Of David. A lament psalm. A messianic psalm.
A prayer for God’s mercy and deliverance from enemies. (The sufferings of the rejected Messiah.) Pss 69-71 are all pleas for deliverance and with Ps 72, a royal psalm, they end Book II of the Psalms.
v.1-3 Save me, O God! David describes his despair.
v.4-12 David describes his distress.
(v.4 quoted in Jn 15:25; v.9 quoted in Jn 2:16-17 and Rom 15:3)
v.13-18 Petition for God to deliver him.
(v.13 quoted in 2 Cor 6:2)
v.19-21 David returns to describing his despair.
(v.21 see Mt 27:48)
v.22-28 Petition for the destruction of his enemies.
(v.22-23 quoted in Rom 11:9-10; v.25 quoted in Acts 1:20)
v.29 But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high!
v.30-33 Vow to praise God with song and thanksgiving.
v.34-36 Call to praise. Confidence that God will save Zion.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and everything that moves in them.
Christ, who was perfect, was persecuted by evil men for doing God’s will and God’s work. Likewise, Christians who live godly lives will suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:12).