Psalm 69

1 Or waters threaten my life 2 Hebrew lacks and humbled 3 Hebrew; a slight revocalization yields (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome) a snare, and retribution and a trap 4 Hebrew may they not come into your righteousness

Comments

I. (69:1–4) I Am in Deep Trouble from Treacherous Enemies. The psalmist lays the situation before God, first with colorful imagery (drowning, or quicksand, vv. 1–2; cf. vv. 14–15), then with his own sad state (v. 3), and finally with the particulars of the case: “those who hate me without cause” and “those who attack me with lies” (v. 4). Since the psalm will go on to acknowledge that the singer is not perfect, this cannot be a claim of total innocence; it is rather a claim that the singer has not done harm to the particular people that threaten him—which means that their threats aim to oppress the faithful person.

Verses 1–2 use an image encountered elsewhere in the Psalms, namely, troubles as if they were a hardship, such as a flash flood in a wadi (cf. comments on 27:4–6; 31:1–2; 32:6–11). We can easily imagine someone in such dire straits—feeling as though no one is coming to rescue him, becoming “weary with my crying out” for help (69:3)—and thus can get a sense of the urgency of “Save me, O God!” (v. 1).

Verse 4 names the specific kind of trouble for which this psalm is suited: the psalmist is under threat by others who “hate” him, who “would destroy” him and “attack” him “with lies.” The psalm offers a suggestive example of the kind of lies being told, an alleged theft (“What I did not steal must I now restore?”)—the enemies are portraying the faithful person as an evildoer, and this portrayal is false—and malicious. The enemies are “more in number than the hairs of my head” (cf. comment on 40:11–17 [at v. 12]).

In John 15:25 Jesus uses these words from Psalm 69:4 (“hate me without cause”) to describe himself and to lead his followers to expect the same. In John’s presentation of Jesus he is the perfect embodiment of a faithful Israelite, who may expect the impious to hate him.

II. (69:5–8) Let Not My Folly Bring Shame on Those Who Love You. In the next section the singer admits that he is not perfect, which God knows full well (“You know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you”). He agrees that his wrongs could put to shame others of the faithful (“those who hope in you”)—it could subject them to scorn—and he prays that such will not happen.

These verses introduce terms for disgrace that run through the psalm: “dishonor” (vv. 6, 7, 19), reproach (vv. 7, 9, 10, 19, 20). These probably refer to the false charges against the faithful, which would serve to isolate him from his proper relationships within the community (vv. 8, 12)—because those relationships are founded ideally on trust.

“Those who hope in you” and “those who seek you” (v. 6) are different names for the same group. The wording of the psalm suggests that it is especially fit for cases in which the enemies are themselves Israelites (vv. 10–11). That is, the psalm employs the distinction between those members of the people who genuinely embrace the covenant and those who oppress the faithful. The idealized faithful person fasts and prays on behalf of all fellow members; the unfaithful do not return the kindness.

In singing this the pious acknowledge that they do commit sins and that these sins can cause trouble for themselves and for others, and can even damage the reputation of God and his faithful people. Such acknowledgement should help them to be more honest about their weaknesses and careful about their deeds.

III. (69:9–12) I Bear Your Reproach. The idea of “reproach,” introduced in verse 7, dominates this section. Here the song is speaking of the worshiper’s current condition: the reproaches falling on the singer are not really the proper response of other godly people to his wrongs; they are instead the weapons of “those who reproach” God, scorning God himself, his covenant, and his faithful people. The unfaithful even turn the signs of devout mourning and repentance (“fasting,” “sackcloth”) into an occasion to mock and humiliate the pious person.

“Those who sit in the gate” are the respected people in the village, including (or especially) the elders (Ruth 4:1–2; Prov. 31:23). It is bad enough that such people should “talk” about a faithful person (they might decide he is innocent), but it is degrading when the town’s “drunkards make songs about” him (one would not expect them to be fair!).

Even though the singer has confessed his own waywardness (Ps. 69:5), he nevertheless insists that “zeal for your house has consumed me”—he is loyal to the covenant and its ordinances (which take place in the “house”).491 The function of this is, first, to remind everyone that the psalm serves the situation in which the singer is genuinely persecuted and is genuinely faithful and, second, to instill in the worshiping community a zeal like the one it describes.

In John 2:17 Jesus’ disciples remember the first half of Psalm 69:9 (“zeal for your house has consumed me”) after Jesus has driven the livestock merchants and money-changers out of the temple. Jesus embodies the ideal pious member of God’s people, which is the calling of the Davidic king—although, unlike all the heirs of David before him, Jesus does not have “folly” and “wrongs” (v. 5) to repent (cf. John 8:46). In Romans 15:3 Paul applies the second half of Psalm 69:9 (“The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me”) to Jesus—again because he saw Jesus as the ideal covenant member, who was willing to suffer reproach for the sake of God’s truth. In this Jesus is an example to the Roman Christians, for whom the issue of the weak and the strong probably included elements of shame in Roman society: Romans are known to have looked down upon those with Jewish scruples about food (the weak). The faithful Christian should be willing to suffer the scorn that some people might heap on him if he has close fellowship with the socially “unworthy”; nothing, not even social reproach, should be allowed to prevent these Christians from worshiping together.

IV. (69:13–18) My Prayer Is Directed to You. The next section of the psalm expresses the singer’s reliance on God: “my prayer is to you . . . answer me . . . deliver me . . . answer me . . . turn to me . . . hide not your face . . . make haste . . . draw near.” His case is desperate, and he urgently needs God’s help; verses 14–15 renew the imagery of dangerous waters from verses 1–2.

The prayer appeals to what God has revealed about himself: “the abundance of your steadfast love” and “faithfulness” (v. 13), and “steadfast love” and “mercy” (v. 16), echo the revelation of God’s character (Ex. 34:6: The Lord is “merciful and gracious, . . . abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness”). It is clear in this case that for God to “answer” (Ps. 69:16–17) means for him to do something to relieve the situation (for God to say no does not qualify as an answer here!); the singer asks God, “Hide not your face from your servant” (cf. comment on 51:6–12 [at v. 9]). In verse 18 the singer wants to feel confident (“Draw near to my soul”) and also to see a clear display of God’s help (“redeem . . . ransom”; cf. comment on 25:22).

V. (69:19–21) You Know My Reproach and Shame. Here the psalm describes the sense of reproach, shame, dishonor, despair, and abandonment the singer must feel. Though many of these are primarily emotions of the heart and not necessarily visible to man, nevertheless he can say to God, “You know”—for God searches all hearts at all times. But there is a public aspect as well (cf. comment on 69:5–8): those who should show him kindness refrain from doing so (vv. 20–21).

Verse 21 amplifies the indignity of verse 20: it is one thing to withhold pity and comfort, but it is far worse than mere mockery to offer “poison” under the guise of food. Water would be preferable to “sour wine,” which would have been very unpleasant to a severe thirst. John 19:28–29 uses these words to describe one of Jesus’ last words on the cross, uttered “to fulfill . . . Scripture” (cf. Matt. 27:34, 48; Mark 15:23, 36; Luke 23:36). “What David was offered in metaphor, Jesus was offered in fact.”492 There the sour wine would be the cheap beverage the soldiers used to satisfy their thirst, but Jesus feels God forsaken (Mark 15:34), and the thirst to which he is testifying must be far more severe and deep seated than anything this drink could quench. When Jesus receives it, he briefly prolongs his life (and his agony) and perhaps moistens his lips enough finally to cry out, “It is finished” (John 19:30). In Luke 23:34 Jesus prays, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Since Luke alludes to this psalm (Ps. 69:36), he might well intend a contrast: the psalm will go on to call down curses on the enemies, whereas Jesus instead prays for mercy. Nevertheless, the judgment requested by the curses is only delayed and will be set loose when Christ returns as Judge of all. (Cf. comment on 69:22–28 [esp. at vv. 22–23, 25].)

VI. (69:22–28) May They Suffer the Punishment They Deserve. The next section asks God to vindicate his faithful one by bringing on the enemies the troubles that they deserve (and that they would bring on the faithful if they could). The description in verses 22–25 uses imagery to convey the idea of a life devastated and sad, in its various aspects: in home life (v. 22), in personal health (v. 23), and in posterity (vv. 24–25). It is clear from verse 26 that these people are grievous sinners; indeed, they are Israelites who reject the covenant and can wield influence to harm the faithful. As with these curses in general, the unstated assumption is that the people being cursed will not repent (which, of course, would be preferable; cf. comments on 5:10; 35:4–8; Introduction: Interpretive Challenges: Curses).

These curses also appear in the NT. Paul cites the curse of 69:22–23 to explain why his fellow Jews who reject the message of Christ have been hardened (Rom. 11:9–10). Nevertheless, in the rest of Romans 11 he also explains why the curse is not irrevocable: it is a “partial hardening,” which will be relieved if and when they repent (Rom. 11:23–25). Paul apparently understands that these curses allow room for the cursed persons to repent.493 Acts 1:20 applies Psalm 69:25 to Judas, who took part in destroying Jesus, the perfect embodiment of this psalm. This is most easily taken as part of Peter’s speech to the assembled disciples (rather than the narrator’s editorial explanation of Peter’s argument). Peter combines verse 25 with part of 109:8 (“may another take his office”) to show why the disciples should give up on Judas and replace him.

These prospects of verses 27–28 (“no acquittal . . . blotted out . . . not be enrolled”) are most naturally taken as going beyond temporal punishments to include an eternal one (cf. comments on Psalm 49 regarding how the OT views the afterlife). Again, the assumption is that the people in question will not repent. These words can serve to enhance the heartfelt preference for faithfulness among all who sing this, and they can even prove to be a mercy to the unfaithful, should any of them be present at worship when the congregation sings them and they heed the warning.

VII. (69:29–33) Deliver Me for the Sake of the Humble. The argument of this section is that if God’s “salvation” (cf. vv. 1, 13) should set the pious singer “on high” (though he is now “afflicted”), he will “magnify” God with public “thanksgiving,” presumably in a worship service (as the mention of potential sacrifice in v. 31 indicates; cf. comment on 66:13–15). This will enable all the “humble” (another term for the genuinely faithful) to “see it” and “be glad”; they will know that “the Lord hears the needy” who seek him in faith, especially to vindicate those treated unjustly (for “prisoners” cf. comment on 68:4–6). Therefore the song issues an admonition to the rest of the faithful (“you who seek God”; 69:32):494 “Let your hearts revive”!

VIII. (69:34–36) Let Everything Praise the God Who Dwells in Zion. The psalm moves on to sing of all creation’s praising God and of God’s enduring commitment to populate Zion with the faithful “offspring of his [faithful] servants.” Behind this section lies the recognition that God intends the whole world to be able to praise him and intends Zion to flourish as the paradigm of true piety (which is what “save Zion” means). This cannot happen when the kind of evildoers described in this psalm have a free rein to oppress the faithful and corrupt the corporate life of God’s people.

Verse 34 lists the various realms of the creation: heaven, earth, the seas, and everything that moves in them. These are what God made (Ex. 20:11; Ps. 146:6), and such praise is the proper expression of each creature (in a way suited to its nature).

Verses 35–36 use ideas from God’s promises to the patriarchs. For example, Moses interprets those promises to mean that their “offspring” will “inherit” the land (Ex. 32:13). Thus the song enables the singing congregation—and especially the person whose troubles are the theme of the song—(1) to embrace more fully its confidence that God will not fail in his purpose to bless the world and (2) to see faithful endurance of these trials as one’s contribution to that bigger program.

The psalm therefore closes on a note not simply of confidence but of the larger purpose that God has for his world, which provides the context for each person and his or her troubles.