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Psalm 71

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This article is about Psalm 71 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 71 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 72.
Psalm 71
"In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion"
A Bible open to Psalm 71
Other name
  • Psalmus 70
  • "In te Domine speravi"
LanguageHebrew (original)

Psalm 71 is the 71st psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion". It has no title in the Hebrew version. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 70. In Latin, it is known as "In te Domine speravi".[1]

The psalm has 24 verses in both English and Hebrew verse numbering.[2] It forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been paraphrased in hymns [citation needed] and set to music.

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 71:[3]

Verse Hebrew
1 בְּךָ־יְהֹוָ֥ה חָסִ֑יתִי אַל־אֵב֥וֹשָׁה לְעוֹלָֽם
2 בְּצִדְקָֽתְךָ֗ תַּצִּילֵ֥נִי וּתְפַלְּטֵ֑נִי הַטֵּה־אֵלַ֥י אָ֜זְנְךָ֗ וְהֽוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי
3 הֱיֵ֚ה לִ֨י | לְצ֥וּר מָע֡וֹן לָב֥וֹא תָמִ֗יד צִוִּ֥יתָ לְהֽוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי כִּֽי־סַלְעִ֖י וּמְצֽוּדָתִ֣י אָֽתָּה
4 אֱֽלֹהַ֗י פַּ֖לְּטֵנִי מִיַּד־רָשָׁ֑ע מִכַּ֖ף מְעַוֵּ֣ל וְחוֹמֵֽץ
5 כִּֽי־אַתָּ֥ה תִקְוָתִ֑י אֲדֹנָ֥י יֱ֜הֹוִ֗ה מִבְטַחִ֥י מִנְּעוּרָֽי
6 עָלֶ֚יךָ | נִסְמַ֬כְתִּי מִבֶּ֗טֶן מִמְּעֵ֣י אִ֖מִּי אַתָּ֣ה גוֹזִ֑י בְּךָ֖ תְהִלָּתִ֣י תָמִֽיד
7 כְּמוֹפֵת הָיִ֣יתִי לְרַבִּ֑ים וְ֜אַתָּ֗ה מַֽחֲסִי־עֹֽז
8 יִמָּ֣לֵא פִ֖י תְּהִלָּתֶ֑ךָ כָּל־הַ֜יּ֗וֹם תִּפְאַרְתֶּֽךָ
9 אַל־תַּ֖שְׁלִיכֵנִי לְעֵ֣ת זִקְנָ֑ה כִּכְל֥וֹת כֹּ֜חִ֗י אַל־תַּֽעַזְבֵֽנִי
10 כִּֽי־אָֽמְר֣וּ אֽוֹיְבַ֣י לִ֑י וְשֹֽׁמְרֵ֥י נַ֜פְשִׁ֗י נֽוֹעֲצ֥וּ יַחְדָּֽו
11 לֵאמֹר אֱלֹהִ֣ים עֲזָב֑וֹ רִדְפ֥וּ וְ֜תִפְשׂ֗וּהוּ כִּי־אֵ֥ין מַצִּֽיל
12 אֱלֹהִים אַל־תִּרְחַ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נִּי אֱ֜לֹהַ֗י לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי חֽוּשָׁה (כתיב חֽיּשָׁה)
13 יֵב֣שׁוּ יִכְלוּ֘ שֽׂטְנֵ֪י נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י יַֽעְטּ֣וּ חֶרְפָּ֣ה וּכְלִמָּ֑ה מְ֜בַקְשֵׁ֗י רָֽעָתִֽי
14 וַֽאֲנִי תָּמִ֣יד אֲיַחֵ֑ל וְ֜הֽוֹסַפְתִּ֗י עַל־כָּל־תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ
15 פִּ֚י | יְסַפֵּ֬ר צִדְקָתֶ֗ךָ כָּל־הַ֖יּוֹם תְּשֽׁוּעָתֶ֑ךָ כִּ֚י לֹ֖א יָדַ֣עְתִּי סְפֹרֽוֹת
16 אָב֗וֹא בִּ֖גְבֻרוֹת אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֑ה אַזְכִּ֖יר צִדְקָֽתְךָ֣ לְבַדֶּֽךָ
17 אֱלֹהִ֗ים לִמַּדְתַּ֥נִי מִנְּעוּרָ֑י וְעַד־הֵ֜֗נָּה אַגִּ֥יד נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ
18 וְגַ֚ם עַד־זִקְנָ֨ה | וְשֵׂיבָה֘ אֱלֹהִ֪ים אַל־תַּֽעַ֫זְבֵ֥נִי עַד־אַגִּ֣יד זְרֽוֹעֲךָ֣ לְד֑וֹר לְכָל־יָ֜ב֗וֹא גְּבֽוּרָתֶֽךָ
19 וְצִדְקָֽתְךָ֥ אֱלֹהִ֗ים עַד־מָ֫ר֥וֹם אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂ֥יתָ גְדֹל֑וֹת אֱ֜לֹהִ֗ים מִ֣י כָמֽוֹךָ
20 אֲשֶׁ֚ר הִרְאִיתַ֨נִי | (כתיב הִרְאִיתַ֨נִו) צָר֥וֹת רַבּ֗וֹת וְ֫רָע֥וֹת תָּשׁ֥וּב תְּחַיֵּ֑ינִי (כתיב תְּחַיֵּ֑ינִו) וּמִתְּהוֹמ֥וֹת הָ֜אָ֗רֶץ תָּשׁ֥וּב תַּֽעֲלֵֽנִי
21 תֶּ֚רֶב | גְּֽ֜דֻלָּתִ֗י וְתִסֹּ֥ב תְּֽנַֽחֲמֵֽנִי
22 גַּם־אֲנִ֚י | אֽוֹדְךָ֣ בִכְלִי־נֶבֶל֘ אֲמִתְּךָ֪ אֱלֹ֫הָ֥י אֲזַמְּרָ֣ה לְךָ֣ בְכִנּ֑וֹר קְ֜ד֗וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
23 תְּרַנֵּ֣נָּה שְׂ֖פָתַי כִּ֣י אֲזַמְּרָה־לָּ֑ךְ וְ֜נַפְשִׁ֗י אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּדִֽיתָ
24 גַּם־לְשׁוֹנִ֗י כָּל־הַ֖יּוֹם תֶּהְגֶּ֣ה צִדְקָתֶ֑ךָ כִּי־בֹ֥שׁוּ כִי־חָֽ֜פְר֗וּ מְבַקְשֵׁ֥י רָֽעָתִֽי

King James Version

The following is the full English text of the Psalm from the King James Bible.

  1. In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
  2. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
  3. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
  4. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
  5. For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
  6. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
  7. I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
  8. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
  9. Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
  10. For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
  11. Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
  12. O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
  13. Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
  14. But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
  15. My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.
  16. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
  17. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
  18. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.
  19. Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
  20. Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
  21. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
  22. I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
  23. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
  24. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

Commentary

Psalm 71 in the Hebrew text does not have a title, one of four such psalms in the first two books of the Psalter. However, the Greek Septuagint text bears the title: 'By David, of the sons of Jonadab and the first ones taken captive'.[4]

Theologian Albert Barnes suggests that it "belongs to the 'class' of psalms which refer to the trials of the righteous".[5]

Verses 9, 17 and 18 suggest that the psalmist is an old man, perhaps a king towards the end of his reign, seeking relief from distress in form of severe illness or the approach of death (verse 20), as well as the taunts of his 'enemies' asserting that God has abandoned him (verse 11). The writer affirms his close relationship with God as he speaks of the faith in God which has sustained him all his life (verses 5–6, cf. 17), praying that God will not reject him (verse 9), declaring his witness to God's salvation (verses 15, 18), while asking for renewed health (verses 20–21) and the discrediting of his enemies (verse 13, cf. verse 4), then he will renew his praises (verses 14–16, 22–24).[4]

Ignatius M.C. Obinwa is the only person to have written a book on this psalm, based on his doctoral thesis.[6] Obinwa uses a quantitative lexical analysis to argue that the theme of the psalm is not old age, but refuge and YHWH's righteousness.

One unique feature of this psalm is the frequent allusion to other psalms (even almost direct quotation) such as:

  • Verses 1–3 almost matches Psalm 31:1–3
  • Verses 5–6 alludes to Psalm 22:9–10
  • Verse 11 (NRSV reverses the clauses) to Psalm 22:1
  • Verses 12–13 to Psalm 35:22; 38:21; 40:13–14
  • Verse 24 to Psalm 35:4, 26; 40:14.[4]

Uses

Judaism

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the 13th day of the month.[8]

Musical settings

Marc-Antoine Charpentier, "In te Domine speravi" H.228, for soloists, chorus, strings and continuo (1699)

References

  1. ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 70 (71) Archived 2017-05-07 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
  2. ^ Psalm 71: A Hebrew - English Bible according to the Masoretic Text and the JPS 1917 Edition
  3. ^ "Tehillim - Psalms - Chapter 71". Chabad.org. 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Rodd, C. S. (2007). "18. Psalms". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 386–387. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  5. ^ Barnes, A. (1834), Barnes' Notes on Psalm 71, accessed 13 December 2021
  6. ^ Obinwa, Ignatius M. C. (2006). Yahweh my refuge : a critical analysis of Psalm 71. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. ISBN 3-631-55903-8. OCLC 76814722.
  7. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 525
  8. ^ Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 196ff
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