Mazmur 69:1-2

Psalm 69 ¹ 

For the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” ²  by David.

69:1 Deliver me, O God,

for the water has reached my neck. ³ 

69:2 I sink into the deep mire

where there is no solid ground; ⁴ 

I am in ⁵  deep water,

and the current overpowers me.

Mazmur 69:13-18

69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! ⁶ 

O God, because of your great loyal love,

answer me with your faithful deliverance! ⁷ 

69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!

Deliver me ⁸  from those who hate me,

from the deep water!

69:15 Don’t let the current overpower me!

Don’t let the deep swallow me up!

Don’t let the pit ⁹  devour me! ¹⁰ 

69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! ¹¹ 

Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!

69:17 Do not ignore ¹²  your servant,

for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! ¹³ 

69:18 Come near me and redeem me! ¹⁴ 

Because of my enemies, rescue me!

[69:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 69. The psalmist laments his oppressed condition and asks the Lord to deliver him by severely judging his enemies.

[69:1]  ² tn Heb “according to lilies.” See the superscription to Ps 45.

[69:1]  ³ tn The Hebrew term נפשׁ (nefesh) here refers to the psalmist’s throat or neck. The psalmist compares himself to a helpless, drowning man.

[69:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “and there is no place to stand.”

[69:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “have entered.”

[69:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O Lord, [in] a time of favor.”

[69:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”

[69:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “let me be delivered.”

[69:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “well,” which here symbolizes the place of the dead (cf. Ps 55:23).

[69:15]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “do not let the well close its mouth upon me.”

[69:16]  ¹¹ tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”

[69:17]  ¹² tn Heb “do not hide your face from.” The Hebrew idiom “hide the face” can (1) mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[69:17]  ¹³ tn Or “quickly.”

[69:18]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “come near my life and redeem it.” The verb “redeem” casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Ps 19:14).