Psalm 71:1-9

Prayer of an Old Man for Deliverance.

1 ¹In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never * be ashamed.

2 ²In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; ³Incline Your ear to me and save me.

3 ⁴Be to me a rock of ⁵habitation to which I may continually come; You have given ⁶commandment to save me, For You are ⁷my rock and my fortress.

4 ⁸Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man,

5 For You are my ⁹hope; O Lord GOD, You are my ¹⁰confidence from my youth.

6 By You I have been ¹¹sustained from my birth; You are He who ¹²took me from my mother's womb; My ¹³praise is continually of You.

7 I have become a ¹⁴marvel to many, For You are ¹⁵my strong refuge.

8 My ¹⁶mouth is filled with Your praise And with ¹⁷Your glory all day long.

9 Do not cast me off in the ¹⁸time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

Psalm 71:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 71

This psalm is without a title, but is thought to be David's: the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, and all the Oriental ones, ascribe it to him; and both the subject and style show it to be his. According to the title of the Syriac version, it was composed by him when Saul made war against the house of David; but this is not likely, since it was written by him in his old age, Ps 71:9,18; rather, according to Kimchi and Arama, it was penned when he fled from his son Absalom: there are several things in it which incline to this. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions call it

``A Psalm of David, of the sons of Jonadab, and of the first that were carried captive;''

and so the Ethiopic and Arabic versions. Apollinarius says the sons of Jonadab composed it; but without any foundation for it; and the Syriac version is, it is a prophecy concerning the sufferings and resurrection of the Messiah; and so Jerom and others interpret it. The literal meaning respecting David seems best, though it may be applied to the church, and to any believer in distress. Theodoret thinks it was written by David in the person of the captives in Babylon.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 25:2, 3; Psalms 31:1-3; Psalms 71:1-3
• 2. Psalms 31:1
• 3. Psalms 17:6
• 4. Psalms 31:2, 3
• 5. Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 90:1; Psalms 91:9
• 6. Psalms 7:6; Psalms 42:8
• 7. Psalms 18:2
• 8. Psalms 140:1, 4
• 9. Psalms 39:7; Jeremiah 14:8; Jeremiah 17:7, 13, 17; Jeremiah 50:7
• 10. Psalms 22:9
• 11. Psalms 22:10; Isaiah 46:3
• 12. Job 10:18; Psalms 22:9
• 13. Psalms 34:1
• 14. Isaiah 8:18; 1 Corinthians 4:9
• 15. Psalms 61:3
• 16. Psalms 35:28; Psalms 63:5
• 17. Psalms 96:6; Psalms 104:1
• 18. Psalms 71:18; Psalms 92:14; Isaiah 46:4

Footnotes

• [a] Or "crag"
• [b] Lit "palm"
• [c] Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD
• [d] Lit "Upon You I have been supported"
• [e] Lit "in"