TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.
Complete Jewish Bible
As for me, ADONAI, let my prayer to you come at an acceptable time; In your great grace, God, answer me with the truth of your salvation.
Berean Standard Bible
But my prayer to You, O LORD, is for a time of favor. In Your abundant loving devotion, O God, answer me with Your sure salvation.
American Standard Version
But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Jehovah, in an acceptable time: O God, in the abundance of thy lovingkindness, Answer me in the truth of thy salvation.
World English Bible Messianic
But as for me, my prayer is to you, LORD, in an acceptable time. God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.
Geneva Bible (1599)
But Lord, I make my praier vnto thee in an acceptable time, euen in the multitude of thy mercie: O God, heare me in the trueth of thy saluation.
Young's Literal Translation
And I--my prayer is to Thee, O Jehovah, A time of good pleasure, O God, In the abundance of Thy kindness, Answer me in the truth of Thy salvation.
In the KJVVerse 14,949 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 69 verses 13–21
13 ¶ But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.
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.
15 Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
16 Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.
18 Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.
19 Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.
20 Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
David had been speaking before of the spiteful reproaches which his enemies cast upon him; here he adds, But, as for me, my prayer is unto thee. They spoke ill of him for his fasting and praying, and for that he was made the song of the drunkards; but, notwithstanding that, he resolves to continue praying. Note, Though we may be jeered for well-doing, we must never be jeered out of it. Those can bear but little for God, and their confessing his name before men, that cannot bear a scoff and a hard word rather than quit their duty. David's enemies were very abusive to him, but this was his comfort, that he had a God to go to, with whom he would lodge his cause. "They think to carry their cause by insolence and calumny; but I use other methods. Whatever they do, As for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord!" And it was in an acceptable time, not the less acceptable for being a time of affliction. God will not drive us from him, though it is need that drives us to him; nay, it is the more acceptable, because the misery and distress of God's people make them so much the more the objects of his pity: it is seasonable for him to help them when all other helps fail, and they are undone, and feel that they are undone, if he do not help them. We find this expression used concerning Christ. Isa 49:8, In an acceptable time have I heard thee. Now observe,
I. What his requests are. 1. That he might have a gracious audience given to his complaints, the cry of his affliction, and the desire of his heart. Hear me (Psa 69:13), and again, Hear me, O Lord! (Psa 69:16), Hear me speedily (Psa 69:17), not only hear what I say, but grant what I ask. Christ knew that the Father heard him always, Joh 11:42. 2. That he might be rescued out of his troubles, might be saved from sinking under the load of grief (Deliver me out of the mire; let me not stick in it, so some, but help me out, and set my feet on a rock, Psa 40:2), might be saved from his enemies, that they might not swallow him up, nor have their will against him: "Let me be delivered from those that hate me, as a lamb from the paw of a lion, Psa 69:14. Though I have come into keep waters (Psa 69:2), where I am ready to conclude that the floods will overflow me, yet let my fears be prevented and silenced; let not the waterflood, though it flow upon me, overflow me, Psa 69:15. Let me not fall into the gulf of despair; let not that deep swallow me up; let not that pit shut her mouth upon me, for then I am undone." He gave himself up for lost in the beginning of the psalm; yet now he has his head above water, and is not so weary of crying as he thought himself. 3. That God would turn to him (Psa 69:16), that he would smile upon him, and not hide his face from him, Psa 69:17. The tokens of God's favour to us, and the light of his countenance shining upon us, are enough to keep our spirits from sinking in the deepest mire of outward troubles, nor need we desire any more to make us safe and easy, Psa 69:18. "Draw nigh to my soul, to manifest thyself to it, and that shall redeem it."
II. What his pleas are to enforce these petitions. 1. He pleads God's mercy and truth (Psa 69:13): In the multitude of thy mercy hear me. There is mercy in God, a multitude of mercies, all kinds of mercy, inexhaustible mercy, mercy enough for all, enough for each; and hence we must take our encouragement in praying. The truth also of his salvation (the truth of all those promises of salvation which he has made to those that trust in him) is a further encouragement. He repeats his argument taken from the mercy of God: "Hear me, for thy lovingkindness of good. It is so in itself; it is rich and plentiful and abundant. It is so in the account of all the saints; it is very precious to them, it is their life, their joy, their all. O let me have the benefit of it! Turn to me, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies," Psa 69:16. See how highly he speaks of the goodness of God: in him there are mercies, tender mercies, and a multitude of them. If we think well of God, and continue to do so under the greatest hardships, we need not fear but God will do well for us; for he takes pleasure in those that hope in his mercy, Psa 147:11. 2. He pleads his own distress and affliction: "Hide not thy face from me, for I am in trouble (Psa 69:17), and therefore need thy favour; therefore it will come seasonably, and therefore I shall know how to value it." He pleads particularly the reproach he was under and the indignities that were done him (Psa 69:19): Thou hast known my reproach, my shame, and my dishonour. See what a stress is laid upon this; for, in the sufferings of Christ for us, perhaps nothing contributed more to the satisfaction he made for sin, which had been so injurious to God in his honour, than the reproach, and shame, and dishonour he underwent, which God took notice of, and accepted as more than an equivalent for the everlasting shame and contempt which our sins had deserved, and therefore we must by repentance take shame to ourselves and bear the reproach of our youth. And if at any time we be called out to suffer reproach, and shame, and dishonour, for his sake, this may be our comfort, that he knows it, and, as he is before-hand with us, so he will not be behind-hand with us. The Psalmist speaks the language of an ingenuous nature when he says (Psa 69:20): Reproach has broken my heart; I am full of heaviness; for it bears hard upon one that knows the worth of a good name to be put under a bad character; but when we consider what an honour it is to be dishonoured for God, and what a favour to be counted worthy to suffer shame for his name (as they deemed it, Act 5:41), we shall see there is no reason at all why it should sit so heavily or be any heart-breaking to us. 3. He pleads the insolence and cruelty of his enemies (Psa 69:18): Deliver me because of my enemies, because they were such as he had before described them, Psa 69:4. "My adversaries are all before thee (Psa 69:19); thou knowest what sort of men they are, what danger I am in from them, what enemies they are to thee, and how much thou art reflected upon in what they do and design against me." One instance of their barbarity is given (Psa 69:21): They gave me gall for my meat (the word signifies a bitter herb, and is often joined with wormwood) and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. This was literally fulfilled in Christ, and did so directly point to him that he would not say It is finished till this was fulfilled; and, in order that his enemies might have occasion to fulfil it, he said, I thirst, Joh 19:28, Joh 19:29. Some think that the hyssop which they put to his mouth with the vinegar was the bitter herb which they gave him with the vinegar for his meat. See how particularly the sufferings of Christ were foretold, which proves the scripture to be the word of God, and how exactly the predictions were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, which proves him to be the true Messiah. This is he that should come, and we are to look for no other. 4. He pleads the unkindness of his friends and his disappointment in them (Psa 69:20): I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; they all failed him like the brooks in summer. This was fulfilled in Christ, for in his sufferings all his disciples forsook him and fled. We cannot expect too little from men (miserable comforters are they all); nor can we expect too much from God, for he is the Father of mercy and the God of all comfort and consolation.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 13–21. Public domain.
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Ambrose of MilanAD 397
Exposition of the Christian Faith 1.2.12
“Not every one who says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven,” says the Scripture. Faith, therefore, august sovereign, must not be a mere matter of performance, for it is written, “The zeal of your house has devoured me.” Let us then with faithful spirit and devout mind call on Jesus our Lord, let us believe that he is God, to the end that whatever we ask of the Father, we may obtain in his name. For the Father’s will is that he be entreated through the Son, the Son’s that the Father be entreated.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 69
"But I with My prayer with You, O Lord" [Psalm 69:13]. But I was with You. But how? With You by praying. For when you are evil spoken of, and know not what you may do; when at you are hurled reproaches, and you find not any way of rebuking him by whom they are hurled; nothing remains for you but to pray. But remember even for that very man to pray. "But I with my prayer with You, O Lord. It is the time of Your good pleasure, O God." For behold the grain is being buried, there shall spring up fruit. "It is the time of Your good pleasure, O God." Of this time even the Prophets have spoken, whereof the Apostle makes mention: "Behold now the time acceptable, behold now the day of salvation." [2 Corinthians 6:2] "It is the time of Your good pleasure, O God. In the multitude of Your mercy." This is the time of good pleasure, "in the multitude of Your mercy." For if there were not a multitude of Your mercy, what should we do for the multitude of our iniquity? "In the multitude of Your mercy; Hearken to me in the truth of Your Salvation." Because He has said, "of Your mercy," he has added truth also: for "mercy and truth" are all the ways of the Lord. Why mercy? In forgiving sins. Why truth? In fulfilling the promises.
Caesarius of ArlesAD 542
SERMON 167:5
For this reason, the unquenchable fire there will have to burn whatever healing penance and a salutary conversion of life here has failed to cure. The burning pit of hell will be open, and to it there will be a descent but no means of return. Souls that have been stripped of the garment of faith and are mortally dead will be buried there forever, destined to be cast into the darkness outside where they will not be visited for all eternity. They will be unhappily shut out in exterior darkness, I repeat, or rather they will still more unhappily be enclosed in it. Concerning this pit the prophet relates, “Let not the abyss swallow me up, nor the pit close its mouth over me.” He said, “Let not the pit close its mouth over me” for this reason, because when it admits the guilty, it will be closed above and opened below, extending to the depths. No breathing space will be left, no breath of air will be available when the doors press down from above. Those who say farewell to the things of nature will be cast down there; since they have refused to know God, they will no longer be recognized by him, and dying to life they will live for endless death. The happy souls who now use their wealth wisely, content with bodily necessities and generous with their possessions, pure in themselves and not cruel toward others, free themselves from the fiery night of this infernal region. This punishment will detain those who will perish for all eternity, since they have lost the grace of baptism and have not restored it through repentance. To them it is said, “The chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.”
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 69:13 is a powerful declaration of persistent faith and fervent prayer amidst profound suffering and opposition. Despite being engulfed by distress and facing intense reproach, the psalmist, in a pivotal moment, turns wholeheartedly to the Lord. This verse articulates a passionate plea for divine intervention, grounded not in personal merit but in an unwavering trust in God's sovereign timing, boundless mercy, and the unassailable truth of His salvation. It stands as a profound testament to the enduring power of a humble, faith-filled cry to God, even in the darkest valleys of life.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 69:13, though concise, employs several potent literary devices that amplify its emotional and theological impact. The most prominent is Apostrophe, as the psalmist directly addresses God ("O LORD," "O God"), creating an intimate and personal tone for his fervent petition. This direct address underscores the psalmist's unwavering focus on God as his sole hope and source of deliverance. The phrase "But as for me" functions as a stark Contrast or Antithesis, setting the psalmist's faithful resolve and turning to God apart from the despair of his circumstances and the actions of his enemies described earlier in the psalm. The repetition of "thy" ("thy mercy," "thy salvation") serves as Anaphora (though across a short phrase, it emphasizes divine ownership) and highlights the divine origin of the very qualities the psalmist appeals to, underscoring God's sovereign nature and the source of his hope. The use of "multitude" in "multitude of thy mercy" is a form of Hyperbole or Amplification, underscoring the immeasurable and overflowing nature of God's compassion, making the appeal even more powerful and desperate and emphasizing the inexhaustible nature of divine grace.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 69:13 offers profound theological insights into the nature of prayer, God's character, and the experience of suffering. It teaches that genuine prayer is not contingent on favorable circumstances but is a lifeline in adversity, rooted in a deep understanding of who God is. The psalmist's appeal to God's "acceptable time," "multitude of thy mercy," and "truth of thy salvation" reveals a theology where divine action is grounded in sovereign timing, boundless grace, and unwavering faithfulness. This verse affirms that God's willingness to hear and save is an outflow of His very being, providing a secure foundation for hope even when all human support fails. It points to a God who is not distant but intimately involved, whose compassion is the ultimate source of deliverance, echoing the consistent portrayal of God's steadfast love throughout the Old Testament.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 69:13 provides a timeless blueprint for navigating personal suffering and seeking divine intervention. It compels us to cultivate a prayer life that is not merely reactive but deeply rooted in an understanding of God's character, even when circumstances seem bleak. Like the psalmist, we are invited to bring our deepest pains, our sense of injustice, and our overwhelming struggles directly to God, trusting that our cries do not fall on deaf ears. This verse teaches us to wait patiently for God's "acceptable time," acknowledging His perfect wisdom and timing, which often transcends our immediate desires and understanding. Furthermore, it reminds us that the efficacy of our prayers rests not on our own righteousness or eloquence, but entirely on God's "multitude of mercy" and the "truth of His salvation." Our confidence should be in His unchanging faithfulness, knowing that His promises of deliverance are as reliable as His very nature. In moments of despair, this verse calls us to anchor our hope in the steadfast love and unfailing truth of our delivering God, finding spiritual nourishment in His unwavering character.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of "acceptable time" in this verse?
Answer: The "acceptable time" ('et ratzon in Hebrew) refers to a divinely appointed moment of favor or good pleasure. It's not a time that humans can manipulate or earn, but rather God's sovereign timing when He is particularly disposed to hear and act. For the psalmist, it signifies a deep trust that God will intervene when it is most opportune according to His perfect will and wisdom. This concept is echoed in the New Testament by Paul, who quotes Isaiah 49:8 in 2-Corinthians 6:2 to emphasize that now, in the era of Christ, is the "acceptable time" for salvation and reconciliation with God, highlighting the urgency and grace of the present moment.
How does this verse encourage believers who are experiencing prolonged suffering?
Answer: Psalms 69:13 offers profound encouragement by demonstrating that even in overwhelming and prolonged suffering, the appropriate response is to turn to God in persistent prayer. The psalmist, despite feeling "sunk in deep mire" (Psalms 69:2) and facing intense reproach, chooses faith over despair. The verse teaches that our prayers are heard not because of our strength or righteousness, but because of God's "multitude of mercy" and the "truth of His salvation." It provides a model of humble reliance on God's character and His unfailing promises, assuring us that our cries are valid and that God's deliverance is sure, even if its timing is not our own. This steadfast hope in God's character provides an anchor for the soul amidst the storms of life.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 69:13, like much of Psalm 69, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The psalmist's experience of intense suffering, reproach for God's sake, and alienation (Psalms 69:7-8) perfectly foreshadows the earthly ministry and passion of Jesus. He was the righteous sufferer who bore the reproaches of those who reviled God, fulfilling the prophecy that "the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me" (Romans 15:3), and whose zeal for God's house consumed Him (John 2:17). In Gethsemane, Jesus, facing the ultimate suffering of bearing the world's sin, prayed with fervent cries to His Father, submitting to the "acceptable time" of God's will, even if it meant the agony of the cross (Luke 22:42). His prayer was heard "because of his reverence" (Hebrews 5:7), demonstrating God's "multitude of mercy" in raising Him from the dead and granting Him victory over sin and death (Acts 2:24). Jesus is the embodiment of God's "truth of salvation," for in Him, God's promises of deliverance are fully realized, offering true and eternal salvation to all who believe (John 14:6). Thus, the psalmist's cry becomes Christ's cry, and in His resurrection, the "acceptable time" of God's saving power is revealed for all humanity, offering hope and redemption.