Psalms 69:1

¶ To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, [A Psalm] of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto [my] soul.

To the chief Musician {H5329}{H8764)} upon Shoshannim {H7799}, A Psalm of David {H1732}. Save {H3467}{H8685)} me, O God {H430}; for the waters {H4325} are come {H935}{H8804)} in unto my soul {H5315}.

For the leader. Set to "Lilies." By David: Save me, God! For the water threatens my life.

Save me, O God, for the waters are up to my neck.

Save me, O God; For the waters are come in unto my soul.

Psalm 69:1 KJV initiates a poignant lament, attributed to King David, expressing a desperate plea for divine intervention in the face of overwhelming personal distress. This verse sets the stage for a psalm that deeply conveys suffering, persecution, and the profound feeling of being engulfed by life's troubles.

Context

The superscription, "To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, [A Psalm] of David," offers crucial contextual insights. "Shoshannim" likely refers to a specific tune or musical setting, possibly meaning "lilies," which might suggest a delicate yet sorrowful melody appropriate for this lament. Attributed to David, this psalm resonates with his many documented experiences of betrayal, false accusations, and profound personal anguish, often at the hands of adversaries or those he once trusted. While Psalm 69 contains powerful prophetic elements that foretell Christ's suffering (as seen in later New Testament references like John 2:17 and Romans 15:3), verse 1 grounds the prayer in David's immediate and deeply personal crisis.

Key Themes

  • Desperate Plea for Divine Rescue: The opening words, "Save me, O God," are a direct, urgent cry for help, highlighting David's absolute reliance on God as his only hope for deliverance.
  • Overwhelming Affliction: The vivid metaphor, "for the waters are come in unto my soul," powerfully illustrates a state of profound distress, peril, or spiritual despair. It conveys the sensation of being submerged by troubles, feeling as if one is drowning emotionally, spiritually, and perhaps physically.
  • Human Vulnerability: David's heartfelt cry underscores the universal human experience of helplessness when faced with circumstances beyond one's control, emphasizing the need to turn to God as the ultimate source of salvation and refuge.

Linguistic Insights

The imagery of "the waters are come in unto my soul" is a potent Hebrew idiom. The Hebrew word for "waters" (mayim) frequently symbolizes overwhelming trouble, affliction, or danger in the Old Testament, akin to destructive floods or deep, menacing seas. The phrase "unto my soul" (ad nephesh) signifies that this distress has penetrated the very core of his being, impacting his life, mind, and emotions, rather than just his external circumstances. This is not merely a physical threat but a profound existential crisis, mirroring similar expressions of deep trouble found in Psalm 42:7 where "deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me."

Practical Application

Psalm 69:1 provides a timeless and relatable model for individuals facing overwhelming difficulties today. It affirms that in moments of extreme distress, spiritual despair, or when life's challenges feel like an insurmountable flood, a direct and honest cry to God is the most appropriate and effective response. David's raw vulnerability and immediate appeal to God encourage believers to lay bare their deepest fears and most urgent needs before Him, trusting in His sovereign power to save. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that God remains our ultimate refuge and deliverer, even when we feel on the verge of being consumed by our circumstances, much like David's similar pleas for rescue in Psalm 18:4.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Psalms 69:14

    Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

  • Psalms 69:15

    Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

  • Isaiah 43:2

    When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

  • Lamentations 3:54

    Waters flowed over mine head; [then] I said, I am cut off.

  • Psalms 18:4

    The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

  • Psalms 45:1

    ¶ To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves. My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue [is] the pen of a ready writer.

  • Psalms 32:6

    For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

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