֹ֝הֲבֵ֗י יְשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃
6 וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְיוֹן֮ אֱלֹהִ֪ים חֽוּשָׁ֫ה־לִּ֥י עֶזְרִ֣י וּמְפַלְטִ֣י אַ֑תָּה יְ֝הוָ֗ה אַל־תְּאַחַֽר׃
Psalm 70 in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible
The Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain. It follows the Greek and Latin numbering, so this psalm is Psalm 69 there.
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1 Unto the end, a psalm for David, to bring to remembrance that the Lord saved him.
2 O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me.
3 Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek my soul:
4 Let them be turned backward, and blush for shame that desire evils to me: Let them be presently turned away blushing for shame that say to me: Tis well, tis well.
5 Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee; and let such as love thy salvation say always: The Lord be magnified.
6 But I am needy and poor; O God, help me. Thou art my helper and my deliverer: O Lord, make no delay.
Psalm 70 in Latin
The Clementine Vulgate, public domain, where this psalm is Psalm 69.
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1 In finem. Psalmus David in rememorationem, quod salvum fecerit eum Dominus.
2 Deus, in adjutorium meum intende; Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina.
3 Confundantur, et revereantur, qui quærunt animam meam.
4 Avertantur retrorsum, et erubescant, qui volunt mihi mala; avertantur statim erubescentes qui dicunt mihi: Euge, euge !
5 Exsultent et lætentur in te omnes qui quærunt te; et dicant semper: Magnificetur Dominus, qui diligunt salutare tuum.
6 Ego vero egenus et pauper sum; Deus, adjuva me. Adjutor meus et liberator meus es tu; Domine, ne moreris.
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Psalm 70 at a glance
| Verses | 5 |
| Heading in the text | For the Chief Musician. By David. A reminder. |
| Attributed to | The heading attributes it to David and calls it a reminder. |
| Type | Lament and Prayer |
| Number in Greek and Latin Bibles | Psalm 69 |
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Psalm 70 in other translations
This page prints the World English Bible and the King James Version because both are public domain. The NIV, ESV, NKJV, NLT and NASB are under copyright, so they cannot be printed in full here. You can read Psalm 70 in those translations at Bible Gateway.
Where Psalm 70 belongs
Psalms of DavidBook 2 of the Psalms
How this page was made
The psalm text comes from public domain translations and is not edited. The summary, the verse notes and the answers are written for this page from the text of the psalm itself. Where a claim goes beyond the text, it is sourced below.
Sources
- Text: World English Bible and King James Version, both public domain, from ebible.org source
- Hebrew text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Douay-Rheims: Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Latin text: Clementine Vulgate, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Numbering: Greek and Latin psalm numbering, Wikipedia, Psalms source