This isn't just a desperate cry; it's a strategic prayer, deliberately repeated from Psalm 40, reminding God of His past faithfulness and pressing Him to act again. The urgent pleas for "haste" highlight David's extreme distress, but also his deep confidence that God can and will intervene swiftly.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
David is in a desperate situation, facing enemies who wish him ill and are actively plotting against him. This short, urgent prayer is almost identical to a section in Psalm 40, suggesting David or others found it useful to repeat this plea during times of intense trouble, as a way to remember and re-engage with God’s past faithfulness. It’s a cry born from immediate danger, pleading for God's swift intervention.
Ever felt like you're in a crisis and God's help is taking too long? This verse captures that raw, urgent cry. What does it mean when the psalmist pleads, 'Make haste!'?
The repeated phrase "Make haste" isn't just about wanting speed; it's about recognizing the extreme peril David felt. He wasn't in a minor inconvenience; he was in "extreme distress" and "imminent danger" (Clarke). When life feels like it's spiraling, and you're facing overwhelming odds, this plea reflects a heart that knows only God can intervene and knows it needs to happen now.
This urgency stems from a deep understanding of his own weakness and the threat posed by his enemies. He knows that delay means disaster. It's a prayer born out of absolute dependence.
Why would this specific cry be called 'a Psalm to bring to remembrance'? It suggests this isn't a one-off prayer, but something vital to recall.
Commentators point out that this Psalm is almost identical to a section in Psalm 40. This repetition isn't accidental. It signifies that David (or whoever prayed this) faced similar crises multiple times.
This Psalm, then, serves as a powerful reminder: God's faithfulness in the past is a basis for trusting His help in the present. It's a prayer form that can be revisited, bringing to mind previous deliverances and reinforcing the belief that God will act again. It's a tool for the people of God to remember their reliance on Him, especially when facing new troubles.
Understand the original words
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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.
bushah · Hebrew Noun
This concept implies a state of public humiliation or frustration resulting from defeat or the exposure of one's wicked intentions. It stands in contrast to the honor and security that God provides to those who trust in Him.
This psalm is a fervent cry for immediate rescue, likely composed by David during a time of extreme personal danger and political upheaval, such as Absalom's rebellion. The urgency of the plea reflects the life-or-death stakes of the situation.
c. 1018 BC
David Anointed King
David is anointed king of Israel, marking the beginning of his reign and a period of consolidation of power, but also of significant conflict with enemies.
c. 1010-1005 BC
Wars and Rebellions
David faces numerous military challenges and internal rebellions, including those from the Philistines, Ammonites, and his own son Absalom, creating periods of intense personal danger and distress.
c. 1005 BC— this verse
Absalom's Rebellion
David is forced to flee Jerusalem as his son Absalom rebels and claims the throne. This event plunges David into extreme peril and emotional turmoil, a likely context for such a desperate plea.
c. 1005 BC
David's Return to Jerusalem
After Absalom's rebellion is quelled, David is restored to his throne. The relief and renewed trust in God would follow such a period of crisis.
This verse is almost identical, highlighting how David's desperate cries for help and deliverance were recurring themes in his life, requiring him to revisit and re-pray these words.
Psalms 22:19This passage echoes the same urgent plea, 'But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!' showing a consistent pattern of crying out to God in times of extreme distress.
Isaiah 38:14King Hezekiah, facing his own mortal illness, expresses a similar sentiment when he cries, 'I chirp like a swallow or a crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes wear from looking upward. O LORD, I am oppressed, come to my relief!' This shows the 'make haste' plea isn't unique to David but a cry from the heart of God's people under pressure.
Luke 18:7Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow who pleads with the unjust judge, 'Will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?' This illustrates the kind of persistent, urgent prayer that God hears and answers, mirroring the spirit of Psalm 70:1.
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…
This isn't just a desperate cry; it's a strategic prayer, deliberately repeated from Psalm 40, reminding God of His past faithfulness and pressing Him to act again. The urgent pleas for "haste" highlight David's extreme distress, but also his deep confidence that God can and will intervene swiftly.
David is in a desperate situation, facing enemies who wish him ill and are actively plotting against him. This short, urgent prayer is almost identical to a section in Psalm 40, suggesting David or others found it useful to repeat this plea during times of intense trouble, as a way to remember and re-engage with God’s past faithfulness. It’s a cry born from immediate danger, pleading for God's swift intervention.
David is in a desperate situation, facing enemies who wish him ill and are actively plotting against him. This short, urgent prayer is almost identical to a section in Psalm 40, suggesting David or others found it useful to repeat this plea during times of intense trouble, as a way to remember and re-engage with God’s past faithfulness. It’s a cry born from immediate danger, pleading for God's swift intervention.
"Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! Let them turn bac…" — This isn't just a desperate cry; it's a strategic prayer, deliberately repeated from Psalm 40, reminding God of His past faithfulness and pressing Him to act again. The urgent pleas for "haste" highl…
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Last reviewed October 2026
