Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Psalms 69
Psalms 69:1-2Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.
These opening verses use the powerful metaphor of drowning to express a feeling of being completely overwhelmed by trouble, with no solid ground to stand on.Psalms 69:9For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
Psalms 69:21They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.
A heartbreaking description of ultimate betrayal, this verse is famously seen as a prophecy of Jesus's crucifixion, where he was offered sour wine to drink.Psalms 69:30I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Marking a pivotal shift in the psalm, this verse shows the psalmist's decision to praise God even in the midst of his pain, demonstrating a deep trust in God's eventual rescue.
Historical & Cultural Context
Sinking in a Sea of Sorrow
The setting of Psalm 69 is not a physical place but a landscape of deep emotional and spiritual distress. The psalmist feels completely submerged in trouble, using the imagery of sinking in mire and being swept away by a flood. This is a crisis of survival, not merely a bad day. Enemies surround him, friends and family have abandoned him, and God feels distant. His reputation is ruined, and his every action is twisted and mocked by those who hate him without reason.
A Prayer from the Depths
This suffering is not random. The psalmist believes it is a direct result of his commitment to God. His 'zeal' for God's house has brought reproach and alienation upon him. In this state of utter despair and isolation, his only recourse is to turn to God. The psalm unfolds as a raw, unfiltered prayer, moving from a desperate plea for help to a startling call for justice against his enemies, and finally landing on a firm resolve to praise God, no matter the circumstances.
A Journey from Despair to Praise
Psalm 69 takes us on an intense emotional journey. It begins with the psalmist describing his feeling of being completely overwhelmed by his troubles, as if he's drowning in a muddy pit with no way out. From this place of desperation, he cries out to God, detailing the injustice he faces and pleading for rescue before turning his focus to God's ultimate justice and praise.
The Overwhelming Flood of Affliction (Psalms 69:1-12)
1 Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.
2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.
3 I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.
4 More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal must I now restore?
5 O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.
6 Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord God of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel.
7 For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons.
9 For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.
12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.
Commentary:
Feeling like he's drowning in unjust suffering and social rejection, the psalmist lays out his desperate situation to God.
An Urgent Plea for Deliverance (Psalms 69:13-21)
13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
14 Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.
15 Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.
16 Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
17 Hide not your face from your servant, for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.
18 Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because of my enemies!
19 You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you.
20 Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.
21 They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.
Commentary:
The psalmist begs God for immediate rescue, basing his appeal on God's loving character and describing the deep cruelty of his enemies.
A Startling Call for Justice (Psalms 69:22-28)
22 Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually.
24 Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them.
25 Let their habitation be desolate; let no one dwell in their tents.
26 For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.
27 Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.
Commentary:
In a raw cry for justice, the psalmist asks God to hold his enemies accountable for their cruelty and evil actions.
The Victorious Turn to Praise (Psalms 69:29-36)
29 But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high!
30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs.
32 The humble shall see it and be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
33 For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it;
36 The offspring of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.
Commentary:
Despite his ongoing pain, the psalmist chooses to praise God, confident that God hears the needy and will bring ultimate salvation.
Core Truths in a Cry of Pain
Honesty in the Midst of Suffering
Psalm 69 gives us permission to be completely honest with God. The psalmist doesn't hide his despair, his sense of abandonment, or his anger. He brings it all to God in prayer. This shows that a relationship with God has room for our most difficult and painful emotions.
Suffering for Faithfulness
The psalmist connects his suffering directly to his 'zeal' for God. This theme reminds us that living a life devoted to God can sometimes lead to opposition and rejection from the world. It's a cost of discipleship that is acknowledged and honored by God.
The Prophetic Voice of Christ's Passion
The New Testament writers saw a deep connection between the suffering described in this psalm and the passion of Jesus. Verses about zeal for God's house (v. 9), being hated without cause (v. 4), and being given sour wine (v. 21) are all quoted in the Gospels, showing that Christ is the ultimate righteous sufferer who understands our pain.
The Journey from Lament to Praise
This psalm models a crucial spiritual journey: moving from lament to praise. Even while the problems remain, the psalmist's focus shifts from his overwhelming troubles to God's unfailing character. This choice to praise in the midst of pain is a powerful expression of faith.
Finding Hope in Our Own Deep Waters
Psalm 69 encourages you to pour out your heart to God without filtering it. Like the psalmist in verses 1-3, you can name your specific fears and pains, even if they feel messy or angry. God is not afraid of your raw emotions. He invites you to bring your whole self to Him in prayer, trusting that He hears and understands.
The psalmist felt like a 'stranger' to his own family because of his devotion to God (v. 8). When you face ridicule or isolation, remember that you are in good company. This psalm reminds you that God sees your faithfulness and that the rejection you feel for His sake is a burden He understands and will ultimately redeem.
The psalmist makes a conscious choice to 'praise the name of God with a song' while still being 'afflicted and in pain' (v. 29-30). Your praise doesn't have to be based on your feelings or circumstances. It can be a declaration of faith in God's character - His goodness, His mercy, and His promise to hear the needy (v. 33) - even when you can't yet see the rescue.
God Hears the Cry of the Afflicted
Psalm 69 declares that God is a safe place for our deepest pain and most desperate questions. True faith involves turning to God even when everything is falling apart, rather than pretending everything is okay. The main message is one of deep hope: the God who hears our cries is the God who saves. He will not abandon His people but will vindicate the righteous and restore His kingdom.
What This Means for Us Today
Psalm 69 is an open invitation to bring your unfiltered, honest self before God. It calls you to lay down the burden of pretending and to voice your deepest hurts and frustrations. In doing so, you are invited to discover, as the psalmist did, that even in the mire, the act of crying out to God is the first step toward rescue and praise.
- What 'deep water' or 'mire' do you need to talk to God about honestly today?
- Is there a hurt or injustice for which you need to trust God's ultimate justice instead of seeking your own?
- How can you, like the psalmist, choose to praise God for who He is, even before your circumstances change?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
Connections Across Scripture
Another powerful psalm of lament that Jesus quoted from the cross ('My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'), it similarly moves from agony to ultimate triumph.
The Gospel of John explicitly connects Jesus's thirst on the cross and his being offered sour wine to the fulfillment of the prophecy in Psalm 69:21.
The Apostle Paul quotes Psalm 69:9 ('the reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen on me') to show how Christ did not please himself but bore our insults.
Discussion Questions
- The psalmist uses very strong language to call for judgment on his enemies (verses 22-28). How do we reconcile these kinds of prayers with the New Testament call to love our enemies?
- In what ways have you felt like you were 'sinking in deep mire'? How does this psalm give you a language for that experience?
- The shift from despair in the first half of the psalm to praise in the second half is dramatic. What do you think enables this change in perspective, and how can we cultivate that in our own lives?
Glossary
places
theological concepts
Imprecatory Prayer
A type of prayer that calls for God's judgment or curses to fall upon one's enemies, rooted in a desire for divine justice.
Steadfast Love
A key biblical concept (Hebrew: 'hesed') describing God's faithful, loyal, and covenant-keeping love for His people.
Book of the Living
A symbolic register of those who are righteous and belong to God's covenant community, enjoying His favor and life.
terms
Mire
Thick, deep mud or bog that is difficult to escape from, used here as a metaphor for overwhelming trouble.
Reproach
Disgrace, shame, or disapproval that comes from being criticized or scorned by others.
Sackcloth
A coarse, dark material worn as an outer garment to express mourning, grief, or repentance.