Bible Glide

Psalms 69

Psalms 69 Summary, Context, and Full Chapter

Psalms 69 records a desperate prayer from someone overwhelmed by suffering, shame, and opposition. It also moves toward trust, thanksgiving, and hope that God will hear the needy and restore His people. The chapter speaks to believers who feel surrounded, misunderstood, or worn down.

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What happens in Psalms 69?

The psalm begins with vivid images of drowning, exhaustion, and isolation as the speaker pleads with God for rescue. He describes hostile enemies, public shame, and rejection, including suffering tied to zeal for God's house. The prayer asks for swift help, protection, and redemption, while also calling down judgment on persistent foes. In the closing verses, the tone shifts to praise: the psalmist promises thanksgiving, says God values humble worship, and ends with confidence that the Lord hears the needy and will save and rebuild Zion.

Psalms 69 is a Davidic lament in Book II of the Psalter. It stands among prayers that move from distress to trust, giving voice to suffering that is both personal and tied to devotion to God. The chapter also looks beyond the psalmist himself toward God's care for His people and the future of Jerusalem.

Themes to notice

  • Deep distressThe psalm uses strong images of flooding, exhaustion, and shame to describe overwhelming suffering.
  • Opposition for God's sakeThe speaker's trouble is connected to his devotion to God's house and the scorn that follows it.
  • Praise and restorationEven in pain, the chapter ends with thanksgiving, confidence in God's care, and hope for Zion's renewal.

Questions for Psalms 69

  • What parts of this psalm best express the feeling of being overwhelmed or alone?
  • How does the psalmist connect his suffering with loyalty to God?
  • What changes in the final section show a movement from lament to praise?

Read the full text of Psalms 69 below, then open it in the reader to highlight, take notes, or ask follow-up Bible questions. No account is required to read.

Psalms 69

The Waters Are up to My Neck

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.

1Save me, O God,

for the waters are up to my neck.

2I have sunk into the miry depths,

where there is no footing;

I have drifted into deep waters,

where the flood engulfs me.

3I am weary from my crying;

my throat is parched.

My eyes fail,

looking for my God.

4Those who hate me without cause

outnumber the hairs of my head;

many are those who would destroy me—

my enemies for no reason.

Though I did not steal,

I must repay.

5You know my folly, O God,

and my guilt is not hidden from You.

6May those who hope in You not be ashamed through me,

O Lord GOD of Hosts;

may those who seek You not be dishonored through me,

O God of Israel.

7For I have endured scorn for Your sake,

and shame has covered my face.

8I have become a stranger to my brothers

and a foreigner to my mother’s sons,

9because zeal for Your house has consumed me,

and the insults of those who insult You have fallen on me.

10I wept and fasted,

but it brought me reproach.

11I made sackcloth my clothing,

and I was sport to them.

12Those who sit at the gate mock me,

and I am the song of drunkards.

13But my prayer to You, O LORD,

is for a time of favor.

In Your abundant loving devotion, O God,

answer me with Your sure salvation.

14Rescue me from the mire

and do not let me sink;

deliver me from my foes

and out of the deep waters.

15Do not let the floods engulf me

or the depths swallow me up;

let not the Pit close its mouth over me.

16Answer me, O LORD,

for Your loving devotion is good;

turn to me in keeping with Your great compassion.

17Hide not Your face from Your servant,

for I am in distress.

Answer me quickly!

18Draw near to my soul and redeem me;

ransom me because of my foes.

19You know my reproach, my shame and disgrace.

All my adversaries are before You.

20Insults have broken my heart,

and I am in despair.

I looked for sympathy, but there was none,

for comforters, but I found no one.

21They poisoned my food with gall

and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.

22May their table become a snare;

may it be a retribution and a trap.

23May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,

and their backs be bent forever.

24Pour out Your wrath upon them,

and let Your burning anger overtake them.

25May their place be deserted;

let there be no one to dwell in their tents.

26For they persecute the one You struck

and recount the pain of those You wounded.

27Add iniquity to their iniquity;

let them not share in Your righteousness.

28May they be blotted out of the Book of Life

and not listed with the righteous.

29But I am in pain and distress;

let Your salvation protect me, O God.

30I will praise God’s name in song

and exalt Him with thanksgiving.

31And this will please the LORD more than an ox,

more than a bull with horns and hooves.

32The humble will see and rejoice.

You who seek God, let your hearts be revived!

33For the LORD listens to the needy

and does not despise His captive people.

34Let heaven and earth praise Him,

the seas and everything that moves in them.

35For God will save Zion

and rebuild the cities of Judah,

that they may dwell there and possess it.

36The descendants of His servants will inherit it,

and those who love His name will settle in it.

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