Psalms 69 Study Notes: A Cry From the Deep Waters
David, sinking under hatred he has not earned and mocked for his devotion to God's house, begs God to rescue him. He asks God to judge his cruel enemies, then turns to praise and to hope for Zion. The New Testament applies many of its lines to the sufferings of Jesus and to Judas.
General
True or False: In Acts 1:20, Peter applies Psalm 69:25, about a dwelling left deserted, to Judas.
Answer: True
This is true. Psalm 69:25 asks that the enemies' place would be deserted, with no one to live in their tents. After Judas betrayed Jesus and died, Peter stood up among about a hundred and twenty believers and quoted this line from the Psalms, along with Psalm 109:8, that another should take his position (Acts 1:20). Peter used the two psalms to show that what the Holy Spirit had foretold through David about Judas was fulfilled (Acts 1:16) and that the apostles needed to choose someone to take his place among the Twelve. The New Testament thus reads the enemies of David the sufferer as a picture of the one who betrayed the Son of David.
- Psalm 69:25 (BSB)“May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.”David prays that his enemies' dwelling would be deserted, with no one living in their tents.
- Acts 1:20 (BSB)““For it is written in the book of Psalms: ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, ‘May another take his position.’”Peter quotes this verse, together with Psalm 109:8, about Judas before the apostles choose his replacement.
- Psalm 109:8 (BSB)“May his days be few; may another take his position.”The second psalm Peter cites asks that another take the enemy's position.
Theological
True or False: Peter applies Psalm 69:25 to Judas in Acts 1:20.
Answer: True
This is true. Peter cites Psalm 69:25 (the desolation of the enemy's dwelling) together with Psalm 109:8 (another taking his position) as fulfilled in Judas (Acts 1:20). Peter reads the enemies of David the sufferer as a picture of the betrayer of the Messiah, and Peter draws the practical consequence that Judas's office must be filled. The imprecation thus becomes, in Peter's reading, a prophecy the Holy Spirit spoke through David (Acts 1:16) of judgment on the one who handed Christ over.
- Psalm 69:25 (BSB)“May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.”David prays that his enemies' dwelling would be deserted, with no one living in their tents.
- Acts 1:20 (BSB)““For it is written in the book of Psalms: ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, ‘May another take his position.’”Peter quotes this verse, together with Psalm 109:8, about Judas before the apostles choose his replacement.
- Psalm 109:8 (BSB)“May his days be few; may another take his position.”The second psalm Peter cites asks that another take the enemy's position.
General
When David turns to petition in Psalm 69:13-18, what does he appeal to as the reason God should answer him?
Answer: God's abundant loving devotion and great compassion
After describing the mockery, David prays for a season of favor and asks God to answer in His abundant loving devotion (69:13). He grounds his requests to be rescued from the mud and the flood (69:14-15) in God's own character: he asks to be answered because of the goodness of God's loving devotion and the greatness of His compassion (69:16). Loving devotion means God's loyal, covenant-keeping love. David does not appeal to his fasting (which only brought reproach, 69:10) and he says he has no comforters (69:20). His appeal matches how God revealed Himself to Moses, as faithful and rich in loving devotion (Exodus 34:6), the same mercy that keeps God's people from being consumed (Lamentations 3:22-23).
- Psalm 69:13 (BSB)“But 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.”David turns from describing his mockers to prayer, appealing to God's abundant loving devotion.
- Psalm 69:16 (BSB)“Answer me, O LORD, for Your loving devotion is good; turn to me in keeping with Your great compassion.”David asks God to answer because His loving devotion is good and His compassion great.
- Exodus 34:6 (BSB)“Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,”God revealed Himself to Moses as abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, the basis for David's appeal.
- Lamentations 3:22-23 (BSB)“Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!”The LORD's loving devotion and never-failing mercies are the reason His people are not consumed.
Theological
On what ground does David base his petitions in Psalm 69:13-18?
Answer: God's abundant loving devotion and great compassion
David's petitions for rescue from the mire, the floods, and the Pit (69:14-15) rest on God's loving devotion: he prays in God's abundant loving devotion (69:13) and asks to be answered on the basis of that goodness and His abundant compassion (69:16). The ground is God's covenant character as proclaimed at Sinai, faithful and rich in loving devotion (Exodus 34:6), not David's piety, which had only earned him reproach (69:10), nor human support, of which he had none (69:20). The same covenant mercy is what keeps God's people from being consumed (Lamentations 3:22-23); petition in Scripture appeals to God's revealed nature, not the petitioner's merit.
- Psalm 69:13 (BSB)“But 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.”David turns from describing his mockers to prayer, appealing to God's abundant loving devotion.
- Psalm 69:16 (BSB)“Answer me, O LORD, for Your loving devotion is good; turn to me in keeping with Your great compassion.”David asks God to answer because His loving devotion is good and His compassion great.
- Exodus 34:6 (BSB)“Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,”God revealed Himself to Moses as abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, the basis for David's appeal.
- Lamentations 3:22-23 (BSB)“Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!”The LORD's loving devotion and never-failing mercies are the reason His people are not consumed.
General
What does David ask for his enemies in his final petition against them (69:28)?
Answer: That their names be erased from God's Book of Life, excluded from the righteous
The prayers against his enemies end with a request that their names be erased from God's Book of Life, left off the roll of the righteous (69:28), following the plea that they not share in God's righteousness (69:27). The Book of Life pictures God's register of those who belong to Him. Exodus uses the same picture of God's book, when the LORD answers Moses' prayer for the people (Exodus 32:32-33). In the New Testament, Paul speaks of believers whose names are written in God's Book of Life (Philippians 4:3), and Christ promises that He will never erase the name of the one who overcomes (Revelation 3:5), so those who truly belong to God are kept by Him. David asks that those who persist in cruel hostility to God's servant be shown to have no place among the righteous, God's people.
- Psalm 69:28 (BSB)“May they be blotted out of the Book of Life and not listed with the righteous.”The final petition asks that the enemies be blotted out of the Book of Life and not listed with the righteous.
- Exodus 32:32-33 (BSB)“Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.” The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.”God tells Moses that whoever has sinned against Him will be blotted out of His book.
- Philippians 4:3 (BSB)“Yes, and I ask you, my true yokefellow, to help these women who have contended at my side for the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.”Paul speaks of his fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life, God's roll of His people.
- Revelation 3:5 (BSB)“Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels.”Christ promises the one who overcomes that He will never blot his name out of the Book of Life.
Theological
What does David ask for his enemies in the culminating petition of Psalm 69:28?
Answer: That their names be erased from God's Book of Life, excluded from the righteous
The sequence climaxes with the request that the enemies be erased from God's Book of Life, excluded from the roll of the righteous (69:28), extending the plea of 69:27 that they not share in God's righteousness. The image of God's book appears in Exodus 32:32-33, in the LORD's answer to Moses' intercession. The New Testament speaks of believers whose names are written in God's Book of Life (Philippians 4:3), and Christ promises the overcomer that his name will never be erased (Revelation 3:5), which assures the perseverance of those who are truly His. David's petition asks that persistent persecutors be shown to stand outside that company.
- Psalm 69:28 (BSB)“May they be blotted out of the Book of Life and not listed with the righteous.”The final petition asks that the enemies be blotted out of the Book of Life and not listed with the righteous.
- Exodus 32:32-33 (BSB)“Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.” The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.”God tells Moses that whoever has sinned against Him will be blotted out of His book.
- Philippians 4:3 (BSB)“Yes, and I ask you, my true yokefellow, to help these women who have contended at my side for the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.”Paul speaks of his fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life, God's roll of His people.
- Revelation 3:5 (BSB)“Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels.”Christ promises the one who overcomes that He will never blot his name out of the Book of Life.
General
How does Psalm 69 end (69:32-36)?
Answer: With the humble rejoicing and God saving Zion and rebuilding Judah's towns
The psalm that began in deep waters ends in hope. The lowly will witness God's rescue and rejoice, and those who seek God are told to take heart, because the LORD hears those in need and does not scorn His people who are held captive (69:32-33). Heaven, earth, and sea are called to praise Him (69:34). God will rescue Zion, the city of His presence, and restore Judah's towns so that His servants' descendants and all who love Him will live there (69:35-36). David's personal deliverance becomes good news for all God's lowly people. Elsewhere David testifies that the LORD heard a poor man's cry (Psalm 34:6), God lives with the humble and contrite to renew their spirits and hearts (Isaiah 57:15), and another psalm declares that the LORD will build Zion up again (Psalm 102:16).
- Psalm 69:32-33 (BSB)“The humble will see and rejoice. You who seek God, let your hearts be revived! For the LORD listens to the needy and does not despise His captive people.”The humble will rejoice to see God's rescue, because the LORD hears the needy.
- Psalm 69:35-36 (BSB)“For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it. The descendants of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will settle in it.”The psalm ends with God saving Zion and rebuilding Judah's cities for His servants' descendants.
- Psalm 34:6 (BSB)“This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.”David testifies that when a poor man called, the LORD heard and saved him.
- Isaiah 57:15 (BSB)“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.”God dwells with the humble and lowly to revive their hearts.
- Psalm 102:16 (BSB)“For the LORD will rebuild Zion; He has appeared in His glory.”Another psalm declares that the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in His glory.
Theological
How does the conclusion of Psalm 69 (69:32-36) resolve the lament?
Answer: With the humble rejoicing and God saving Zion and rebuilding Judah's towns
The lament resolves into communal hope. The humble will witness the deliverance and rejoice, and seekers of God are revived, because the LORD attends to those in need and does not scorn those held captive (69:32-33). A summons to heaven, earth, and seas to praise Him (69:34) is followed by the promise that God will rescue Zion and restore Judah's towns as an inheritance for the offspring of His servants and all who love Him (69:35-36). The individual's rescue becomes the pledge of God's faithfulness to His people, as in Psalm 34:6 and Psalm 102:16, and God's dwelling with the lowly to revive them (Isaiah 57:15).
- Psalm 69:32-33 (BSB)“The humble will see and rejoice. You who seek God, let your hearts be revived! For the LORD listens to the needy and does not despise His captive people.”The humble will rejoice to see God's rescue, because the LORD hears the needy.
- Psalm 69:35-36 (BSB)“For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it. The descendants of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will settle in it.”The psalm ends with God saving Zion and rebuilding Judah's cities for His servants' descendants.
- Psalm 34:6 (BSB)“This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.”David testifies that when a poor man called, the LORD heard and saved him.
- Isaiah 57:15 (BSB)“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.”God dwells with the humble and lowly to revive their hearts.
- Psalm 102:16 (BSB)“For the LORD will rebuild Zion; He has appeared in His glory.”Another psalm declares that the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in His glory.
General
What does David ask in Psalm 69:6 concerning other people who hope in God?
Answer: That they would not be disgraced on his account
David is aware that his situation is not private. He prays that those who wait on God and seek Him will not be ashamed or dishonored through him (69:6). If God's servant were abandoned, or if his own folly (69:5) brought disgrace, other believers could be discouraged and God's name mocked. Scripture shows that what happens among God's people affects how outsiders regard God: Paul, quoting the prophets, says God's name is dishonored among the nations on account of Israel (Romans 2:24). Another psalm of David affirms that no one who waits on the LORD will end in disgrace (Psalm 25:3), and David asks God to uphold that hope. David's prayer looks beyond his own rescue to the good of God's people.
- Psalm 69:6 (BSB)“May 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.”David prays that his troubles will not cause other believers to be shamed or discouraged.
- Romans 2:24 (BSB)“As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.””Paul shows that the conduct of God's people can bring God's name into dishonor among outsiders.
- Psalm 25:3 (BSB)“Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who engage in treachery without cause will be disgraced.”Another psalm of David affirms that no one who waits on the LORD will end in disgrace, the very hope David prays God will uphold here.
Theological
What is David's intercessory concern for fellow worshipers in Psalm 69:6?
Answer: That they would not be disgraced on his account
Having confessed his folly (69:5), David widens his petition: may those who wait for the sovereign LORD and seek the God of Israel not be shamed or dishonored on his account (69:6). His fate is bound up with the reputation of God and the confidence of the covenant community. Scripture elsewhere shows how the conduct of God's people reflects on His name among outsiders (Romans 2:24), while Psalm 25:3 affirms that none who wait on the LORD will end in disgrace, the very confidence David asks God to uphold here. David's prayer is therefore not merely self-interested; he seeks God's vindication for the sake of all who trust Him.
- Psalm 69:6 (BSB)“May 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.”David prays that his troubles will not cause other believers to be shamed or discouraged.
- Romans 2:24 (BSB)“As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.””Paul shows that the conduct of God's people can bring God's name into dishonor among outsiders.
- Psalm 25:3 (BSB)“Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who engage in treachery without cause will be disgraced.”Another psalm of David affirms that no one who waits on the LORD will end in disgrace, the very hope David prays God will uphold here.
General
True or False: In Psalm 69:5, David insists that he has no folly or guilt of any kind before God.
Answer: False
This is false. Even while protesting that his enemies hate him for no reason (69:4), David admits that God knows his folly and that none of his guilt is concealed from Him (69:5). His innocence is toward his accusers, not a claim to be sinless before God. The New Testament applies many lines of this psalm to Jesus, but no New Testament passage quotes this confession of 69:5 about Him. Jesus committed no sin (1 Peter 2:22); He faced temptation of every kind and never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). David speaks here as a sinner who knows he can only appeal to God's mercy, like the tax collector who asked God for mercy as a sinner (Luke 18:13).
- Psalm 69:5 (BSB)“You know my folly, O God, and my guilt is not hidden from You.”In the middle of protesting his innocence toward his enemies, David admits that God knows his folly and guilt.
- 1 Peter 2:22 (BSB)““He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.””Peter says Jesus committed no sin, unlike the psalmist who confesses folly.
- Hebrews 4:15 (BSB)“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.”Hebrews teaches that Jesus was tempted in every way yet without sin.
- Luke 18:13 (BSB)“But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’”The tax collector's plea for mercy shows the same honest confession of sin before God.
Theological
True or False: In Psalm 69:5, David claims to be without any folly or guilt before God.
Answer: False
This is false. David's protest of innocence is relational, directed at his enemies' unjust charges (69:4), yet he immediately confesses that his folly and guilt lie open before God (69:5). The psalm thus holds together the righteous sufferer's appeal against unjust foes and a sinner's candor before a holy God. The apostles apply much of the psalm to Christ, but no New Testament passage quotes 69:5 of Him, and here the likeness ends: Christ committed no sin (1 Peter 2:22) and faced every kind of temptation without sinning (Hebrews 4:15). David's confidence therefore rests on mercy, the same plea as the tax collector who pleads as a sinner (Luke 18:13), not on his own righteousness.
- Psalm 69:5 (BSB)“You know my folly, O God, and my guilt is not hidden from You.”In the middle of protesting his innocence toward his enemies, David admits that God knows his folly and guilt.
- 1 Peter 2:22 (BSB)““He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.””Peter says Jesus committed no sin, unlike the psalmist who confesses folly.
- Hebrews 4:15 (BSB)“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.”Hebrews teaches that Jesus was tempted in every way yet without sin.
- Luke 18:13 (BSB)“But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’”The tax collector's plea for mercy shows the same honest confession of sin before God.
General
Psalm 69:21 says David's enemies gave him gall and vinegar. How do the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion connect to this verse?
Answer: Jesus was offered wine with gall and given sour wine as He thirsted
David looked for sympathy and comforters but found none (69:20); instead his enemies put gall in his food and gave him vinegar for his thirst (69:21). The Gospels show this happening to Jesus at the cross. Matthew records that He was offered wine mixed with gall, which He refused after tasting (Matthew 27:34), and later a bystander held up a sponge of sour wine for Him (Matthew 27:48). John says that Jesus, knowing everything was now accomplished, said He was thirsty so that Scripture would be fulfilled, and He was given sour wine on a sponge (John 19:28-29). The cruelty David endured became a picture of the sufferings of the Messiah.
- Psalm 69:20-21 (BSB)“Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one. They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.”David finds no comforters, and instead of relief his enemies give him gall and vinegar.
- Matthew 27:34 (BSB)“they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.”At the crucifixion Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall, which He refused after tasting.
- John 19:28-29 (BSB)“After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth.”John says Jesus spoke of His thirst to fulfill the Scripture and was given sour wine on a sponge.
- Matthew 27:48 (BSB)“One of them quickly ran and brought a sponge. He filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, and held it up for Jesus to drink.”Matthew also records that one of the bystanders held up sour wine on a sponge for Jesus to drink.
Theological
How do the passion narratives take up Psalm 69:21?
Answer: Jesus was offered wine with gall and given sour wine as He thirsted
The absence of comforters (69:20) is followed by hostile provision: gall for food and vinegar for thirst (69:21). The Evangelists record the correspondence at Golgotha. Matthew notes the offer of wine mixed with gall, which Jesus tasted and refused (Matthew 27:34), and the sour wine held up on a reed (Matthew 27:48). John explicitly frames Jesus' cry of thirst as spoken so that Scripture would be fulfilled, followed by the sponge of sour wine (John 19:28-29). The Davidic sufferer's affliction is thus shown to be typological, fulfilled in the Son's final hours.
- Psalm 69:20-21 (BSB)“Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one. They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.”David finds no comforters, and instead of relief his enemies give him gall and vinegar.
- Matthew 27:34 (BSB)“they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.”At the crucifixion Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall, which He refused after tasting.
- John 19:28-29 (BSB)“After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth.”John says Jesus spoke of His thirst to fulfill the Scripture and was given sour wine on a sponge.
- Matthew 27:48 (BSB)“One of them quickly ran and brought a sponge. He filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, and held it up for Jesus to drink.”Matthew also records that one of the bystanders held up sour wine on a sponge for Jesus to drink.
General
In John 15:25, how does Jesus use the complaint in Psalm 69:4 about being hated?
Answer: He says the world's hatred of Him fulfills that written word
In Psalm 69:4 David complains that his enemies, who hate him for no reason, are more numerous than the hairs on his head, and that he is forced to give back what he never stole. On the night before His death, Jesus told His disciples that the world hated Him, and that this happened to fulfill what their Law had recorded, that they hated Him without reason (John 15:25). Since these words come from the Psalms (see also Psalm 35:19), the Law here means the Scriptures broadly. David was hated without cause by his enemies, though he admits his own folly before God (69:5); Jesus, who committed no sin (1 Peter 2:22), was hated with no fault in Him at all. Jesus uses the psalm to show that the rejection He faced was foretold, not a sign that God's plan had failed.
- Psalm 69:4 (BSB)“Those 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.”David says his enemies are more numerous than the hairs of his head and hate him for no reason.
- John 15:25 (BSB)“But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’”Jesus says the world's hatred of Him fulfills what is written, that they hated Him without reason.
- Psalm 35:19 (BSB)“Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.”Another psalm of David uses the same complaint of being hated without reason.
- 1 Peter 2:22 (BSB)““He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.””Peter affirms that Jesus committed no sin, so the hatred against Him was wholly undeserved.
Theological
How does Jesus apply the complaint of causeless hatred in Psalm 69:4 in John 15:25?
Answer: He says the world's hatred of Him fulfills that written word
David protests that his enemies hate him without cause and force him to restore what he did not steal (69:4). On the night before His death Jesus cites this complaint, which also appears in Psalm 35:19, as fulfilled in the world's hatred of Him (John 15:25). The typology runs from the lesser to the greater: David, the righteous sufferer, was hated unjustly though he confessed folly before God (69:5); the Son, who committed no sin (1 Peter 2:22), was hated with no fault in Him at all. Jesus reads the unbelief He met as the outworking of what Scripture had already written, which assures the disciples that the world's hostility is part of the foreknown path of the Messiah and not a failure of God's purpose.
- Psalm 69:4 (BSB)“Those 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.”David says his enemies are more numerous than the hairs of his head and hate him for no reason.
- John 15:25 (BSB)“But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’”Jesus says the world's hatred of Him fulfills what is written, that they hated Him without reason.
- Psalm 35:19 (BSB)“Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.”Another psalm of David uses the same complaint of being hated without reason.
- 1 Peter 2:22 (BSB)““He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.””Peter affirms that Jesus committed no sin, so the hatred against Him was wholly undeserved.
General
In the prayers against his enemies in Psalm 69:22-28, what reason does David give for asking God to judge them (69:26)?
Answer: They hound the one God struck and talk about the pain of the wounded
In 69:22-28 David asks God to turn his enemies' table into a trap, darken their eyes, pour out His wrath on them, leave their dwelling empty, and keep them from any share in His righteousness. His stated reason is that they hound the one God has already struck and make a story of the suffering of those God has wounded (69:26). Instead of pity, they add cruelty to suffering. David does not take revenge himself; he hands the matter to God's justice (69:24), which Paul also commands when he tells believers to make room for God's anger rather than avenge themselves (Romans 12:19). The New Testament itself applies these verses: Paul quotes 69:22-23 of those in Israel who were hardened (Romans 11:9-10), and Peter applies 69:25 to Judas (Acts 1:20). Jesus also calls His followers to love and pray for their enemies (Matthew 5:44), and He prayed for those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34). Christians have understood how these prayers relate to that command in different ways. The psalm itself is an honest appeal to God's justice against people who torment a man already suffering under God's hand.
- Psalm 69:24 (BSB)“Pour out Your wrath upon them, and let Your burning anger overtake them.”David asks God Himself to pour out His wrath on his enemies.
- Psalm 69:26 (BSB)“For they persecute the one You struck and recount the pain of those You wounded.”The reason given: the enemies persecute the one God has struck and tell of the pain of those He wounded.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul tells believers not to take revenge but to leave room for God's wrath, as the psalmist hands judgment to God.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.
- Luke 23:34 (BSB)“Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.”On the cross Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified Him.
- Acts 1:20 (BSB)““For it is written in the book of Psalms: ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, ‘May another take his position.’”Peter applies the psalm's prayer about a deserted dwelling to Judas.
Theological
What rationale does David give in 69:26 for the imprecations of Psalm 69:22-28?
Answer: They hound the one God struck and talk about the pain of the wounded
The imprecations ask for the enemies' table to become a snare, for their eyes to be darkened, for God's wrath to overtake them, for their dwelling to be desolate, and for them to be excluded from His righteousness (69:22-28). The stated ground is that they hound the one God has struck and talk about the suffering of those He has wounded (69:26), exploiting the sufferer's affliction with malice rather than compassion. Crucially, David commits vengeance to God (69:24) rather than executing it, consistent with Romans 12:19. The New Testament applies 69:22-23 to the hardening of unbelieving Israel (Romans 11:9-10) and 69:25 to Judas (Acts 1:20). It also records Christ's command to love and pray for enemies (Matthew 5:44) and His own prayer for His executioners (Luke 23:34). Christians have related these strands in different ways. The psalm itself appeals to divine justice against those who persecute and taunt a sufferer whom God has already struck (69:26).
- Psalm 69:24 (BSB)“Pour out Your wrath upon them, and let Your burning anger overtake them.”David asks God Himself to pour out His wrath on his enemies.
- Psalm 69:26 (BSB)“For they persecute the one You struck and recount the pain of those You wounded.”The reason given: the enemies persecute the one God has struck and tell of the pain of those He wounded.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul tells believers not to take revenge but to leave room for God's wrath, as the psalmist hands judgment to God.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.
- Luke 23:34 (BSB)“Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.”On the cross Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified Him.
- Acts 1:20 (BSB)““For it is written in the book of Psalms: ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, ‘May another take his position.’”Peter applies the psalm's prayer about a deserted dwelling to Judas.
General
In Romans 15:3, Paul quotes the second half of Psalm 69:9 to show what about Christ?
Answer: That He put His own pleasure aside and bore scorn aimed at God
Psalm 69:9 says that the contempt aimed at God has landed on the psalmist. Because David belonged to God, the contempt people felt toward God landed on him. Paul quotes this line in Romans 15:3 to show that Christ did not seek to please Himself: He willingly took on Himself the scorn aimed at His Father. Paul uses this to urge believers to bear with one another's weaknesses rather than please themselves (Romans 15:1-2). Isaiah likewise pictures the Servant as despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3), and Paul elsewhere says Christ, though rich, became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9).
- Psalm 69:9 (BSB)“because zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult You have fallen on me.”The second half of the verse says the insults directed at God fell on the psalmist.
- Romans 15:3 (BSB)“For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.””Paul quotes this line to show that Christ did not please Himself but bore reproach for God's sake.
- Isaiah 53:3 (BSB)“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.”Isaiah describes the Servant as despised and rejected, bearing the contempt of men.
- 2 Corinthians 8:9 (BSB)“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”Paul describes Christ's self-giving in becoming poor for the sake of others.
Theological
What does Paul show about Christ by quoting Psalm 69:9b in Romans 15:3?
Answer: That He put His own pleasure aside and bore scorn aimed at God
The psalmist's reproach is theological: because he is identified with God, the insults hurled at God fall on him (69:9b). Paul places these words in Christ's mouth to show that He did not seek His own pleasure but absorbed the reproach directed at the Father (Romans 15:3). Paul applies this as the pattern for the strong bearing with the weak in the church. The Servant who is despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3) and the Lord who became poor for the sake of others (2 Corinthians 8:9) are the same Christ whose self-denial Paul holds up. Paul reads the psalm as spoken by Christ, confirming that the righteous sufferer of Psalm 69 points to Him.
- Psalm 69:9 (BSB)“because zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult You have fallen on me.”The second half of the verse says the insults directed at God fell on the psalmist.
- Romans 15:3 (BSB)“For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.””Paul quotes this line to show that Christ did not please Himself but bore reproach for God's sake.
- Isaiah 53:3 (BSB)“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.”Isaiah describes the Servant as despised and rejected, bearing the contempt of men.
- 2 Corinthians 8:9 (BSB)“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”Paul describes Christ's self-giving in becoming poor for the sake of others.
General
According to Psalm 69:10-12, how did people respond when David wept, fasted, and wore sackcloth?
Answer: They mocked him and made him the subject of drinking songs
David's grief and devotion drew ridicule instead of sympathy. When he wept and fasted, it brought him reproach; when he wore sackcloth as a sign of mourning, he became a joke to them (69:10-11). Even those who sat at the city gate, the town's public meeting place, mocked him, and drunkards made songs about him (69:12). The righteous sufferer is mocked precisely for his devotion to God. The same pattern appears in the Gospels, where passersby at the cross twisted Jesus' words about the temple into insults (Matthew 27:39-40), and in Isaiah's picture of the despised Servant (Isaiah 53:3).
- Psalm 69:10-12 (BSB)“I wept and fasted, but it brought me reproach. I made sackcloth my clothing, and I was sport to them. Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of drunkards.”David's fasting and sackcloth are turned into a joke by those at the gate and the drunkards.
- Matthew 27:39-40 (BSB)“And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!””Passersby mocked Jesus on the cross, turning His words about the temple into ridicule.
- Isaiah 53:3 (BSB)“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.”The Servant is despised and rejected, the object of people's contempt.
Theological
How do people respond to David's weeping, fasting, and sackcloth in Psalm 69:10-12?
Answer: They mocked him and made him the subject of drinking songs
David's acts of piety, weeping, fasting, and wearing sackcloth, become occasions for reproach and ridicule (69:10-11). The mockery reaches from those seated at the city gate to the drunkards who make him the theme of their songs (69:12), so both the respectable and the degraded join in scorn. The pattern of the righteous sufferer derided for his devotion is seen again in Christ, whom passersby mocked at the cross (Matthew 27:39-40), the despised and rejected Servant of Isaiah 53:3.
- Psalm 69:10-12 (BSB)“I wept and fasted, but it brought me reproach. I made sackcloth my clothing, and I was sport to them. Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of drunkards.”David's fasting and sackcloth are turned into a joke by those at the gate and the drunkards.
- Matthew 27:39-40 (BSB)“And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!””Passersby mocked Jesus on the cross, turning His words about the temple into ridicule.
- Isaiah 53:3 (BSB)“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.”The Servant is despised and rejected, the object of people's contempt.
General
How does David picture his distress in the opening lines of Psalm 69 (69:1-3)?
Answer: As a man sinking in floodwater and mud with nothing firm underfoot
Psalm 69 begins with a cry to be saved because the water has risen to David's neck. He has sunk into deep mud with no footing, and the flood is sweeping over him (69:1-2). He is worn out from calling for help, his throat is dry, and his eyes are tired from watching for God to act (69:3). The picture is of trouble so overwhelming that he cannot save himself. The same image of mud, pits, and deep water appears in other psalms where God reaches down and lifts His servant out (Psalm 40:2; 18:16), and Jonah uses it for his own brush with death (Jonah 2:5). The desert, the siege, and the wolves are images found elsewhere in Scripture, but not in these verses.
- Psalm 69:1-3 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David. Save me, O God, for the waters are up to my neck. I have sunk into the miry depths, where there is no footing; I have drifted into deep waters, where the flood engulfs me. I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.”David opens the psalm drowning in trouble, exhausted from crying out and still waiting on God.
- Psalm 40:2 (BSB)“He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm.”Another psalm of David uses the same picture of mud and a pit for distress from which God lifts His servant.
- Psalm 18:16 (BSB)“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.”David elsewhere praises God for drawing him out of deep waters, the same image of rescue from overwhelming danger.
- Jonah 2:5 (BSB)“The waters engulfed me to take my life; the watery depths closed around me; the seaweed wrapped around my head.”Jonah describes his near-death crisis with the same language of engulfing waters closing around him.
Theological
What controlling image does David use for his affliction in Psalm 69:1-3?
Answer: As a man sinking in floodwater and mud with nothing firm underfoot
The lament opens with an extended metaphor of drowning: the waters have reached his neck, he has sunk into miry depths without footing, and the flood is overwhelming him (69:1-2). The physical exhaustion of prolonged prayer follows, with a dry throat and eyes that fail as he waits for God (69:3). The imagery conveys total helplessness, which is why the psalm is a cry for rescue rather than self-help. The same vocabulary of pit, mire, and deep waters recurs in David's thanksgiving psalms, where the LORD draws him out (Psalm 40:2; 18:16), and in Jonah's prayer from the deep (Jonah 2:5). The imagery returns later in the psalm's petitions (69:14-15).
- Psalm 69:1-3 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David. Save me, O God, for the waters are up to my neck. I have sunk into the miry depths, where there is no footing; I have drifted into deep waters, where the flood engulfs me. I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.”David opens the psalm drowning in trouble, exhausted from crying out and still waiting on God.
- Psalm 40:2 (BSB)“He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm.”Another psalm of David uses the same picture of mud and a pit for distress from which God lifts His servant.
- Psalm 18:16 (BSB)“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.”David elsewhere praises God for drawing him out of deep waters, the same image of rescue from overwhelming danger.
- Jonah 2:5 (BSB)“The waters engulfed me to take my life; the watery depths closed around me; the seaweed wrapped around my head.”Jonah describes his near-death crisis with the same language of engulfing waters closing around him.
General
In Psalm 69:30-31, what does David say God will value above the sacrifice of a bull?
Answer: Singing thankful songs that exalt God's name
As the psalm turns from lament to praise, David vows to celebrate God's name with singing and to magnify Him with thanks (69:30), and says the LORD will be more pleased by this than by an ox or a bull offered in sacrifice (69:31). He is not rejecting the sacrifices God commanded, but showing what God values most: a grateful heart that gives Him glory. David says something similar in Psalm 51:16-17, where God desires a broken and contrite heart, and Hosea records God's desire for mercy and knowledge of Him more than burnt offerings (Hosea 6:6). Hebrews calls believers to offer God a continual sacrifice of praise through Jesus (Hebrews 13:15).
- Psalm 69:30-31 (BSB)“I will praise God’s name in song and exalt Him with thanksgiving. And this will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with horns and hooves.”David vows to praise God with thanksgiving and says this pleases the LORD more than an ox or a bull.
- Psalm 51:16-17 (BSB)“For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”In another psalm David says God does not delight in sacrifice alone but in a broken and contrite heart.
- Hosea 6:6 (BSB)“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”God says He desires mercy and knowledge of Himself more than burnt offerings.
- Hebrews 13:15 (BSB)“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.”Believers are called to offer God through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise.
Theological
What does David set above animal sacrifice in Psalm 69:30-31?
Answer: Singing thankful songs that exalt God's name
At the turn to praise, David vows to magnify God's name with song and thanksgiving (69:30) and declares that this pleases the LORD above an ox or a bull (69:31). The comparison does not abolish the sacrificial system but ranks the worshiper's grateful heart above the mere offering, a theme David develops in Psalm 51:16-17 and the prophets echo (Hosea 6:6). Under the new covenant the principle is carried forward in the sacrifice of praise offered to God through Christ (Hebrews 13:15).
- Psalm 69:30-31 (BSB)“I will praise God’s name in song and exalt Him with thanksgiving. And this will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with horns and hooves.”David vows to praise God with thanksgiving and says this pleases the LORD more than an ox or a bull.
- Psalm 51:16-17 (BSB)“For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”In another psalm David says God does not delight in sacrifice alone but in a broken and contrite heart.
- Hosea 6:6 (BSB)“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”God says He desires mercy and knowledge of Himself more than burnt offerings.
- Hebrews 13:15 (BSB)“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.”Believers are called to offer God through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise.
General
In Romans 11:9-10, Paul quotes Psalm 69:22-23 about a table becoming a snare and eyes darkened. What does he apply it to?
Answer: The hardening of those in Israel who did not obtain what they sought
In Psalm 69:22-23 David prays that his enemies' meals would turn into a trap and their sight grow dark. Paul quotes these verses as David's words in Romans 11:9-10. He is explaining why many in Israel had not believed in Christ: the elect received what the nation had been pursuing, while the rest were hardened (Romans 11:7-8). Hardening means being made unresponsive to the truth as a judgment. Paul applies the psalm's prayer against those who persecuted God's servant to those who rejected Jesus. He also says this hardening is partial and lasts until the complete number of Gentiles is brought in (Romans 11:25).
- Psalm 69:22-23 (BSB)“May their table become a snare; may it be a retribution and a trap. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”David asks that his enemies' table become a snare and that their eyes be darkened.
- Romans 11:9-10 (BSB)“And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution to them. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.””Paul quotes these lines, attributing them to David, in his discussion of Israel's hardening.
- Romans 11:7-8 (BSB)“What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.””Paul explains that the elect obtained what Israel sought, while the rest were hardened.
- Romans 11:25 (BSB)“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.”Paul adds that the hardening is partial and lasts until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
Theological
To what does Paul apply Psalm 69:22-23 in Romans 11:9-10?
Answer: The hardening of those in Israel who did not obtain what they sought
Paul cites David's imprecation, the table as a snare and darkened eyes (69:22-23), as scriptural warrant for the judicial hardening of the non-elect portion of Israel (Romans 11:9-10). The context is explicit: the elect obtained what Israel sought, while the rest were hardened, in keeping with Scripture (Romans 11:7-8). The enemies of the Davidic sufferer become a type of those who rejected the Messiah, and their blindness is God's righteous judgment, while they remain responsible for their unbelief. Paul also insists that this hardening is partial and has a divinely appointed limit, until the fullness of the Gentiles is gathered (Romans 11:25).
- Psalm 69:22-23 (BSB)“May their table become a snare; may it be a retribution and a trap. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”David asks that his enemies' table become a snare and that their eyes be darkened.
- Romans 11:9-10 (BSB)“And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution to them. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.””Paul quotes these lines, attributing them to David, in his discussion of Israel's hardening.
- Romans 11:7-8 (BSB)“What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.””Paul explains that the elect obtained what Israel sought, while the rest were hardened.
- Romans 11:25 (BSB)“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.”Paul adds that the hardening is partial and lasts until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
General
According to John 2:17, when did Jesus' disciples remember the line in Psalm 69:9 about zeal for God's house?
Answer: After He drove the sellers and money changers out of the temple
In Psalm 69:7-9 David says he suffers scorn for God's sake: his own family treats him as a stranger because his devotion to God's house has consumed him. When Jesus made a whip, drove the animals and money changers out of the temple courts, and rebuked those who made His Father's house a marketplace (John 2:15-16), His disciples remembered this line of the psalm (John 2:17). They recognized in Jesus' burning devotion to His Father's house what David had written.
- Psalm 69:9 (BSB)“because zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult You have fallen on me.”David says devotion to God's house has consumed him and that the insults aimed at God have landed on him.
- John 2:17 (BSB)“His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.””After Jesus cleared the temple, His disciples remembered this line of the psalm.
- John 2:15-16 (BSB)“So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!””Jesus drove out the sellers and money changers and rebuked them for making His Father's house a marketplace.
Theological
When, according to John 2:17, did the disciples call to mind Psalm 69:9?
Answer: After He drove the sellers and money changers out of the temple
David traces his alienation from his brothers to his consuming zeal for God's house (69:8-9). John records that when Jesus cleansed the temple, driving out the traders and overturning the money changers' tables because they had made His Father's house a marketplace (John 2:15-16), the disciples remembered this verse (John 2:17). The link is plain: the disciples saw the zeal of David, the righteous sufferer of the psalm, embodied in the Son's zeal for His Father's house.
- Psalm 69:9 (BSB)“because zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult You have fallen on me.”David says devotion to God's house has consumed him and that the insults aimed at God have landed on him.
- John 2:17 (BSB)“His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.””After Jesus cleared the temple, His disciples remembered this line of the psalm.
- John 2:15-16 (BSB)“So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!””Jesus drove out the sellers and money changers and rebuked them for making His Father's house a marketplace.