Psalm 69
Psalm 69, Rescued from Deep Waters
Introduction
Psalm 69 is titled, To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Psalm of David. This title matters because it identifies the psalm as a Davidic psalm prepared for public worship. It was given to the Chief Musician, meaning it was intended to be used in the worship life of Israel, not merely kept as private devotional poetry. It was also set to “The Lilies,” as Psalm 45 was. This phrase may refer to the beauty of the composition, to a known tune used in Israel’s worship, or possibly to a six stringed instrument known as Shoshannim, which is the literal Hebrew idea behind the phrase.
The phrase “A Psalm of David” identifies David as the human author, and this is important because the psalm reflects many experiences that fit David’s life. David knew betrayal, slander, unjust hatred, public reproach, family rejection, political pressure, deep sorrow, and desperate cries for God’s deliverance. Yet Psalm 69 goes beyond David. Several parts of this psalm are quoted or applied in the New Testament to the sufferings of Jesus Christ. For that reason, Psalm 69 must be read both historically and messianically. Historically, David cries out from deep affliction. Prophetically and typologically, David’s suffering points forward to the greater suffering of Christ.
This psalm is one of the most sorrowful psalms in the Psalter. The grief is deep, personal, intense, and overwhelming. David does not describe mild discomfort. He describes a soul drowning in trouble, sinking in mire, weary with crying, hated without cause, rejected by family, mocked by leaders and drunkards, and desperate for God to rescue him. The emotional weight of the psalm is heavy because David is not pretending. He brings real grief before the Lord.
At the same time, this psalm is not merely emotional expression. It is theological prayer. David knows that God sees his sins, his enemies, his shame, his reproach, and his need. He appeals to God’s mercy, lovingkindness, truth, salvation, and tender compassion. He asks God to deliver him from deep waters, to draw near to his soul, to redeem him, and to judge his enemies. The psalm therefore teaches believers how to bring suffering, reproach, injustice, repentance, zeal, and sorrow before God.
Psalm 69 is also deeply connected to Christ. The New Testament applies this psalm to Jesus in multiple ways. Jesus was hated without a cause. His zeal for His Father’s house consumed Him. The reproaches of those who reproached God fell upon Him. He was given vinegar to drink in His crucifixion. The desolation language is applied to Judas and Jerusalem. Therefore Psalm 69 is not only David’s cry from deep waters, it is also a prophetic window into the humiliation, rejection, suffering, and vindication of the Lord Jesus Christ.
From a Baptist and literal hermeneutic, Psalm 69 should first be interpreted according to its plain meaning in David’s life, while also recognizing the Holy Spirit’s inspired New Testament application of the psalm to Christ. David’s words are real prayers from real affliction, but David as the Lord’s anointed king also foreshadows the greater Anointed One, Jesus Christ. David suffered as a sinful man who needed mercy. Christ suffered as the sinless Son of God who bore the sins of others. David cried for rescue from his enemies. Christ entered the deepest waters of judgment in order to rescue sinners.
The movement of the psalm is clear. It begins with David drowning in trouble. It describes hatred, rejection, reproach, and public shame. It moves into urgent prayer for deliverance. It includes severe imprecations against hardened enemies. It then rises into praise, confidence, and hope. The psalm begins in deep waters but ends with heaven and earth praising God, Zion saved, Judah built, and those who love God’s name dwelling securely.
A. Drowning in Disapproval
Psalm 69:1, 2, 3
Psalm 69:1, “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.”
Psalm 69:2, “I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.”
Psalm 69:3, “I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.”
Psalm 69 begins with a desperate cry, “Save me, O God.” David does not begin with religious polish, formal distance, or detached theological reflection. He begins with need. He is in danger and knows that only God can rescue him. This is the cry of a man who has reached the end of his own strength.
The reason for the cry is stated immediately, “for the waters are come in unto my soul.” David feels as though he is drowning. The waters have not merely touched his feet or risen to his knees. They have come into his soul. This is inward distress, not merely outward difficulty. His trouble has reached the deepest part of him.
David often faced danger in his life, and many situations could have produced this kind of prayer. He was hunted by Saul, betrayed by trusted men, opposed by enemies, rejected by some of his own household, and burdened by the consequences of his own sins. The exact setting is not given, but the spiritual condition is clear. David feels overwhelmed.
This cry also points forward to the cry of Peter when he began to sink in the sea and cried out to Jesus.
Matthew 14:29, 30, “And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous he was afraid and beginning to sink he cried saying Lord save me.”
The believer may experience overwhelming trouble in different ways. Sometimes trouble rushes in suddenly like a flood. Other times the water rises slowly until the soul realizes it is nearly drowned. Sudden calamity and slow suffocation both produce fear, weakness, and desperation. Psalm 69 gives language for both.
Verse 2 continues the drowning image, “I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing.” David is not only in deep water, he is also in deep mud. He cannot find footing. There is no stable ground under him. This is the opposite of Psalm 40, where David rejoiced that God brought him out of the horrible pit and set his feet upon a rock.
Psalm 40:2, “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.”
Here in Psalm 69, David is still in the mire. He is sinking, and there is no standing. This describes a condition where human strength cannot stabilize the soul. A man may try to reason his way out, work his way out, or fight his way out, but if God does not rescue him, he continues to sink.
The phrase “I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me” heightens the danger. David is not in shallow trouble. He is in deep waters. He is not merely splashed by difficulty. He is overflowed by floods. This is the language of overwhelming affliction.
Spiritually, this also points to Christ. Jesus entered the deep waters of human sin, guilt, wrath, rejection, and judgment. He did not suffer superficially. He entered the deepest place of substitutionary suffering. Before the cross, the Lord Jesus began to experience the crushing sorrow of what lay before Him.
Matthew 26:37, 38, “And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death tarry ye here and watch with me.”
David’s deep mire may be applied to the believer in many ways. There is the deep mire of unbelief, when the soul struggles to trust God. There is the deep mire of trial and difficulty, when circumstances seem inescapable. There is the deep mire of inward corruption, when the believer sees sin within and grieves over it. There is the deep mire of satanic temptation and oppression, when the enemy attacks the mind, heart, and conscience. In every case, the prayer remains the same, “Save me, O God.”
Verse 3 says, “I am weary of my crying.” David has cried so long that he is exhausted. This is not a single passing prayer. It is prolonged pleading. His sorrow has taken physical effect. “My throat is dried.” His voice is worn out from crying. “Mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.” He has looked and waited for God’s rescue until his eyes are weak with watching.
This teaches that waiting on God may be painful. Faith is not always calm in the sense of being emotionally comfortable. Sometimes faith cries until the throat is dry and watches until the eyes fail. Yet even in exhaustion, David says “my God.” He is weary, but he has not abandoned faith. He is drowning, but he still calls upon God as his God.
Psalm 69:4
Psalm 69:4, “They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me being mine enemies wrongfully are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.”
David now describes the actual human opposition behind the flood imagery. “They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head.” David is surrounded by hatred that is both numerous and unjust. The pain is not only that he is hated, but that he is hated without a cause. Undeserved hatred is especially crushing because it violates truth and justice.
David knew what it was to be hated without cause. Saul hated him though David had served him faithfully. Many later opposed David despite his role as the Lord’s anointed king. His enemies multiplied beyond reason. Yet this verse reaches its highest fulfillment in Jesus Christ. No one was ever hated more unjustly than Jesus. He was sinless, righteous, merciful, truthful, holy, compassionate, and obedient to the Father, yet He was hated.
Jesus directly applied this verse to Himself.
John 15:24, 25, “If I had not done among them the works which none other man did they had not had sin but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law They hated me without a cause.”
The hatred of Christ exposed the evil of the human heart. Men did not hate Jesus because He sinned against them. They hated Him because His holiness exposed them. Until Christ stood beside the religious leaders, they could appear outwardly righteous. His light revealed their darkness, and they hated Him for it.
David says, “they that would destroy me being mine enemies wrongfully are mighty.” His enemies were not weak or harmless. They had power. They could damage his name, threaten his life, influence others, and seek his destruction. This makes the prayer more urgent. David is not exaggerating minor criticism. He is facing strong enemies who want him destroyed.
The line “then I restored that which I took not away” shows the injustice of David’s condition. He is treated as guilty even where he is innocent. He is forced to make restitution for what he did not steal. This captures the agony of being blamed for what one did not do.
David could only say this imperfectly because David was not sinless. He had real sins, as verse 5 will confess. But Jesus could say this perfectly. He took nothing, yet He paid everything. He had no sin, yet He bore sin. He did not rob God of glory, yet He was treated as a blasphemer. He did not steal life, yet He gave His life for those who had stolen from God through sin.
Philippians 2:5, 6, 7, 8, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross.”
John 19:7, “The Jews answered him We have a law and by our law he ought to die because he made himself the Son of God.”
The irony is profound. Christ did not consider equality with God robbery because it truly belonged to Him. Yet He humbled Himself. Men then condemned Him because He claimed to be who He truly was. David’s unjust suffering points forward to the greater injustice of the cross, where the sinless Son suffered in the place of sinners.
Psalm 69:5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Psalm 69:5, “O God thou knowest my foolishness and my sins are not hid from thee.”
Psalm 69:6, “Let not them that wait on thee O Lord GOD of hosts be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake O God of Israel.”
Psalm 69:7, “Because for thy sake I have borne reproach shame hath covered my face.”
Psalm 69:8, “I am become a stranger unto my brethren and an alien unto my mother's children.”
Psalm 69:9, “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.”
Psalm 69:10, “When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting that was to my reproach.”
Psalm 69:11, “I made sackcloth also my garment and I became a proverb to them.”
Psalm 69:12, “They that sit in the gate speak against me and I was the song of the drunkards.”
David now lives under the constant disapproval of man, but he begins by confessing that God knows the truth about him. “O God thou knowest my foolishness and my sins are not hid from thee.” In many psalms David appeals to his innocence compared to his enemies. Here he confesses his own foolishness and sins. This is important. David is not claiming sinless perfection. He knows God sees everything.
The word foolishness likely refers to lesser sins of ignorance, weakness, rashness, or inconsiderateness, while sins refers more broadly and seriously to offenses against God. David knows there is no point hiding anything from God. Confession should be easier when the believer remembers that God already knows the truth. Sin is not hidden from Him.
Spiritually, this verse can be connected to Christ only with careful distinction. David had sins of his own. Christ had none. Yet on the cross, the sins Christ bore were not hidden. He was publicly humiliated, exposed before men, and treated as the sin bearer. He had no personal guilt, but He bore the guilt of His people.
2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Verse 6 shows David’s concern for the people of God. “Let not them that wait on thee O Lord GOD of hosts be ashamed for my sake.” David does not want his suffering, sin, shame, or controversy to damage the faith of those who wait upon the Lord. This is the heart of a responsible servant of God. He cares not only about himself, but about the impact of his life upon other believers.
The phrase “O Lord GOD of hosts” is rich in theology. Lord points to divine authority. GOD represents Yahweh, the covenant name of the Lord. Of hosts presents Him as the divine warrior, the commander of heavenly armies. David appeals to the sovereign, covenant keeping, warrior God.
David repeats the concern, “let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake O God of Israel.” He does not want seekers of God to stumble because of him. This should be the prayer of every believer, and especially of any teacher, pastor, father, leader, or public Christian. A man’s sin can bring reproach not only upon himself, but upon the people of God and the name of God.
Verse 7 says, “Because for thy sake I have borne reproach shame hath covered my face.” David is not only suffering because of his own failures. He is also suffering because of his loyalty to God. To bear reproach for God’s sake is painful but honorable. Shame covers his face because people mock, reject, and despise him.
Verse 8 says, “I am become a stranger unto my brethren and an alien unto my mother's children.” David’s suffering includes family rejection. His own brothers treated him like a stranger. This pain is deep because rejection by family cuts close to the heart. David would not mention it if it had not wounded him.
This also points to Christ. Jesus’ own brothers did not believe in Him during His earthly ministry.
John 7:5, “For neither did his brethren believe in him.”
There was also a time when His family thought He was beside Himself.
Mark 3:21, “And when his friends heard of it they went out to lay hold on him for they said He is beside himself.”
If anyone should have stood with Christ, humanly speaking, it should have been His own family. Yet He knew the sorrow of being misunderstood and rejected by those closest to Him.
Verse 9 is one of the most important messianic verses in the psalm. “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.” David’s devotion to the house of God consumed him. His zeal was not casual interest. It ate him up. He cared deeply about God’s worship, God’s honor, and God’s dwelling among His people.
In David’s life, this zeal was seen in his desire to build the temple.
2 Samuel 7:1, 2, 3, “And it came to pass when the king sat in his house and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies That the king said unto Nathan the prophet See now I dwell in an house of cedar but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. And Nathan said to the king Go do all that is in thine heart for the LORD is with thee.”
Even though David was not permitted to build the temple, he prepared greatly for it.
1 Chronicles 22:3, 4, 5, “And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates and for the joinings and brass in abundance without weight Also cedar trees in abundance for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David. And David said Solomon my son is young and tender and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical of fame and of glory throughout all countries I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.”
The New Testament applies this verse directly to Jesus when He cleansed the temple.
John 2:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, “And the Jews' passover was at hand and Jesus went up to Jerusalem And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves and the changers of money sitting And when he had made a scourge of small cords he drove them all out of the temple and the sheep and the oxen and poured out the changers' money and overthrew the tables And said unto them that sold doves Take these things hence make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”
Jesus was consumed with zeal for His Father’s house. He would not tolerate the corruption of worship. His righteous zeal brought Him into conflict with religious leaders who profited from corrupt religion.
The second half of Psalm 69:9 says, “and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.” David bore insults aimed at God because he identified with God. Those who hated the Lord also hated the Lord’s servant. Paul applies this to Christ.
Romans 15:3, “For even Christ pleased not himself but as it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.”
Christ did not live to please Himself. He bore the hatred, insults, and reproaches directed against God. He stood in perfect loyalty to the Father and suffered for it.
Verse 10 says, “When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting that was to my reproach.” David was mocked not only for sin or controversy, but even for repentance and humility. When he wept and fasted, others used it against him. This is often how the world treats godliness. If a believer sins, they mock him. If he repents, they mock that too.
Verse 11 says, “I made sackcloth also my garment and I became a proverb to them.” Sackcloth was a garment of mourning, humility, and repentance. David humbled himself, but instead of receiving compassion, he became a byword. People reduced him to a label, a joke, a warning, or a proverb.
This remains a common tactic. People often dismiss faithful believers by attaching labels to them so that they do not have to engage the truth. They call them extremists, fundamentalists, bigots, haters, or fools. Labels become tools to avoid honest consideration.
Verse 12 says, “They that sit in the gate speak against me and I was the song of the drunkards.” David was mocked by both high and low. Those who sat in the gate were leaders, judges, and respected men of the city. Drunkards represented the low and disorderly. From the officials to the tavern crowd, David became the object of scorn.
This also points toward Christ. The high priest and religious leaders mocked Him, and even a thief crucified beside Him reviled Him.
Matthew 27:39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, “And they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads And saying Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days save thyself. If thou be the Son of God come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him with the scribes and elders said He saved others himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him. He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the Son of God. The thieves also which were crucified with him cast the same in his teeth.”
David’s suffering under universal reproach foreshadows Christ’s greater humiliation. Christ was mocked by rulers, soldiers, passersby, and criminals. Yet He remained obedient.
B. The Prayer for Rescue
Psalm 69:13, 14, 15
Psalm 69:13, “But as for me my prayer is unto thee O LORD in an acceptable time O God in the multitude of thy mercy hear me in the truth of thy salvation.”
Psalm 69:14, “Deliver me out of the mire and let me not sink let me be delivered from them that hate me and out of the deep waters.”
Psalm 69:15, “Let not the waterflood overflow me neither let the deep swallow me up and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.”
After describing the scorn of men, David turns to God. “But as for me my prayer is unto thee O LORD.” This is the right response to constant disapproval. When men reproach, mock, misunderstand, and hate, the believer must turn to the Lord. David does not allow the voices of men to be the final authority over his soul.
The phrase “in an acceptable time” means David seeks God at the time appointed by God’s mercy and favor. It may be a time of rejection among men, but it can still be a time of acceptance with God. Earth may be full of reproach while heaven is full of grace.
David appeals to God “in the multitude of thy mercy.” He does not appeal to personal worthiness. He appeals to the abundant mercy of God. This is always the safest ground in prayer. Mercy is not small in God. It is a multitude.
He also asks, “hear me in the truth of thy salvation.” God’s salvation is not unstable, deceptive, or uncertain. It is grounded in truth. David asks God to hear him according to the faithfulness and reliability of His saving character.
Verse 14 returns to the image from the beginning of the psalm. “Deliver me out of the mire and let me not sink.” David feels himself still sinking. He asks God not merely to comfort him in the mire, but to deliver him out of it. He asks to be delivered from those who hate him and from the deep waters.
Verse 15 continues the plea, “Let not the waterflood overflow me neither let the deep swallow me up.” David fears being completely consumed by his trouble. He also says, “and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.” The image changes from flood to grave like pit. David fears being swallowed beyond rescue. His prayer is urgent because he knows that without God he will not survive.
This teaches believers to pray honestly in distress. It is not unbelief to tell God that one feels overwhelmed. It is faith to bring that overwhelmed soul to God.
Psalm 69:16, 17, 18
Psalm 69:16, “Hear me O LORD for thy lovingkindness is good turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.”
Psalm 69:17, “And hide not thy face from thy servant for I am in trouble hear me speedily.”
Psalm 69:18, “Draw nigh unto my soul and redeem it deliver me because of mine enemies.”
David continues asking for speedy deliverance. “Hear me O LORD for thy lovingkindness is good.” The word lovingkindness reflects the covenant mercy of God, often connected with the Hebrew idea of hesed. David appeals to God’s loyal covenant love. God’s lovingkindness is good, meaning it is reliable, righteous, generous, and suited to the need of His people.
The prayer “turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies” again rests on God’s mercy. David asks God to turn His face toward him, not away from him. The tender mercies of God are not few. They are a multitude. David needs more than minimal compassion. He needs abundant compassion.
Verse 17 says, “And hide not thy face from thy servant.” To have God’s face hidden is terrifying to the suffering believer. David longs for the light of God’s favor and presence. He presents himself as God’s servant and says, “for I am in trouble.” This is a simple but powerful plea. A servant in trouble asks his Master for help.
The request “hear me speedily” shows urgency. David is not casually asking. He is in danger. There are times when the believer properly asks God to act quickly.
Verse 18 says, “Draw nigh unto my soul and redeem it.” David needs more than changed circumstances. He needs God near his soul. This is deep prayer. He does not merely ask God to fix the external problem. He asks God to come near inwardly and redeem him.
The phrase “deliver me because of mine enemies” shows that David’s enemies are part of the reason for urgent rescue. If God does not act, enemies will take advantage, truth will be dishonored, and David will continue under reproach.
This prayer also points to the believer’s need for the nearness of God in Christ. Redemption is ultimately found in the Lord Jesus, who draws near to sinners and delivers them.
Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Psalm 69:19, 20, 21
Psalm 69:19, “Thou hast known my reproach and my shame and my dishonour mine adversaries are all before thee.”
Psalm 69:20, “Reproach hath broken my heart and I am full of heaviness and I looked for some to take pity but there was none and for comforters but I found none.”
Psalm 69:21, “They gave me also gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
David now appeals to God’s compassion. “Thou hast known my reproach and my shame and my dishonour.” This is comfort in affliction. God knows. He knows the reproach, shame, and dishonor that others have placed upon David. Nothing is hidden from Him.
The line “mine adversaries are all before thee” means God sees every enemy clearly. David does not need to prove the situation to God. The adversaries are already before His eyes. Their words, motives, actions, and cruelty are known to Him.
Verse 20 is one of the most painful statements in the psalm. “Reproach hath broken my heart and I am full of heaviness.” David is not merely annoyed by criticism. His heart is broken. Reproach has crushed him inwardly. He is full of heaviness.
The next line deepens the loneliness, “and I looked for some to take pity but there was none and for comforters but I found none.” David searched for pity and found none. He looked for comforters and found none. The absence of compassion can intensify suffering. It is painful to suffer, but it is worse to suffer alone while others look on without mercy.
This points powerfully to Christ in His passion. Judas betrayed Him. His disciples fled. Peter denied Him. The leaders condemned Him. The crowds mocked Him. He bore reproach without human comfort.
Verse 21 says, “They gave me also gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” David speaks poetically of the bitterness and cruelty he received from his enemies. Instead of nourishment, they gave gall. Instead of refreshing drink, they gave vinegar. Those who should have comforted him added bitterness to his grief.
This verse is directly fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Matthew records that Jesus was offered vinegar mixed with gall.
Matthew 27:34, “They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall and when he had tasted thereof he would not drink.”
Later, while on the cross, Jesus received vinegar in fulfillment of Scripture.
John 19:28, 29, “After this Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled saith I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar and they filled a spunge with vinegar and put it upon hyssop and put it to his mouth.”
This connection is not accidental. The suffering of David becomes prophetic of the suffering of Christ. What David described in figure, Christ experienced in fact. The Son of David entered the deepest reproach, thirst, mockery, and abandonment so that sinners might be redeemed.
Believers should also learn from this verse not to add bitterness to the suffering of others. The world often gives gall and vinegar to the afflicted. God’s people must not imitate that cruelty. They should bring truth, mercy, prayer, and comfort to those who are already laid low.
Psalm 69:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
Psalm 69:22, “Let their table become a snare before them and that which should have been for their welfare let it become a trap.”
Psalm 69:23, “Let their eyes be darkened that they see not and make their loins continually to shake.”
Psalm 69:24, “Pour out thine indignation upon them and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.”
Psalm 69:25, “Let their habitation be desolate and let none dwell in their tents.”
Psalm 69:26, “For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.”
Psalm 69:27, “Add iniquity unto their iniquity and let them not come into thy righteousness.”
Psalm 69:28, “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous.”
This section contains severe imprecatory prayer. David asks for judgment upon hardened enemies. These verses must be handled carefully and reverently. David is not merely venting petty irritation. He is calling upon God as judge against those who persist in wickedness, persecute the afflicted, and oppose the servant of the Lord.
Verse 22 says, “Let their table become a snare before them.” The table represents prosperity, ease, provision, fellowship, and security. David asks that what they treat as safety become a trap. Their comfort had made them cruel and proud. He prays that their prosperity would become the very means of their downfall.
Paul quotes Psalm 69:22, 23 in Romans 11 concerning those in Israel who rejected Christ.
Romans 11:9, 10, “And David saith Let their table be made a snare and a trap and a stumblingblock and a recompence unto them Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see and bow down their back alway.”
This shows that the New Testament recognizes the seriousness of rejecting God’s Anointed. The same principle that applied to David’s enemies applies more fully to those who reject Christ.
Verse 23 says, “Let their eyes be darkened that they see not and make their loins continually to shake.” David’s enemies had refused to see rightly. He prays that their moral blindness become judicial blindness. When men persistently reject truth, God may give them over to darkness.
Verse 24 says, “Pour out thine indignation upon them and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.” David asks God to act in righteous anger. Divine wrath is not uncontrolled emotion. It is God’s holy opposition to evil. Those who despise mercy and persecute righteousness place themselves under judgment.
Verse 25 says, “Let their habitation be desolate and let none dwell in their tents.” This line is applied in the New Testament in two significant ways. Jesus uses similar desolation language in His lament over Jerusalem.
Matthew 23:37, 38, “O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not. Behold your house is left unto you desolate.”
Peter also applies Psalm 69:25 to Judas.
Acts 1:20, “For it is written in the book of Psalms Let his habitation be desolate and let no man dwell therein and his bishoprick let another take.”
Judas stands as a terrifying example of one who was near the outward ministry of Christ but remained a traitor. Desolation came upon him because of hardened betrayal.
Verse 26 gives the moral reason for the judgment, “For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.” These enemies attack the one already under affliction. They add grief to the wounded. They do not tremble before God’s dealings. They exploit suffering. This is wicked.
Verse 27 says, “Add iniquity unto their iniquity and let them not come into thy righteousness.” This is a hard statement. It can mean that God gives hardened sinners over to the consequences of their sin, allowing sin to pile upon sin until judgment falls. Scripture teaches that persistent rebellion can lead to judicial hardening.
Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient.”
Verse 28 says, “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous.” David asks that they be excluded from the register of life and from the company of the righteous. This is severe because the issue is severe. To persist as an enemy of God is no small matter.
These imprecations must be read in light of the whole counsel of Scripture. The New Testament teaches believers to love enemies, bless persecutors, and leave vengeance to God.
Romans 12:19, 20, 21, “Dearly beloved avenge not yourselves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good.”
At the same time, the New Testament does not deny divine judgment. Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of those who acted in ignorance, but He never tolerated hardened evil as though it were harmless.
Luke 23:34, “Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment and cast lots.”
The difference is that the believer is not to act from personal vindictiveness. He is to entrust judgment to God. Psalm 69 teaches that God is the righteous Judge and that hardened evil will not finally go unanswered.
Psalm 69:29, 30, 31, 32, 33
Psalm 69:29, “But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation O God set me up on high.”
Psalm 69:30, “I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify him with thanksgiving.”
Psalm 69:31, “This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.”
Psalm 69:32, “The humble shall see this and be glad and your heart shall live that seek God.”
Psalm 69:33, “For the LORD heareth the poor and despiseth not his prisoners.”
After praying concerning his enemies, David returns to his own need and hope. “But I am poor and sorrowful.” David is laid low. He is afflicted, needy, and full of grief. He does not present himself as strong. He presents himself as dependent.
The prayer “let thy salvation O God set me up on high” asks God to lift him out of the low place. His enemies have pressed him down, reproach has broken his heart, and sorrow has filled him. Only God’s salvation can set him on high.
This is the movement of grace. Man’s sin and suffering bring him low, but God’s salvation lifts him up. David cannot elevate himself. He must be raised by God.
Verse 30 shows David’s confidence turning toward praise. “I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify him with thanksgiving.” David expects rescue and vows praise. He will praise God’s name, meaning God’s revealed character. He will magnify God, not because God can become greater in Himself, but because David will publicly declare God’s greatness.
Verse 31 says, “This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.” Under the law, animal sacrifices were commanded and proper when offered rightly. David is not despising God’s law. He is teaching that sincere praise and thanksgiving from a humble heart please God more than mere outward sacrifice.
A bullock with horns and hoofs represents a mature sacrificial animal. Yet even the best animal sacrifice, if offered without true worship, would be empty. God desires the heart.
Psalm 51:16, 17, “For thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise.”
Verse 32 says, “The humble shall see this and be glad.” David’s deliverance will encourage others. His trial will not be wasted. When humble believers see how God hears and rescues, they will be strengthened.
The phrase “and your heart shall live that seek God” is a promise of encouragement. Those who seek God will find life, courage, and renewal through the testimony of God’s deliverance. David’s suffering becomes instruction for the faithful.
Verse 33 gives the reason, “For the LORD heareth the poor and despiseth not his prisoners.” God hears the poor. He does not despise the bound. Men may despise the afflicted, but God does not. This is a repeated theme in Scripture. God draws near to the humble, needy, broken, and oppressed who call upon Him.
Psalm 34:18, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
This is also fulfilled in Christ, who came to preach deliverance to captives and good news to the poor.
Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised.”
Psalm 69:34, 35, 36
Psalm 69:34, “Let the heaven and earth praise him the seas and every thing that moveth therein.”
Psalm 69:35, “For God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah that they may dwell there and have it in possession.”
Psalm 69:36, “The seed also of his servants shall inherit it and they that love his name shall dwell therein.”
The psalm begins in deep waters, but it ends in high praise. “Let the heaven and earth praise him the seas and every thing that moveth therein.” David’s vision expands beyond his personal misery. Heaven, earth, seas, and every living creature are called to praise God. The God who rescues one drowning servant is worthy of universal praise.
This ending is remarkable because David began with the waters overwhelming him. Now even the seas are summoned to praise God. The very realm that symbolized his danger becomes part of the choir of creation. God is so great that He turns the imagery of terror into the language of worship.
Verse 35 says, “For God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah.” David’s hope rises beyond his individual rescue to the future of God’s people. He prays and believes that God will save Zion. God will build the cities of Judah. God’s covenant purpose will not fail because one servant is suffering.
The mention of Judah does not require a late date after the divided monarchy or exile. David naturally had special concern for Judah because Judah was his tribe. Also, the psalm could fit the period when David ruled Judah before becoming king over all Israel.
2 Samuel 2:1, 2, 3, 4, “And it came to pass after this that David enquired of the LORD saying Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him Go up. And David said Whither shall I go up? And he said Unto Hebron. So David went up thither and his two wives also Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite. And his men that were with him did David bring up every man with his household and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. And the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David saying That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.”
The phrase “that they may dwell there and have it in possession” points to secure inheritance. God’s people will dwell in the place God gives them. David may be scorned by enemies, but he knows that the Lord’s people will not finally be dispossessed.
Verse 36 says, “The seed also of his servants shall inherit it.” God’s blessing extends beyond one generation. The descendants of His servants inherit according to His promise. God is faithful across generations.
The final line says, “and they that love his name shall dwell therein.” The true heirs are those who love God’s name. To love His name is to love His revealed character, His holiness, His mercy, His truth, His covenant faithfulness, and His glory. David’s enemies may hate him without cause, but those who love the name of the Lord will dwell securely.
Psalm 69 therefore moves from drowning to deliverance, from reproach to praise, from personal sorrow to covenant hope, and from deep waters to universal worship. David’s affliction was real, but it was not the final word. God hears the poor. God does not despise His prisoners. God saves Zion. God builds His people. God gives inheritance to those who love His name.
Most importantly, Psalm 69 points forward to Jesus Christ, the greater Son of David. He was hated without cause. His zeal for His Father’s house consumed Him. The reproaches against God fell upon Him. He was given vinegar to drink. He suffered without human comfort. Yet through His suffering, He accomplished salvation. The deep waters did not swallow Him forever. He rose from the dead, and all who love His name will dwell securely because of Him.
