Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!
English Standard Version (ESV)
David's repeated cry, "Make haste!" isn't just a plea for speed; it reveals his acute awareness of his desperate situation and his deep trust that God is ready and willing to intervene. This isn't a casual request, but an urgent declaration of his utter dependence on God's immediate action.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!
English Standard Version (ESV)
David is in a desperate situation, feeling utterly overwhelmed and in extreme danger. This prayer, which is nearly identical to a passage in Psalm 40, is a plea for immediate rescue from enemies who wish him harm. He calls out to God not just for deliverance, but for swift intervention, recognizing his own helplessness and God's power to save.
When you feel like you're in over your head, what kind of words do you use to cry out to God? David's prayer here is raw, urgent, and filled with immediate need.
The Power of 'Haste'
The repeated phrase "make haste" isn't just a polite request; it's a cry from the heart of someone in extreme distress. David isn't just asking for help; he's demanding swift action because the situation is dire.
This isn't a prayer for a calm, collected moment, but for the darkest hour.
Why would David repeat almost an entire psalm? It turns out some prayers are so vital, they need to be brought to mind again and again.
More Than Just a Copy
Scholars note that this psalm is almost identical to a section of Psalm 40. While it might seem redundant, its repetition serves a crucial purpose: a reminder.
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Understand the original words
Yĕhovah · Hebrew Proper Noun
In Hebrew, this is the personal, covenantal name of God, YHWH, revealed to Moses at the burning bush. It signifies the self-existent, eternal, and unchanging nature of God, who enters into a relational covenant with His people.
This psalm is a desperate cry for immediate rescue, reflecting the life of David during times of intense persecution, likely while fleeing from enemies like King Saul. It underscores the raw urgency of faith when facing life-threatening danger.
c. 1020 BC— this verse
David's Flight from Saul
David is often in perilous situations, fleeing from King Saul who seeks to kill him. These moments of intense danger likely form the backdrop for prayers like this.
c. 1015 BC
David in Exile
David spends years in the wilderness, a fugitive from Saul, facing constant threat and hardship. This extended period of peril would have fueled many desperate cries to God.
c. 1000 BC
David Becomes King of Judah
After Saul's death, David is made king over the tribe of Judah. While a step toward his destiny, this period still involved conflict and consolidation of power, likely with enemies seeking his downfall.
c. 990 BC
David Becomes King of All Israel
David unites the tribes of Israel and establishes his kingdom in Jerusalem. This era, while marked by great victories, also saw ongoing wars and internal challenges, requiring constant reliance on God.
This passage is nearly identical to Psalms 70:1, highlighting the recurring nature of David's distress and his repeated pleas for God's swift intervention.
Psalms 22:19This verse echoes the urgent cry for help ('But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O my help, come quickly to my aid!'), showing a consistent theme of desperate reliance on God in times of extreme need.
Isaiah 38:20King Hezekiah also uses language of haste and deliverance ('LORD, by what shall I know that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?'), illustrating how this plea for God's immediate action resonated with other leaders facing death.
Luke 18:7-8Jesus tells a parable about a persistent widow demanding justice from an unjust judge, emphasizing that God's chosen ones 'cry out to him day and night. Will he delay long in helping them?... I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.'
clarkePsalms 70:1: "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD."
Make haste to help me - I am in extreme distress, and the most imminent danger. Haste to help me, or I am lost.
poolePsalms 70:1: "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD."
THE ARGUMENT The contents of this Psalm are almost all to be found Psalm 40:13 , &c. Nor is it strange that they are here repeated, because the same or like occasions were oft repeated; and David’s returning distresses might well make him sometimes repeat the same words. And as these things were joined with many other passages in Psalm 40 , so they ar…
David's repeated cry, "Make haste!" isn't just a plea for speed; it reveals his acute awareness of his desperate situation and his deep trust that God is ready and willing to intervene. This isn't a casual request, but an urgent declaration of his utter dependence on God's immediate action.
David is in a desperate situation, feeling utterly overwhelmed and in extreme danger. This prayer, which is nearly identical to a passage in Psalm 40, is a plea for immediate rescue from enemies who wish him harm. He calls out to God not just for deliverance, but for swift intervention, recognizing his own helplessness and God's power to save.
David is in a desperate situation, feeling utterly overwhelmed and in extreme danger. This prayer, which is nearly identical to a passage in Psalm 40, is a plea for immediate rescue from enemies who wish him harm. He calls out to God not just for deliverance, but for swift intervention, recognizing his own helplessness and God's power to save.
"Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!" — David's repeated cry, "Make haste!" isn't just a plea for speed; it reveals his acute awareness of his desperate situation and his deep trust that God is ready and willing to intervene. This isn't…
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Last reviewed October 2026