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Monday, September 23rd, 2024
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Psalms 61:2

From a faraway land I call to you for help. I feel so weak and helpless! Carry me to a high rock where no one can reach me.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Faith;   God Continued...;   Prayer;   Thompson Chain Reference - Afflictions;   Crying to God;   Earnestness-Indifference;   Prayer;   The Topic Concordance - Abidance;   Defense;   God;   Guidance;   Hearing;   Refuge;   Trust;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Rock;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Prayer;   Psalms;   Sin;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Cry;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Rock;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - God;   Psalms the book of;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Rock;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bible, the;   Cry, Crying;   Neginah;   Psalms, Book of;   Rock;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for December 1;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
From the endes of the earth I wyll call vnto thee when my heart is in heauines: oh set me vp on the rocke that is higher then I.
Darby Translation
From the end of the earth will I call unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: thou wilt lead me on to a rock which is too high for me.
New King James Version
From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Literal Translation
From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart faints; Oh lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.
World English Bible
From the end of the earth, I will call to you, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
King James Version (1611)
From the end of the earth wil I cry vnto thee, when my heart is ouerwhelmed: leade me to the rocke, that is higher then I.
King James Version
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
From the endes of ye earth wil I call vnto the, whe my herte is in trouble:
Amplified Bible
From the end of the earth I call to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and weak; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I [a rock that is too high to reach without Your help].
American Standard Version
From the end of the earth will I call unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Bible in Basic English
From the end of the earth will I send up my cry to you, when my heart is overcome: take me to the rock which is over-high for me.
Update Bible Version
From the end of the earth I will call to you, when my heart is overwhelmed: You will lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Webster's Bible Translation
From the end of the earth will I cry to thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock [that] is higher than I.
New English Translation
From the most remote place on earth I call out to you in my despair. Lead me up to a rocky summit where I can be safe!
Contemporary English Version
I feel hopeless, and I cry out to you from a faraway land. Lead me to the mighty rock high above me.
Complete Jewish Bible
Hear my cry, God; listen to my prayer.
Geneva Bible (1587)
From the endes of the earth will I crye vnto thee: when mine heart is opprest, bring me vpon the rocke that is higher then I.
George Lamsa Translation
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed; for thou hast led me upon a rock and hast comforted me.
Hebrew Names Version
From the end of the eretz, I will call to you, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
New Living Translation
From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
New Life Bible
I call to You from the end of the earth when my heart is weak. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
From the ends of the earth have I cried to thee, when my heart was in trouble: thou liftedst me up on a rock thou didst guide me:
English Revised Version
From the end of the earth will I call unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Berean Standard Bible
From the ends of the earth I call out to You whenever my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
New Revised Standard
From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
From the end of the earth, unto thee do I cry, When my heart fainteth away, Unto a rock that is higher than I, wilt thou lead me.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(60-3) To thee have I cried from the ends of the earth: when my heart was in anguish, thou hast exalted me on a rock. Thou hast conducted me;
Lexham English Bible
From the end of the earth I call to you when my heart grows faint. You will lead me to a rock that is higher than I.
English Standard Version
from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,
New American Standard Bible
From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
New Century Version
I call to you from the ends of the earth when I am afraid. Carry me away to a high mountain.
Good News Translation
In despair and far from home I call to you! Take me to a safe refuge,
Christian Standard Bible®
I call to You from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Fro the endis of the lond Y criede to thee; the while myn herte was angwischid, thou enhaunsidist me in a stoon.
Young's Literal Translation
From the end of the land unto Thee I call, In the feebleness of my heart, Into a rock higher than I Thou dost lead me.
Revised Standard Version
from the end of the earth I call to thee, when my heart is faint. Lead thou me to the rock that is higher than I;

Contextual Overview

1

To the director: With stringed instruments. A song of David.

God, hear my cry for help. Listen to my prayer. 2 From a faraway land I call to you for help. I feel so weak and helpless! Carry me to a high rock where no one can reach me. 3 You are my place of safety, a strong tower that protects me from my enemies. 4 I want to live in your tent forever. I want to hide where you can protect me. Selah

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

From: Psalms 42:6, Psalms 139:9, Psalms 139:10, Deuteronomy 4:29, Jonah 2:2-4

my heart: Psalms 43:5, Psalms 55:5, Psalms 77:3, Psalms 142:3, Psalms 143:4, Isaiah 54:11, Mark 14:33, Mark 14:34, Luke 22:44

the rock: Psalms 18:46, Psalms 27:5, Psalms 40:2, Psalms 62:2, Psalms 62:6, Isaiah 32:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 32:7 - greatly Genesis 42:28 - their heart Deuteronomy 32:4 - the Rock Psalms 42:5 - Why art thou cast down Psalms 59:16 - for thou Psalms 94:19 - General Psalms 102:1 - overwhelmed Psalms 119:145 - cried Psalms 130:2 - let thine ears

Gill's Notes on the Bible

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee,.... Where he now was, as is observed on the title, :-: though he was distant from his own house, and from the house of God, he did not restrain prayer before him, but continued to cry unto him, and determined to do so; and as the people of God are sometimes forced to flee to distant parts, they have a God still to go to, who is a God afar off, as well as at hand. It may be the psalmist may represent the church in Gospel times, throughout the whole world, even at the further parts of it, in the isles afar off, where men may and do lift up holy hands to God without wrath and doubting:

when my heart is overwhelmed; or "covered" x; with grief and sorrow for any trouble, outward or inward, and ready to sink, and fail and die. Sometimes the saints are overwhelmed with a sense of sin, are pressed down with the weight and burden of its guilt; their faces are covered with shame and confusion; and their hearts are swallowed up and overwhelmed with overmuch sorrow, both at the number of their sins, and at the aggravated circumstances of them; and especially when they are without a view of pardoning grace and mercy, Psalms 38:4 Lamentations 3:42; and sometimes they are overwhelmed with afflictive providences; the Lord causes all his waves and billows to go over them, and they are just ready to sink; and did he not stay his hand, and stop contending with them, the spirit would fail before him, and the souls that he has made, Psalms 42:6; and sometimes with divine desertions, which cause a "deliquium" of soul, and throw them into fainting fits, Song of Solomon 5:6; and sometimes through unbelieving frames; and did not the Lord appear to them, and strengthen their faith, and remove their unbelief, they would sink and die away,

Psalms 77:2. And at all such times it is right to cry unto the Lord, and make the following request to him:

lead me to the rock [that] is higher than I; not the land of Israel, as Kimchi thinks, the psalmist being now in the low lands of the Philistines; nor Jerusalem, and the fort and hill of Zion; he being now at the extreme and lower parts of the land: this sense is too low. Some think that some great difficulty is meant; which seemed insuperable, and like a rock inaccessible, which he could not get up to, and upon, and get over; and therefore desires the Lord would lead him up it, and over it, before whom every rock, mountain, and hill, becomes a plain, Zechariah 4:7; but rather Christ is meant, the Rock of Israel, the Rock of our salvation, and our refuge. He is higher than David, and all the kings of the earth; higher than the angels in heaven, and than the heavens themselves, Hebrews 7:26; and who by his height is able to protect and defend his people from all their enemies; and by the shade he casts to refresh and comfort them; and by the sufficiency in him to supply all their wants; for he is as a rock impregnable, and well stored,

Isaiah 33:16. And here gracious souls desire to be led by the Spirit of God always, and especially when in distressing circumstances; and he does lead them to his blood for pardon and cleansing, and to his righteousness for justification and acceptance with God, and to his fulness for fresh supplies.

x בעטף "quum tegitur", Michaelis.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee - This language is derived from the idea that the earth is one extended plain, and that it has limits or boundaries. Such language is common in the Scriptures, and indeed is in constant use now, even although we know that the earth is globular, and that there are no parts which can properly be called “the ends of the earth.” The meaning is plain. The psalmist was far from the place where he was accustomed to live; or, in other words, he was in exile or in banishment. The language agrees well with the supposition that the psalm was composed when David was driven from his home and his throne by Absalom, and was in exile beyond the Jordan, 2 Samuel 17:22. Compare Psalms 42:1-11.

When my heart is overwhelmed - The word used here - עטף âṭaph - means properly to cover, as with a garment, Psalms 73:6; then, with grain - as a field, Ps. 65:14; then, with darkness or calamity, Psalms 102:0 title; Isaiah 57:16. The meaning here is, that darkness or calamity seemed to have covered or enveloped his soul. He saw no light, he had no comfort. Compare Psalms 42:3, Psalms 42:6-7.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I - To a rock; to some place of refuge; to some stronghold where I may be safe. The allusion is to God as such a rock or place of refuge. See the notes at Psalms 18:2. The idea is, that he had no strength in himself; that if he depended on himself, he could not be safe. He was, as it were, in a low vale, exposed to every enemy. He wished to be put in a place of safety. To such a place of safety - to Himself - he prayed that God would lead him. We need one much higher than we are to save us. A Saviour - a Redeemer - on the same level with ourselves could not help us. We must have one that is supreme over all things; one that is divine.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 61:2. From the end of the earth — ארץ arets should be here translated land, not earth, and so it should be in numerous places besides. But here it seems to mean the country beyond the Euphrates; as it is thought to do, Psalms 65:5; Psalms 65:8, called there also the ends of the earth or land. It may be remarked that the Jews were always more pious and devoted to God in their afflictions and captivities, than when in their own land, in ease and affluence. But who can bear prosperity? How many hearts filled with heavenly ardour in affliction and persecution have grown cold under the beams of the sun of prosperity!

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. — Direct me to a place of refuge and safety. It is a metaphorical expression; and Calmet interprets it of the liberty granted to the Jews by Cyrus to return to their own land. This was a privilege far higher than any thing they could expect. The fathers think Jesus Christ is meant by this high rock.


 
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