Skip to main content
Psalmlog Logo

Psalm 71

Psalm 71 joins the fear of abandonment in old age with lifelong trust in God and a desire to declare his strength.

An unnamed psalmist asks God for rescue from cruel enemies who claim that God has abandoned him. He recalls dependence on God from birth and teaching received from youth, then pleads for help as strength fails in old age. His prayer moves between urgent cries for protection and declarations of praise. He asks to live long enough to tell the next generation about God’s strength, and closes with confidence that his attackers will face disgrace.

agingfear for the futurepraise and worship
Read
1In you, LORD, I take refuge. Never let me be disappointed.
2Deliver me in your righteousness, and rescue me. Turn your ear to me, and save me.
3Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may always go. Give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4Rescue me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5For you are my hope, Lord GOD, my confidence from my youth.
6I have relied on you from the womb. You are he who took me out of my mother’s womb. I will always praise you.
7I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge.
8My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your honor all day long.
9Don’t reject me in my old age. Don’t forsake me when my strength fails.
10For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together,
11saying, “God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him.”
12God, don’t be far from me. My God, hurry to help me.
13Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me.
14But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise.
15My mouth will tell about your righteousness, and of your salvation all day, though I don’t know its full measure.
16I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord GOD. I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours alone.
17God, you have taught me from my youth. Until now, I have declared your wondrous works.
18Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don’t forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come.
19God, your righteousness also reaches to the heavens. You have done great things. God, who is like you?
20You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.
21Increase my honor and comfort me again.
22I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God. I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.
23My lips shall shout for joy! My soul, which you have redeemed, sings praises to you!
24My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, for they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected. Tap a number for its page.
Key verses
Psalm 71:17God’s teaching from youth grounds the psalmist’s present trust and his long practice of declaring God’s works.
Psalm 71:18The plea against abandonment includes a purpose: to tell the next generation about God’s strength.
Psalm 71:15The psalmist commits to telling of God’s righteousness and salvation even though their full measure exceeds his knowledge.
Where this chapter reaches

Psalm 71 shares with Isaiah the title “Holy One of Israel” and language of God sustaining his people into old age. Its desire to tell the next generation about God’s might connects with Deuteronomy’s commands to teach children about God’s acts.

Psalm 71's chapter linksAll strongest linksHover or tap a book
Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What stands out to you about the psalmist’s praise alongside his fear of being forsaken?

Write on this

What would you want the next generation to know about God’s strength, and why?

Write on this

Questions people ask about Psalm 71

Who wrote Psalm 71?

The supplied text does not name an author or identify a specific event behind the prayer. The speaker recalls trusting God from youth and asks for help in old age. These details describe a long life of faith under threat, but they do not establish the writer’s identity.

What does Psalm 71 say about old age?

The psalmist asks God to remain near when age brings failing strength. Enemies treat his vulnerability as evidence that God has forsaken him. He answers their claim through prayer, recalling God’s care from birth and asking for continued life so he can declare God’s strength to the next generation.

Does Psalm 71:20 refer to resurrection?

The phrase “the depths of the earth” can evoke death or the lowest point of suffering. In context, the psalmist expects God to restore life and comfort after bitter troubles. The verse uses language compatible with resurrection hope, though it does not spell out a teaching about bodily resurrection.

Read it. Now write it.

Start an entry on Psalm 71. Your words go beside the text, and you get one next step for the week.

Psalms · 150 chapters
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150
What the Bible says about fear →What the Bible says about worship →

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).