Psalms 70

Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD. This urgent plea opens Psalm 70 with repeated imperative: 'make haste' (chushah, חוּשָׁה) appears twice, emphasizing desperate need for immediate divine intervention. The verse addresses God with two names—'God' (Elohim, אֱלֹהִים, emphasizing power) and 'LORD' (YHWH, יְהוָה, emphasizing covenant relationship). The psalmist appeals to both God's ability to help and His commitment to help based on covenant promise.

Psalm 70 is nearly identical to Psalm 40:13-17, functioning as an independent prayer extracted from the longer psalm. Its brevity and urgency make it suitable for immediate crisis situations—when extended prayer isn't possible, this short petition captures essential need. The repetition 'deliver me... help me' uses synonymous parallelism: natsal (נָצַל, deliver) means to snatch away from danger; ezor (עָזוֹר, help) means to surround with aid and protection.

For Christians, this urgent prayer anticipates Christ's cries in Gethsemane and on the cross. Jesus experienced the full terror of God's wrath and abandonment that sinners deserve, and His desperate prayers for deliverance went unanswered (in the moment) so ours could be answered. Now believers can pray this prayer with confidence that God will hasten to help—not always immediately or in the way we expect, but ultimately and certainly. Romans 8:32 assures, 'He that spared not his own Son... how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?' If God delivered His Son for us, He will deliver us in Him.

The imprecatory prayer for enemies to be 'ashamed and confounded' seeks their defeat and humiliation. 'Turned backward' means routed in battle. 'Put to confusion' depicts total disarray. These prayers aren't personal vengeance but appeals for God's justice against those opposing His purposes. Such psalms anticipate final judgment on impenitent evil (Revelation 19:11-21) while modeling how to process anger righteously—bringing it to God rather than taking revenge (Romans 12:19).

Those who mock 'Aha, aha' express contemptuous triumph over the afflicted. Being 'turned back for a reward of their shame' means their mockery rebounds on themselves—they're rewarded with the very shame they tried to inflict. This principle of reaping what one sows (Galatians 6:7) appears throughout Scripture. Mockers of God's people ultimately mock God Himself, inviting judgment. Christ endured such mockery (Mark 15:29-32), and His resurrection vindicated Him.

Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. This verse shifts from personal petition (verses 1-3) to corporate worship, calling all God-seekers to rejoice in Him. 'Seek thee' (mevakshekha, מְבַקְשֶׁיךָ) describes active pursuit of God's presence—those who diligently pursue relationship with Him rather than merely acknowledging His existence. The dual response—'rejoice and be glad'—uses synonymous parallelism to intensify the call for celebration in God Himself, not merely in His gifts.

The second half addresses those who 'love thy salvation' (ohavei yeshu'atekha, אֹהֲבֵי יְשׁוּעָתֶךָ)—not just recipients of salvation but lovers of it, delighting in God's saving work. Their response is to 'say continually' (yomeru tamid, יֹאמְרוּ תָמִיד), emphasizing persistent, ongoing declaration: 'Let God be magnified' (yigdal Elohim, יִגְדַּל אֱלֹהִים). This isn't occasional praise but constant testimony that makes God's greatness visible to the watching world.

For Christians, this verse describes the church's mission. Those who have found salvation in Christ are called to 'continually' magnify God—through worship, testimony, and godly living that displays His glory (Matthew 5:16, 'Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven'). The joy commanded here isn't circumstantial happiness but deep gladness rooted in God's character and salvation. Paul, imprisoned and facing death, wrote 'Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice' (Philippians 4:4)—embodying this psalm's call to continual magnification of God.

But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying. The psalm concludes by returning to urgent petition, bracketing the prayer with cries for God's quick intervention. 'Poor and needy' (ani ve'evyon, עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן) describes both material poverty and spiritual dependence—the psalmist has no resources of his own and depends entirely on God. This self-description echoes Jesus' beatitude: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven' (Matthew 5:3).

The repeated 'make haste' returns to verse 1's urgency. Between these bookend petitions, the psalm celebrated God's character (verses 2-4), but now returns to raw need. This pattern models healthy prayer—praising God's worthiness while honestly presenting our desperation. The titles 'my help and my deliverer' acknowledge God's past faithfulness while appealing for present intervention. The Hebrew ezri (עֶזְרִי, my help) and mefalti (מְפַלְטִי, my deliverer) are personal possessives—this isn't abstract theology but relationship: 'You are MY help, MY deliverer.'

The final plea—'make no tarrying' (al te'achar, אַל־תְּאַחַר, don't delay)—expresses the sufferer's perspective that God's timing feels slow. Yet from God's perspective, He is never late (2 Peter 3:9, 'The Lord is not slack concerning his promise'). For Christians, this tension between urgent need and divine timing requires faith. Jesus promised, 'Ask, and it shall be given you' (Matthew 7:7), yet also taught persistence in prayer (Luke 18:1-8). We pray with urgency while trusting God's perfect timing, knowing He answers at the right moment to maximize His glory and our good.