Psalms 69: The Waters Up to My Neck
Sinking in deep waters and bearing reproach for God's sake, the psalmist pleads for rescue in words the Gospels apply to the suffering Christ.
Psalms 69 (WEB)
1 Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck!
2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold. I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
3 I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn’t take away.
5 God, you know my foolishness. My sins aren’t hidden from you.
6 Don’t let those who wait for you be shamed through me, Lord Yahweh of Armies. Don’t let those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of Israel.
7 Because for your sake, I have borne reproach. Shame has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother’s children.
9 For the zeal of your house consumes me. The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and I fasted, that was to my reproach.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.
12 Those who sit in the gate talk about me. I am the song of the drunkards.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time. God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.
14 Deliver me out of the mire, and don’t let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.
15 Don’t let the flood waters overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Don’t let the pit shut its mouth on me.
16 Answer me, Yahweh, for your loving kindness is good. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, turn to me.
17 Don’t hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress. Answer me speedily!
18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it. Ransom me because of my enemies.
19 You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before you.
20 Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; for comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me gall for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.
22 Let their table before them become a snare. May it become a retribution and a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see. Let their backs be continually bent.
24 Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.
25 Let their habitation be desolate. Let no one dwell in their tents.
26 For they persecute him whom you have wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt.
27 Charge them with crime upon crime. Don’t let them come into your righteousness.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.
29 But I am in pain and distress. Let your salvation, God, protect me.
30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 It will please Yahweh better than an ox, or a bull that has horns and hoofs.
32 The humble have seen it, and are glad. You who seek after God, let your heart live.
33 For Yahweh hears the needy, and doesn’t despise his captive people.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him; the seas, and everything that moves therein!
35 For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. They shall settle there, and own it.
36 The children also of his servants shall inherit it. Those who love his name shall dwell therein.
Psalms 69 (KJV)
1 Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.
2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
3 I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.
5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.
6 Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.
7 Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.
8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.
9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.
10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.
11 I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.
12 They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.
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.
22 Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.
24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.
25 Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.
26 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.
27 Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
29 But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.
30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
32 The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.
33 For the Lord heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.
34 Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.
35 For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.
36 The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.
Psalms 69 (ASV)
1 Save me, O God; For the waters are come in unto my soul.
2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is dried: Mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head: They that would cut me off, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: That which I took not away I have to restore.
5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; And my sins are not hid from thee.
6 Let not them that wait for thee be put to shame through me, O Lord Jehovah of hosts: Let not those that seek thee be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel.
7 Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; Shame hath covered my face.
8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren, And an alien unto my mother’s children.
9 For the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up; And the reproaches of them that reproach thee are fallen upon me.
10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, That was to my reproach.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword unto them.
12 They that sit in the gate talk of me; AndI amthe song of the drunkards.
13 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.
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 overwhelm me, Neither let the deep swallow me up; And let not the pit shut its mouth upon me.
16 Answer me, O Jehovah; for thy lovingkindness is good: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies turn thou unto me.
17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; For I am in distress; answer me speedily.
18 Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: Ransom me because of mine enemies.
19 Thou knowest my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonor: 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 food; And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22 Let their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, let it become a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; And make their loins continually to shake.
24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, And let the fierceness of thine anger overtake them.
25 Let their habitation be desolate; Let none dwell in their tents.
26 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; And they tell of the sorrow of those whom thou hast wounded.
27 Add iniquity unto their iniquity; And let them not come into thy righteousness.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous.
29 But I am poor and sorrowful: Let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.
30 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 And it will please Jehovah better than an ox, Ora bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
32 The meek have seen it, and are glad: Ye that seek after God, let your heart live.
33 For Jehovah heareth the needy, And despiseth not his prisoners.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him, The seas, and everything that moveth therein.
35 For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah; And they shall abide there, and have it in possession.
36 The seed also of his servants shall inherit it; And they that love his name shall dwell therein.
Summary
This is one of the most intense laments in the Psalter, and one most quoted in the New Testament. The psalmist is sinking: the waters have come up to his neck, he is mired with no foothold, weary with crying, his eyes failing as he looks for God. His enemies hate him without cause, and he suffers reproach for God's sake—"the zeal of your house consumes me," a line John applies to Jesus cleansing the temple. He becomes a stranger to his own family and the song of drunkards, looking in vain for pity or comfort. Most striking is verse 21: "They also gave me gall for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink," words the Gospels see fulfilled at the cross. The psalm includes severe imprecations against the persecutors, asking that their table become a snare and that they be blotted out of the book of life. Yet it turns at last to praise: God hears the needy, will save Zion, and his servants will inherit it. Read in light of the cross, this psalm gives voice to the innocent sufferer and ultimately to Christ, who bore reproach and thirst to redeem his people.
Voices
- The psalmist (David) — The sinking sufferer who bears reproach for God's sake and pleads for rescue from the deep waters.
- God / Yahweh — The One to whom the psalmist prays in an acceptable time, trusting his loving kindness and tender mercies.
- The enemies — Those who hate him without cause, give him gall and vinegar, and are met with the psalm's severe pleas for justice.
- Christ the suffering Servant — The One the New Testament sees foreshadowed here—consumed by zeal for God's house and offered vinegar in his thirst.
Key Verse
Psalm 69:1 (WEB)
Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck!
Lessons Learned
- God welcomes our most desperate, drowning prayers, even when our eyes fail looking for him.
- Faithfulness to God sometimes brings reproach, alienation, and misunderstanding.
- We can pour out raw cries for justice while still entrusting the final verdict to God.
- This psalm finds its deepest meaning in Christ, who bore reproach, gall, and vinegar to save us.
- Cry out before you sink. "Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck!" (Psalm 69:1, WEB); honest, urgent prayer is right when we are overwhelmed.
- Zeal for God can cost us. "The zeal of your house consumes me" (Psalm 69:9, WEB), a verse John applies to Jesus; devotion to God may bring reproach from others.
- Pray at an acceptable time, trusting God's mercy. "But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time" (Psalm 69:13, WEB); the sufferer leans on the abundance of God's loving kindness.
- This sufferer points to Christ. "In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink" (Psalm 69:21, WEB) is fulfilled at the cross, where the innocent One bore reproach to save the guilty.
- How do the images of waters, mire, and failing eyes (vv. 1-3) capture the psalmist's experience of suffering?
- What does it mean that the psalmist suffers reproach "for your sake" and is consumed by "the zeal of your house" (vv. 7, 9)?
- How should we read the severe pleas against the enemies (vv. 22-28) without misusing them?
- How do the Gospels' use of verses 9 and 21 help us see Christ in this psalm?
- When you have felt like you were sinking, how did you pray, and what does this psalm teach you about praying then?
- The images convey total helplessness: neck-deep water, bottomless mire, exhaustion, and eyes that fail from straining for help (vv. 1-3). They give honest language to seasons when trouble overwhelms and rescue seems delayed.
- His suffering is tied to his loyalty to God; his devotion makes him a target, even within his own family (vv. 7-9). Faithfulness can provoke hostility, a pattern that culminates in Christ, who suffered for his Father's honor.
- These cries hand the matter of justice over to God rather than taking private revenge. We read them as the anguished appeal of an innocent sufferer, ultimately answered at the cross, where mercy is offered even to enemies.
- John sees Jesus' temple cleansing in verse 9, and the Gospels see the offered vinegar in verse 21. These connections reveal the psalm as a window into Christ's passion, the truly innocent Sufferer bearing reproach for us.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recall a time of feeling overwhelmed and to notice how the psalm legitimizes desperate, honest prayer. As leader, point gently to Christ, who entered our deep waters, assuring the group that God hears the needy.