Psalm 70 Overview

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Welcome to the Overview of Psalm 70

This page will introduce and provide orientation to Psalm 70 as a whole. It includes the following sections:


Introduction to Psalm 70

Author

David

Book

Book 1 of the Psalter (Chapters 1–41)

Psalm 70: A Brief Summary

"Hurry! Help!" This title is a memorable phrase that helps remember the unique character and content of this psalm.

Purpose The Purpose was the psalmist's probable intent or reason for writing this psalm.

To beg for urgent rescue from his enemies.

Content The Content is a concise summary of the whole psalm's content.

YHWH, hurry to my aid!
My enemies say, "Take that!" May they be ashamed and retreat.
When you rescue me, may the faithful ones rejoice and say, "Let God be praised!"
YHWH, do not delay!

Message The Message is the main idea the psalmist probably wanted the audience to remember upon or after hearing the psalm.

YHWH's people are to persevere in bringing their urgent requests before him.

Psalm 70 At-a-Glance

These sections divide the content of the psalm into digestible pieces, and are determined based on information from many of our layers, including Semantics, Poetics, and Discourse. The columns, left to right, contain: the verse numbers; the main title of the section; a brief summary of the content of that section (quote marks indicate the text is taken directly from the English text of the psalm (as per our Close-but-Clear translation); and an icon to visually represent and remember the content.

Background Orientation for Psalm 70

Following are the common-ground assumptionsCommon-ground assumptions include information shared by the speaker and hearers. In our analysis, we mainly use this category for Biblical/Ancient Near Eastern background. which are the most helpful for making sense of the psalm.

  • After being anointed as king, David's life was threatened continually, primarily at the hands of Saul and Absalom (see, 1 Sam 18-27 and 2 Sam 15-18; Pss 3:1; 18:1; 57:1). In light of the close connection between Psalms 70 and 71 and the unambiguous theme of YHWH's protection in old age,[1] a situation later in David's life would seem more likely, such as Absalom's revolt.[2]
  • After an experience of deliverance, the rescued person would hold a thanksgiving meal, which would result in others praising YHWH for his acts of deliverance (Pss 22:26–27; 26:12; 35:18; 40:10; 69:31–34; 107:31–32; 109:30; 116:17–18).[3]
  • To characterize oneself as poor and needy was "associated with humility," "depend[ing] on help from other people and God" (SDBH), and not taking matters into one's own hands.[4] It was also a means of identifying oneself with "those who love your salvation" (v. 5), who are also poor and needy and, thus, in need of YHWH's salvation.[5]

Background Situation for Psalm 70

The background situation is the series of events leading up to the time in which the psalm is spoken. These are taken from the story triangle – whatever lies to the left of the star icon.

Participants in Psalm 70

There are 4 participants/characters in Psalm 70:

Profile List

David (v. 1)

YHWH (vv. 2, 6)
"God" (vv. 2, 5-6)

Faithful ones (v. 5)

David's enemies (vv. 3-4)

Profile Notes

  • The psalmist is identified as David in the superscription. He urges YHWH to hurry to his aid (vv. 2, 6) and identifies as "poor and needy."
  • YHWH is also identified as "God," to whom David calls for aid and whom the faithful ones wish, "Let God be praised!" (v. 5b).
  • The faithful ones are identified as those who seek YHWH and those who love his salvation. They seem to address their own congregation with the quoted speech in v. 5.
  • David's enemies are said to seek his life and delight in his harm (v. 3). They also taunt and ridicule David with the interjection "Take that!" (הֶ֘אָ֥ח ׀ הֶאָֽח; see the lexical note).


  1. ↑ See our discussion in the exegetical issue Were Psalms 70 and 71 Originally One Poem?.
  2. ↑ Alternatively, the "old age" of Ps 71 could point even to an event as late as Adonijah's self-exaltation to the throne, as recounted in 1 Kgs 1—see also the following Solomonic Psalm (72).
  3. ↑ "The testimony has the purpose of increasing God's honour in the congregation and in the world" (Mowinckel 1962:II, 32). "The hearers of the hymn were able to participate in the worshipper's wonderful experience and thus join themselves to his praise" (Keel 1997, 333).
  4. ↑ See, for example, David's reaction to Absalom's rebellion and Shimei's cursing (2 Sam 15-16).
  5. ↑ See, for example: "David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men" (1 Sam 22:1–2, ESV).