Psalms 69:1-9

1 To victory, on the roses of David. God, make thou me safe; for waters have entered unto my soul. (To victory, for the lilies, by David/the psalm, or the song, of David. God, save thou me; for the waters have entered unto my soul!)

2 I am set in the slime of the depth; and there is no substance. I came into the depth of the sea; and the tempest drenched me [down]. (I am sinking in the slime of the depth; and there is no firm ground beneath me. I came into the depth of the sea; for the tempest hath drowned me.)

3 I travailed crying, my cheeks were made hoarse; mine eyes failed, the while I hope/d into my God. (I am made weary from crying, my voice is made hoarse; my eyes have failed, yet all the while I have hope/d in my God.)

4 They that hated me without cause; were multiplied above the hairs of mine head. Mine enemies that pursued me unjustly were comforted; I paid then (for) those things, which I ravished not. (They who hated me for no reason, were greater in number than the hairs of my head. My enemies who unjustly persecuted me were strong; and I was forced to pay for what I did not steal.)

5 God, thou knowest mine unknowing (God, thou knowest my foolishness, or my ignorance); and my trespasses be not hid from thee.

6 Lord, Lord of virtues; they, that abide thee, be not ashamed in me. God of Israel; they, that seek thee, be not shamed on me. (Lord, Lord of hosts; let they, who wait for thee, be not shamed by me. God of Israel; let they, who seek thee, be not shamed by me.)

7 For I suffered shame for thee; shame covered my face.

8 I am made a stranger to my brethren; and a pilgrim to the sons of my mother.

9 For the fervent love of thine house ate me (For my fervent love for thy House ate me up, or devoured me); and the shames of men saying shames to thee fell on me.

Psalms 69:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, [A Psalm] of David. Of the word "shoshannim," See Gill on "Ps 45:1," title. The Targum renders it, "concerning the removal of the sanhedrim;" which was about the time of Christ's death. The Talmudists {t} say, that forty years before the destruction of the temple, the sanhedrim removed, they removed from the paved chamber, &c. But it can hardly be thought that David prophesied of this affair; nor of the captivity of the people of Israel, as the Targum, Aben Ezra, Kimchi, Arama, and R. Obadiah interpret it: and so Jarchi takes the word "shoshannim" to signify lilies, and applies it to the Israelites, who are as a lily among thorns. But not a body of people, but a single person, is spoken of, and in sorrowful and suffering circumstances; and, if the Jews were not blind, they might see that they are the enemies of the person designed, and the evil men from whom he suffered so much. And indeed what is said of him cannot be said of them, nor of any other person whatever but the Messiah: and that the psalm belongs to Christ, and to the times of the Gospel, is abundantly evident from the citations out of it in the New Testament; as

Psalm 69:4 in John 15:25;
Psalm 69:9 in John 2:17;
Psalm 69:21 in Matthew 27:34;
Psalm 69:22 in Romans 11:9;
Psalm 69:25 in Acts 1:16.

The inscription of the psalm in the Syriac version is, "'a psalm' of David, according to the letter, when Shemuah (Sheba), the son of Bichri, blew a trumpet, and the people ceased from following after him (David); but the prophecy is said concerning those things which the Messiah suffered, and concerning the rejection of the Jews." And Aben Ezra interprets Psalm 69:36 of the days of David, or of the days of the Messiah.

{t} T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 8. 2. & Roshhashanah, fol. 31. 1, 2.