What happens in Psalms 70?
This psalm opens and closes with a plea for God to hurry and bring rescue. David asks that those who want to harm him would be turned back in shame, while those who seek God would rejoice and praise Him. The center of the prayer shifts from enemy opposition to the joy of all who love God's salvation. David ends by naming his own weakness and need, calling the Lord his help and deliverer and asking Him not to delay.
Psalms 70 is a very short psalm attributed to David and tied to the choirmaster, with a note that it is meant to bring remembrance. It closely echoes language from other lament psalms, and it fits within the section of Psalms where urgent prayer, distress, and trust in God are often held together.
Themes to notice
- Urgent helpThe psalm is a direct cry for God to act quickly in a time of trouble.
- Reversal of shameThose who oppose the righteous are asked to be turned back, while God's people are lifted up.
- Dependence on GodDavid speaks as poor and needy, placing hope in God alone as rescuer and helper.
Questions for Psalms 70
- What does David's repeated call for God to hurry tell us about the kind of prayer this is?
- How does the psalm contrast the fate of God's enemies with the joy of those who seek Him?
- What does it mean to pray this psalm while feeling poor and needy before God?
Read the full text of Psalms 70 below, then open it in the reader to highlight, take notes, or ask follow-up Bible questions. No account is required to read.