Authorship and writing history
Although Psalm 70 does not contain a clear inscription, theologians are firmly convinced that it, like most of the songs in the Psalter, came from the pen of David. Indeed, if you analyze all the creations of the king of Israel, you can see many similarities. In addition, the life of the ruler of the Jews fits well into the plot of the Holy Scriptures. Thus, this text refers to the period when the monarch suffered severe persecution from his son Absalom.
In the Latin translation there is a mention of the sons of Jonadab, taking their ancestry from Rechab and Hobab. The descendants of the great prophet Moses sacredly revered the Creator, were nomads and lived according to God's laws. There is an opinion that the Rechabites sang the 70th song during the Roman attack on Jerusalem, and the affected Jews found hope by reading this prayer.
Psalm 70 is imbued with deep faith in the Most High
Main thought
To understand why Christians read Psalm 70, you need to study the text yourself. To do this, you should carefully read it, and do this repeatedly. The peculiarity of ancient prayers is that a superficial reading is not enough. Sometimes it happens that in well-known words the Lord hides a personal revelation just for you.
The main idea contained in the lines is that the author hopes in the Creator. He is confident that he will receive support in any situation. What gives him the right to do this is the fact that David remained faithful to God up to this point. Therefore, he counts on His intercession in the future.
- Believers should ask themselves - do they always remain faithful to the commandments, do they not turn away from Christ in those moments when everything is going well in their lives? Will they be able to confidently say in old age that they were faithful?
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But even if a person has stumbled, one should never doubt the mercy of the Creator, because this leads to despair and death of the soul. Everyone can sin, and David also sinned. But repentance returned him to the arms of the Creator. After all, He already knows all our weaknesses and only He is able to give us spiritual strength. Therefore, it is not only possible, but also necessary to cry out for help in any situation.
Why read Psalm 70
Since the 70th Psalm is a thanksgiving psalm, it is read on any day and time. You can turn to it throughout your life, regardless of the situation. The sacred text is pronounced to strengthen faith, bring glory to the Lord, and thank Him for the blessings given.
The song helps to find hope during life's adversities. It is good to read in case of everyday troubles, illnesses, and also to ward off enemies and envious people. The main secret of prayer is the awareness that everything that happens depends only on the will of God.
Interpretation of the Holy Message
Even in Russian, Psalm 70 is full of metaphors that are incomprehensible to the common man. At one time, Athanasius the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria, worked on the interpretation of the sacred text. From his works one can understand what certain artistic expressions mean:
- “The Powers of the Lord” – David’s repeated miraculous rescues from mortal dangers;
- “Thy righteousness” is the undeniable justice of the Creator, on which the faith of every righteous person is based;
- “Deliver me from the hand of the sinner” is a generalized name for the Jewish people who transgressed the laws of God.
For a person who rarely reads religious literature, it is very difficult to understand the meaning of the 70th Psalm at once. The main idea of the song is that a righteous person from birth places his hopes on the Lord and is confident that the Almighty will always lend him a helping hand. In other words, living according to God’s laws, you can count on the intercession of the Creator throughout your life.
Even in bright moments, you cannot turn off the righteous path. We must constantly remember God and thank Him for the blessings He has given. However, even after sinning, it is worth remembering that the Almighty is merciful and is able to grant forgiveness if the sinner sincerely repents.
A detailed analysis of biblical scripture can be read from Alexander Lopukhin. The Russian Orthodox published 11 volumes of commentaries known as the Explanatory Bible.
Author's advice
Psalm 70 refers to the 10th Kathisma
Verses 1-4
David calls the Most High his shelter, his fortress. He is firmly convinced that God will not leave him, will help and support him in difficult times. The author asks for help not to be disappointed, and also thanks for the help that the Lord gave him earlier. Absalom is also mentioned here, who will later turn out to be the Antichrist, which makes the first lines of the psalm prophetic.
Verses 5-7
While ordinary people need only earthly goods to be happy, true righteous people prefer to live according to the laws of God. By following the commandments from a young age, one can hope for the constant intercession of the Lord, and seeing His favor, one can understand that gratitude is not offered in vain.
Verses 8-11
Throughout his reign, the author was constantly persecuted, and his life hung in the balance many times. However, in all cases, God protected the king of Israel, averting death from him. At the same time, David never put himself above the Creator and did not forget to praise Him every free minute.
Verses 8-11 talk about people's fear of old age. About the fact that a person is afraid of weakness, loneliness, and does not want to become a burden to his family. David was no exception and also feared the enemy’s machinations, but with these lines he seems to encourage those who are already in their declining years.
Most of the songs in the Psalter are dedicated to praising the Lord
Verses 12-16
This part of the psalm represents the apogee of praise to the Lord, as the author describes all the cases when the Most High saved him from death. It talks about the power of fear, but also that hope in God is much stronger, and that it is precisely this that becomes the reason for the final defeat of the enemy.
Verses 17-18
In these lines, David recalls his life. The author does not understand why he, a true righteous man, was persecuted all his life. The king asks the Creator to give him a little more time to leave instructions to his descendants, and God grants him such an opportunity.
Verses 19-21
Here the story is told about the omnipotence and strength of the Creator, about the fact that no one is comparable to the Almighty in his greatness. He created the world, wrote the fate of the Jewish people, and the sorrows that fell on the Jews’ shoulders were also sent by the Lord for a reason.
Any sadness comes to an end sooner or later, but the relationship between God and man is eternal.
Verses 22-24
The closing verses of Psalm 70 speak of the widespread praise of the Lord where the righteous are gathered. However, songs of thanks should not be formal, because the Creator values sincerity, not a beautiful ceremony.
Reading rules
There are no special rules for reading the prayer, but there are general regulations. If you have the opportunity to visit a temple, read it there, but exclusively in Church Slavonic. However, reading the song is not prohibited even at home, where it is allowed to use text adaptive to the Russian language.
An important condition is the presence of icons and lit candles. Focus your attention on the holy image and tune in to dialogue with God. Subdued candlelight will help you capture the right mood. Be pure in your desires and the Lord will definitely help you.
Text of Psalm 70 in Russian
1 In You, O Lord, have I put my trust, that I may never be put to shame.
2 According to Your righteousness, deliver me and set me free; incline Your ear to me and save me.
3 Be a strong refuge for me, where I can always hide; You commanded to save me, for my rock and my fortress are You.
4 My God! deliver me from the hand of the wicked, from the hand of the wicked and oppressor,
5 For You are my hope, O Lord God, my hope from my youth.
6 I was built upon You from the womb; You brought me out of my mother's womb; My praise to you will never cease.
7 To many I was like a wonder, but You are my sure hope.
8 Let my mouth be filled with praise, [that I may sing of Your glory,] Your splendor every day.
9 Do not reject me in my old age; when my strength fails, do not leave me,
10 For my enemies speak against me, and those who lie in wait for my soul take counsel among themselves,
11 saying, “God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is no deliverer.”
12 God! do not move away from me; My God! hurry to help me.
13 May those who are hostile to my soul be ashamed and disappear, may those who seek my harm be covered with shame and dishonor!
14 And I will always trust [in You] and increase all praise to You.
15 My mouth will proclaim Your righteousness, Your good deeds every day; for I do not know their number.
16 I will meditate on the powers of the Lord God; I will remember Your righteousness - Yours alone.
17 God! You have taught me from my youth, and to this day I proclaim Your wonders.
18 And until I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, until I proclaim Your power to this generation and to all those who are to come.
19 Thy righteousness, O God, is unto the highest; You have done great things; God, who is like You?
20 You sent me many and fierce troubles, but you also revived me again and again brought me out of the abysses of the earth.
21 You exalted me and comforted me, [and brought me out of the depths of the earth].
22 And I will praise You in the psalter, Your truth, O my God; I will sing praises to You on the harp, O Holy One of Israel!
23 My mouth rejoices when I sing to You, and so does my soul, which You have delivered;
24 And my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness all day long, for those who seek my harm are ashamed and disgraced.
The song of thanksgiving, written by King David many centuries ago, still strengthens the faith of Christians and helps to enlist the support of the Almighty in difficult times. She makes it clear that even sorrows sent from above are the will of God, and therefore there is no need to be sad, because the Lord is merciful.
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Line by line comment
Psalm 70 is recommended to be read more often by those who are prone to the sin of despondency. They need to remind themselves of the times when the Lord gives His children reasons to rejoice. If it’s easier, you should first read the text in Russian. It is good to study several translations and compare them with each other. When traveling in public transport, you don’t need to read the psalter, but listen to it.
Verses 1 - 4
The author asks the Lord to save him from disappointment, since he is confident of support from above. Therefore, he calls God his fortress, his shelter. David does not forget to give thanks for the help provided in the past. These lines can be applied to the kingdom of Israel. Then the persecutor spoken of in verse 4 will be the Antichrist. This is how the lines turn from personal to prophetic.
Verses 5 - 6
Today, many find happiness in earthly blessings, but for the righteous it lies in following the commandments from a young age (from the womb). Such a person, even in old age, can count on being under the protection of God. He sees the work of God's grace throughout his life and understands that he has something to be grateful for.
Verse 8
David's fate amazed many - despite difficult circumstances, he managed to remain unharmed. At the same time, he preserved the memory of the mercies of heaven, never became arrogant and praised God every free minute.
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Verses 9 - 11
A person’s life is coming to an end, and this time scares many. A person is afraid of weakness and loneliness. He does not want to burden his loved ones, to lose the strength and ability to take care of himself. David in Psalm 70 tries to encourage those who have already entered the autumn season of their earthly life. He, too, was no stranger to fears - his enemies were plotting to harm the king, believing that the Lord had turned away from him.
Verses 12-16
When God stands on the side of the righteous, the enemies are inevitably doomed to defeat. Fear is strong, but hope is stronger. In these lines the praise reaches its climax as the psalmist recalls all the times God has delivered him.
Verses 17-18
The again persecuted righteous man mentally relives his earthly days and finds no reason for persecution, because he remained faithful to Jehovah from a young age. He wants only one thing - to be given time to mentor the new generation. As we see, the Creator fulfilled this request - countless young men and women in every nation can read the wonderful lines of David, in which he praises heaven.
Verses 19-21
To whom can the miraculous power and might of God be compared? No one is worthy of such comparison. He wisely arranged the universe and ordered the destiny of the Israeli people. Even the period of sorrow and slavery in a foreign country was sent for his benefit. After great sorrow, deliverance will come, the Savior will be given. The history of the relationship between God and man is just beginning.
Verses 22 - 24
Chanting various names of the Lord, the verses will be heard wherever the devotees gather. Here God is called the Holy One of Israel - this is what he is called in the Psalter only three times (besides this, in Psalms 77 and 88). Praise should never be formal, because the Lord does not need rituals, but human affection.
Playing musical instruments, David praised the Creator not only with his lips, but also with his heart. Prophetically anticipating the coming of the Savior, the righteous man rejoices, because the Lord delivered him not only from earthly enemies, but also from the main thing - eternal death.
Having carefully read the text, one can assume that the author wrote it while in old age. Absalom's rebellion coincided with the order of the life of the great king. But David does not consider it necessary to clarify what exactly prompted him to take up his pen. The purpose of writing Psalm 70 was not to complain about life. The Prophet wanted to compose a chant that would console his fellow tribesmen (read - the people of God, that is, all believers) in moments of hardship and suffering.
