Psalms 69:8-18

8 A stranger I have been to my brother, And a foreigner to sons of my mother.

9 For zeal for Thy house hath consumed me, And the reproaches of Thy reproachers Have fallen upon me.

10 And I weep in the fasting of my soul, And it is for a reproach to me.

11 And I make my clothing sackcloth, And I am to them for a simile.

12 Those sitting at the gate meditate concerning me, And those drinking strong drink, Play on instruments.

13 And I -- my prayer [is] to Thee, O Jehovah, A time of good pleasure, O God, In the abundance of Thy kindness, Answer me in the truth of Thy salvation.

14 Deliver me from the mire, and let me not sink, Let me be delivered from those hating me, And from deep places of waters.

15 Let not a flood of waters overflow me, Nor let the deep swallow me up, Nor let the pit shut her mouth upon me.

16 Answer me, O Jehovah, for good [is] Thy kindness, According to the abundance Of Thy mercies turn Thou unto me,

17 And hide not Thy face from Thy servant, For I am in distress -- haste, answer me.

18 Be near unto my soul -- redeem it, Because of mine enemies ransom me.

Psalms 69:8-18 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.