For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your anointed one.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just a plea for favor; it’s a strategic reminder of God's own promises to David. The phrase "for the sake of your servant David" isn't about David's personal merit, but about invoking the covenant God made with him, ensuring that current requests are honored because of past faithfulness. This shows how our petitions can be rooted in God's established faithfulness, not just our immediate need.
For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your anointed one.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a prayer recalling God's promises to King David, likely offered by the people or a king from David's line at a time of national crisis. They're appealing to God's covenant with David and asking Him not to reject their current anointed king, seeing him as a representative of David and the lineage God established. The plea is for God to remember His faithfulness to David and bless the ongoing royal line, rather than turning away in judgment.
Why would God listen to a prayer 'for David's sake'? It wasn't about David's perfect record, but about God's faithful promises.
When the Psalmist cries, 'For your servant David's sake,' it's a powerful reminder of God's covenant faithfulness. God established a special relationship with David, promising that his line would reign. This plea isn't a cosmic bargaining chip based on David's merit, but an appeal to God's own promises and His character.
The Covenant with David
God's promises to David (found in 2 Samuel 7) were foundational. They assured him of a lasting dynasty and, ultimately, pointed to the Messiah, Jesus, who is the Son of David. So, when the people or a king prayed 'for David's sake,' they were invoking God's enduring covenant, reminding Him of what He had promised to do through David and his descendants.
A Plea Based on Grace
This isn't about 'earning' God's favor, but about appealing to His already given grace. It's like reminding a loving parent of a promise they made to their child – not because the child deserves it in that moment, but because the parent is faithful to their word and their love for the child.
This principle still applies. When we pray, we can recall God's promises in Scripture, not to manipulate Him, but to trust in His unchanging character and His faithfulness to His covenant people through Christ.
What does it mean to not 'turn away the face' of the anointed one? It's more than just a king's bad mood; it's about divine acceptance or rejection.
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The phrase 'turn not away the face of your anointed' carries significant weight. In ancient Near Eastern courts, turning away someone's face was a clear sign of displeasure, rejection, or dismissal. It meant their requests were denied, their presence unwanted.
More Than Just a King
Here, 'your anointed one' refers to the king, who was set apart (anointed) by God for his role. But the prayer isn't just for the king's personal comfort. It's a plea for the nation's well-being, as the king's relationship with God was seen as directly impacting the people.
A Royal Intercession
When the people or the king prayed this, they were asking God not to reject their petitions, not to withdraw His favor, and not to cast them out of His presence. It was a prayer for divine acceptance, a desperate hope that God would still look upon them with kindness and hear their pleas, all grounded in the covenant established with David.
This echoes our own need for intercession. We, too, are called 'anointed ones' through Christ, and we pray that God would not turn away His face from us, but that through Jesus, our ultimate King and Anointed, we might always have access to the throne of grace.
Understand the original words
mashiach · Hebrew Noun
A divinely chosen representative, usually a king, priest, or prophet, set apart through the ceremonial application of oil, signifying the empowerment and authority given by God for a specific task.
This prayer reflects a time when the people of God are praying for their current king, reminding God of His promises made to David and seeking His continued favor upon their ruler and nation, especially during times of national distress or uncertainty.
c. 1000 BC
God's Covenant with David
God establishes a perpetual covenant with King David, promising that his lineage will rule over Israel forever, as recorded in 2 Samuel 7.
c. 970 BC
Solomon's Accession and Prayer
After David's death, his son Solomon becomes king. In 2 Chronicles 6, Solomon offers a prayer at the dedication of the Temple, referencing God's promises to David.
c. 970 BC— this verse
Solomon's Prayer at Temple Dedication
During the Temple dedication, Solomon prays for God to remember His covenant with David and to hear the prayers of His anointed king and His people.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling its people and leading to a period of national crisis and reflection for the remaining southern Kingdom of Judah.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the people of Judah. This event casts doubt on the continuation of David's line and God's promises.
c. 2nd Century BC
Asmonean Period
During this era, various rulers (often referred to as 'anointed ones') led the Jewish people, facing significant political and religious pressures, and likely praying for divine favor.
This passage records God's promise to David that his house and kingdom would be established forever, providing the foundational covenant assurance invoked in Psalm 132:10.
1 Kings 2:16This verse shows Solomon using the phrase 'turn not away my face' when making a request to his mother, illustrating the courtly language of petition and divine favor that the Psalmist is echoing.
2 Chronicles 6:42This passage is the parallel account in Chronicles, where Solomon prays 'Remember the mercies of David your servant,' highlighting the plea for God to remember His covenant promises to David.
Psalm 89:20-37This psalm powerfully recounts God's covenant with David, yet also laments when that covenant seems broken due to Israel's sin, reflecting the 'perplexity' mentioned in the commentary about God seeming to disown His anointed.
Romans 3:3-4Paul's discussion here about God's faithfulness, even when people are unfaithful, resonates with the idea that God's promises to David (and by extension, to His people) stand firm, not based on human merit but on God's own character.
cambridgePsalms 132:10: "For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed."
10 . This verse is still part of the people’s prayer, though its language is coloured by the feeling of the Psalmist’s own age, and expresses the perplexity of a time in which Jehovah seemed to have disowned His anointed. The people pray for a blessing on each successive king for David’s sake. Thine anointed is not David only, but David and his successors, Jehovah’s anointed king for the time being. For him…
pulpitPsalms 132:10: "For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed."
Verse 10. - For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed. Here the text diverges still more from that of Chronicles, which runs thus: "O Lord God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant" The meaning, however, is much the same in both passages: "For David's sake, to whom thou hast shown so many mercies, turn not away the face - i.e. reject…
This verse isn't just a plea for favor; it’s a strategic reminder of God's own promises to David. The phrase "for the sake of your servant David" isn't about David's personal merit, but about invoking the covenant God made with him, ensuring that current requests are honored because of past faithfulness. This shows how our petitions can be rooted in God's established faithfulness, not just our immediate need.
This verse is part of a prayer recalling God's promises to King David, likely offered by the people or a king from David's line at a time of national crisis. They're appealing to God's covenant with David and asking Him not to reject their current anointed king, seeing him as a representative of David and the lineage God established. The plea is for God to remember His faithfulness to David and bless the ongoing royal line, rather than turning away in judgment.
This verse is part of a prayer recalling God's promises to King David, likely offered by the people or a king from David's line at a time of national crisis. They're appealing to God's covenant with David and asking Him not to reject their current anointed king, seeing him as a representative of David and the lineage God established. The plea is for God to remember His faithfulness to David and bless the ongoing royal line, rather than turning away in judgment.
"For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your anointed one." — This verse isn't just a plea for favor; it’s a strategic reminder of God's own promises to David. The phrase "for the sake of your servant David" isn't about David's personal merit, but about invokin…
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Last reviewed October 2026