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Psalm 70

Psalm 70 brings urgent need before God, seeking the defeat of those who threaten and joy for those who seek him.

A speaker under threat calls on God to hurry to his rescue. The heading attributes the psalm to David and calls it a reminder, though no event is named. Those seeking his ruin mock him, and he asks God to turn them back in shame. He also asks for joy among those who seek God. The prayer closes where it began: with need, trust, and an urgent plea for help.

anxiety or panicinjustice and angerwaiting
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1For the Chief Musician. By David. A reminder. Hurry, God, to deliver me. Come quickly to help me, LORD.
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. LORD, don’t delay.
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Key verses
Psalm 70:2The threat becomes explicit here: people seek the speaker’s ruin, and he asks God to overturn their purpose.
Psalm 70:5The closing plea holds confessed need beside trust in God as deliverer, without reporting that help has arrived.
Psalm 70:4The prayer widens beyond one threatened person to seek joy and praise among all who seek God.
Where this chapter reaches

Psalm 70 shares with Isaiah the themes of enemies brought to shame and joy among those who seek God. Its urgent appeal from distress also connects with Lamentations, while Hebrews shares its confidence in God as a source of help.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What would you want to bring before God with the urgency of this prayer?

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How does the prayer for others’ joy in verse 4 shape your reading of the surrounding pleas?

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Questions people ask about Psalm 70

Who wrote Psalm 70, and what was happening?

The heading attributes Psalm 70 to David and describes it as a reminder for the Chief Musician. The speaker faces people who seek his ruin and mock his distress. No event or enemy is named, so the text does not establish a specific moment in David’s life.

What does “Aha! Aha!” mean in Psalm 70?

The cry expresses mockery or triumph at the speaker’s trouble. It comes from people aligned with those who desire his ruin in verse 2. The speaker asks God to turn their triumph into shame. The psalm does not identify these mockers or describe the words behind their taunt.

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Psalms · 150 chapters
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What the Bible says about anxiety →What the Bible says about anger →What the Bible says about patience →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).