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Psalm 70
New Catholic Bible

Psalm 70[a]

Insistent Prayer for Divine Assistance

1 For the director.[b] Of David. For remembrance.

2 [c]Make haste, O God, to rescue me;
    O Lord, come quickly to my aid.
3 [d]May all those who seek to take my life
    endure shame and confusion.
May all those who desire my ruin
    be turned back and humiliated.
4 May those who cry out to me, “Aha! Aha!”[e]
    be forced to retreat in shame.
5 But may all who seek you
    rejoice in you and be jubilant.
May those who love your salvation
    cry out forever, “May God be magnified.”[f]
6 As for me, I am poor and needy;[g]
    hasten to my aid, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    O Lord, do not delay.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 70:1 The psalmist’s cry is that of all who cannot endure suffering any longer and have no hope except in God. He calls upon God to come to his aid quickly. It is a slightly revised duplicate of Ps 40:14-18.
    Every Christian (and the whole Church) can naturally recite this psalm in his or her own right as one really (though not yet completely) saved.
  2. Psalm 70:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. For remembrance: see note on Ps 38:1.
  3. Psalm 70:2 Distress can remind a person of his attachment to sin. Is there any reason why people should vilify the person who acknowledges his faults? Realizing his strong attraction toward evil, the psalmist cries out to God, and the poor man rediscovers with astonishment the joyous assurance that God thinks about him.
  4. Psalm 70:3 The psalmist prays for the downfall of his enemies, somewhat as Christians pray for the kingdom of God to come, which includes the petition that the Lord will come to vindicate his own and avenge the wrongs done by his enemies (see 2 Thes 1:5-10; see also notes on Pss 5:11; 35).
  5. Psalm 70:4 Aha! Aha!: the mocking words of the psalmist’s adversaries.
  6. Psalm 70:5 When the Lord works his deliverance, his people will rejoice in his salvation (see Ps 35:27) and give him praise.
  7. Psalm 70:6 Poor and needy: see note on Ps 34:7. My help and my deliverer: the salvation promised the faithful (see Isa 25:9), first conceived as natural with reference to the Exodus or the return from the Exile, was later conceived as spiritual without restriction of space or time (see Pss 18:3; 19:15).
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Psalm 70
New English Translation

Psalm 70[a]

For the music director, by David; written to get God’s attention.[b]

70 O God, please be willing to rescue me.[c]
O Lord, hurry and help me.[d]
2 May those who are trying to take my life
be embarrassed and ashamed.[e]
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed.[f]
3 May those who say, “Aha! Aha!”
be driven back[g] and disgraced.[h]
4 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you.
May those who love to experience[i] your deliverance say continually,[j]
“May God[k] be praised!”[l]
5 I am oppressed and needy.[m]
O God, hurry to me.[n]
You are my helper and my deliverer.
O Lord,[o] do not delay.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 70:1 sn Psalm 70. This psalm is almost identical to Ps 40:13-17. The psalmist asks for God’s help and for divine retribution against his enemies.
  2. Psalm 70:1 tn Heb “to cause to remember.” The same form, a Hiphil infinitive of זָכַר (zakhar, “remember”), also appears in the superscription of Ps 38. Some understand this in the sense of “for the memorial offering,” but it may carry the idea of bringing one’s plight to God’s attention (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 303).
  3. Psalm 70:1 tn Heb “O God, to rescue me.” A main verb is obviously missing. The verb רָצָה (ratsah, “be willing”) should be supplied (see Ps 40:13). Ps 40:13 uses the divine name “Lord” rather than “God.”
  4. Psalm 70:1 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.
  5. Psalm 70:2 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed, the ones seeking my life.” Ps 40:14 has “together” after “ashamed,” and “to snatch it away” after “my life.”
  6. Psalm 70:2 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.
  7. Psalm 70:3 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.
  8. Psalm 70:3 tn Heb “May they be turned back according to their shame, those who say, ‘Aha! Aha!’” Ps 40:15 has the verb “humiliated” instead of “turned back” and adds “to me” after “say.”
  9. Psalm 70:4 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by God.
  10. Psalm 70:4 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing on the godly.
  11. Psalm 70:4 tn Ps 40:16 uses the divine name “Lord” here instead of “God.”
  12. Psalm 70:4 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great.” See Ps 35:27.
  13. Psalm 70:5 sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
  14. Psalm 70:5 tn Ps 40:17 has “may the Lord pay attention to me.”
  15. Psalm 70:5 tn Ps 40:17 has “my God” instead of “Lord.”
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Psalm 70
New International Version

Psalm 70[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David. A petition.

1 Hasten, O God, to save me;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.(B)

2 May those who want to take my life(C)
    be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
    be turned back in disgrace.(D)
3 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(E)
    turn back because of their shame.
4 But may all who seek you(F)
    rejoice and be glad(G) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”(H)

5 But as for me, I am poor and needy;(I)
    come quickly to me,(J) O God.
You are my help(K) and my deliverer;(L)
    Lord, do not delay.(M)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 70:1 In Hebrew texts 70:1-5 is numbered 70:2-6.
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