Psalms 70:2
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!
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just a wish for enemies to fail; it's a prayer for their entire destructive agenda to be reversed. The phrase "turned backward" evokes a picture of their relentless pursuit being halted, forcing them to retreat in utter disgrace from the harm they intended. It's a powerful plea for God to not just stop them, but to utterly dismantle the direction and purpose of their malice.
This psalm is a desperate cry for divine help, with the author in deep distress and surrounded by enemies who wish him harm. The verses leading up to this one are a direct plea for God to act quickly and rescue him from his desperate situation. This verse, a powerful imprecation, asks God to turn the tables on those actively pursuing him, causing them to experience the shame and confusion they intended for him.
Ever felt so wronged you wished ill on someone? David does here, but there's more to it than just anger.
The Language of Lament
David, the writer of this psalm, is in deep distress. His enemies are actively trying to harm him, even his very life ('seek my life'). In the raw, honest prayer of lament, he doesn't hold back his feelings. He calls on God to bring shame and confusion upon those who wish him ill.
This isn't about a petty feud; it's a desperate cry from someone facing genuine, life-threatening opposition. David is appealing to God's justice, asking Him to expose the wicked intentions of his enemies and thwart their plans. The 'turning back' suggests stopping their advance and bringing their schemes to ruin.
This isn't the first time David has prayed like this. Why repeat these powerful words?
Familiar Words, Fresh Anguish
This short psalm is almost identical to a section in Psalm 40 (verses 13-15). This repetition isn't accidental. It suggests that David (or perhaps later users of this prayer) found these specific words so effective and fitting for moments of intense persecution that they were preserved and reused.
Think of it like a well-worn, favorite tool. When facing a familiar type of crisis, you reach for the tried-and-true method. For David, these were the words that most powerfully expressed his desperate need for God's intervention against those actively plotting his downfall.
Understand the original words
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.
The remarkable similarity between Psalm 70 and a section of Psalm 40 suggests this psalm may have been a more urgent, perhaps earlier, version used in moments of intense crisis, highlighting the immediate need for divine intervention.
c. 1000 BC
David Reigns as King
David, the likely author of many psalms, faced numerous enemies and periods of intense persecution throughout his reign, providing a backdrop for psalms of distress and pleas for deliverance.
c. 1000 BC - 586 BC
Compilation of the Psalter
Psalms were collected and used as temple hymns and personal prayers over centuries. Psalm 70 is nearly identical to a section of Psalm 40, suggesting it was either a later abbreviated version or an earlier original.
c. 970 BC
David's Later Years and Troubles
David experienced significant betrayal and opposition from within his own family and from surrounding nations during the latter part of his life, intensifying the personal nature of laments like this one.
c. 970 BC— this verse
Plagiarism and Abbreviation Concerns
Psalm 70 is almost entirely a repetition of Psalm 40:13-17. This close relationship suggests either a liturgical adaptation of Psalm 40 or, as some scholars suggest, Psalm 40 might be an expansion of this shorter, more urgent plea.
This passage is almost identical to Psalm 70:2, showing a repeated plea for God to confound those who seek the Psalmist's life, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
Psalms 35:4This verse shares the same sentiment of calling down shame and confusion upon enemies who seek the speaker's life, highlighting a consistent theme of righteous judgment in the Psalms.
Psalms 35:26Echoing the desire for the downfall of enemies, this verse prays for the shame and confusion of those who rejoice in affliction, mirroring the plea in Psalm 70:2.
Jeremiah 20:11The prophet Jeremiah expresses a similar confidence in God's vindication, stating that his persecutors will be put to shame, connecting the ancient plea to a later prophetic voice.
Acts 4:25In the New Testament, believers quote Psalm 2:1, which speaks of rulers raging against the Lord and his Anointed. This connects the idea of enemies plotting against God's servant to the larger cosmic conflict.
clarkePsalms 70:2: "Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt."
Let them be turned backward - They are coming in a body against me. Lord, stop their progress!
poolePsalms 70:2: "Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt."
No text from Poole on this verse.
This verse isn't just a wish for enemies to fail; it's a prayer for their entire destructive agenda to be reversed. The phrase "turned backward" evokes a picture of their relentless pursuit being halted, forcing them to retreat in utter disgrace from the harm they intended. It's a powerful plea for God to not just stop them, but to utterly dismantle the direction and purpose of their malice.
This psalm is a desperate cry for divine help, with the author in deep distress and surrounded by enemies who wish him harm. The verses leading up to this one are a direct plea for God to act quickly and rescue him from his desperate situation. This verse, a powerful imprecation, asks God to turn the tables on those actively pursuing him, causing them to experience the shame and confusion they intended for him.
This psalm is a desperate cry for divine help, with the author in deep distress and surrounded by enemies who wish him harm. The verses leading up to this one are a direct plea for God to act quickly and rescue him from his desperate situation. This verse, a powerful imprecation, asks God to turn the tables on those actively pursuing him, causing them to experience the shame and confusion they intended for him.
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c. 586 BC
Babylonian Exile Begins
The exile deeply impacted Jewish identity and worship, influencing later compositions and collections of psalms, many of which reflect the anguish and hope of this period.
"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!" — This verse isn't just a wish for enemies to fail; it's a prayer for their entire destructive agenda to be reversed. The phrase "turned backward" evokes a picture of their relentless pursuit being hal…
