Psalm 70

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This article is about Psalm 70 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 70 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 71.

Psalm 70
"Make haste, O God, to deliver me"
Mainz stundenbuch.jpg
"Deus in adiutorium meum intende"
in a Mainz Book of Hours, c. 1450
Other name
LanguageHebrew (original)

Psalm 70 is the 70th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Make haste, O God, to deliver me". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible,[1] and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 69. In Latin, it is known as "Deus, in adiutorium meum intende".[2]

There are 5 verses (6 in the Hebrew verse numbering).[3] The entire psalm is almost identical to the closing verses of Psalm 40. Verse 1 is used as the liturgical opening prayer to every hour of the Liturgy of the Hours.

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has often been set to music, especially in music for vespers which its beginning opens, such as in Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine.

Background and themes[]

The opening verse in the Hebrew identifies this psalm as one of remembrance (Hebrew: להכיר, "to remember"). This opening term appears in only one other psalm, Psalm 38.[4]

This entire psalm is virtually identical to the closing verses of Psalm 40 (verses 14–18 in the Hebrew, 13–17 in the KJV).[4][5] According to the Malbim, Psalm 40 was composed by David when he was fleeing from Saul, and David repeated this psalm later when he was fleeing from Absalom.[4] The Midrash Tehillim notes a slight discrepancy between verse 6 here ("But I am poor and needy, O God, make haste unto me") and verse 18 in Psalm 40 ("But I am poor and needy, may the Lord think of me"). The Midrash teaches that David was telling God, "Think of me in my poverty and in my need, and You will then make haste to deliver me, for You are my help and my deliverer".[6]

Regarding the similarity between Psalms 40 and 70, Matthew Henry notes that it can sometimes be efficacious to recite the prayers one prayed in similar situations, investing them with new emotion.[5]

The opening verse is literally "God, to deliver me, to my help! Hurry!" It is a sped up and abbreviated version of Psalm 40:14. This is consistent with hasten used repeatedly in the opening. In some views, the first verses of Psalm 40 concern the coming anointed and His deliverance, while the later verses concern the desperate in general. It is the later verses of Psalm 40 carried over to Psalm 70.[7]

Text[]

Hebrew Bible version[]

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 70:

Verse Hebrew
1 לַֽ֜מְנַצֵּ֖חַ לְדָוִ֣ד לְהַזְכִּֽיר
2 אֱלֹהִ֥ים לְהַצִּילֵ֑נִי יְ֜הֹוָ֗ה לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי חֽוּשָֽׁה
3 יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ֘ מְבַקְשֵׁ֪י נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י יִסֹּ֣גוּ אָ֖חוֹר וְיִכָּֽלְמ֑וּ חֲ֜פֵצֵ֗י רָֽעָתִֽי
4 יָשׁוּבוּ עַל־עֵ֣קֶב בָּשְׁתָּ֑ם הָ֜אֹֽמְרִ֗ים הֶ֘אָ֣ח | הֶאָֽח
5 יָ֘שִׂ֚ישׂוּ וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ | בְּךָ֗ כָּל־מְבַ֫קְשֶׁ֥יךָ וְיֹֽאמְר֣וּ תָ֖מִיד יִגְדַּ֣ל אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֹֽ֜הֲבֵ֗י יְשֽׁוּעָתֶֽךָ
6 וַֽאֲנִ֚י | עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְיוֹן֘ אֱלֹהִ֪ים חֽוּשָׁ֫ה לִּ֥י עֶזְרִ֣י וּמְפַלְּטִ֣י אָ֑תָּה יְ֜הֹוָ֗ה אַל־תְּאַחַֽר

King James Version[]

  1. Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD.
  2. Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.
  3. Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.
  4. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.
  5. But I