Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 70:2

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 70:2. Let them be turned backward — They are coming in a body against me. Lord, stop their progress!

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 70-71 A lifetime of faithful service

Psalms 70:0 is the same as Psalms 40:13-17 (see notes). It appears in the collection as a separate psalm probably because it was short and suitable for use in temple services on certain occasions.

In Psalms 71:0 the believer is pictured looking back on a long life and recalling how the wicked always have opposed him. But just as God has protected him since childhood, so he will continue to do so now (71:1-6). The psalmist’s life has been a constant example of the believer’s trust and God’s faithfulness (7-8). He prays that now, at this late stage in life, God will not withdraw his protective care. He wants no one to have cause to accuse him or God of unfaithfulness (9-13). From his youth he has proclaimed the great saving acts of God. He prays that God will not disappoint him now, and that he will continue to proclaim the message of divine salvation till life’s end (14-18).

The psalmist is confident that God will give him the extra years and added strength that he needs to complete his life’s work (19-21). Such assurance leads him to a final outburst of praise to this God of faithfulness and righteousness (22-24).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

PRAYER FOR HELP AGAINST PERSECUTORS

Superscription: To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; To Bring Remembrance, or (Margin) to Make Memorial.

"Make haste, O God, to deliver me; Make haste to help me, O Jehovah. Let them be put to shame and confounded That seek after my soul: Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor That delight in my hurt. Let them be turned back by reason of their shame That say, Aha, Aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee; And let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. But I am poor and needy; Make haste unto me, O God: Thou art my help and my deliverer; O Jehovah, make no tarrying."

This psalm is almost a verbatim repetition of Psalms 40:13-17, upon which we have already written our comments.

There is no good explanation of how these verses became isolated, with very slight modifications, and became listed as another Psalm of David. Delitzsch rejected the idea that David had anything to do with that procedure, declaring of this Psalm that, "It is obvious that David himself is not the author of this Psalm in this stunted form."F. Delitzsch, Vol. V-B, p. 288.

This fragment of Psalms 40 might have been detached and adapted for some liturgical use, or as Short suggested, "For some special occasion."C. Short in The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8-B, p. 59.

Dummelow summarized the message of these five brief verses thus: "They constitute a cry to God for help and deliverance."J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 356.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul - The only change here from Psalms 40:14, is the omission of the word “together” which occurs there, and the omission of the words “to destroy it.”

Let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt - This corresponds in the Hebrew entirely with Psalms 40:14.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 70:1-5

The seventieth psalm:

Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD ( Psalms 70:1 ).

I can identify with that prayer. God seems to move so slowly at times when I am in trouble and I want God to hurry. Make haste, O God, to help me.

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 back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha ( Psalms 70:2-3 ).

Now, there is something real mean and dirty about that. I don't know what it is, but all the way through the Bible where the phrase, "Aha, aha," is used, it is always in a very derogatory sense. It is just really about the meanest thing you could have said, you know, "Aha, aha." Now I have had them say, "Aha," to me before, you know, and it doesn't feel good. But it is more or less like, "I told you so. Look what has happened. Aha, aha." Sort of gloating over the problems that you are facing.

Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified ( Psalms 70:4 ).

That's a phrase that we should be using more. We say, "Praise the Lord," and all, but there is a phrase that should be on the lips of God's people, those that love His salvation. Let them say continually, "Let God be magnified." Now you should add that to your spiritual jargon list. Let God be magnified. Let's say it, "Let God be magnified." All right, that sounds good.

But I am poor and needy; make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying ( Psalms 70:5 ).

So he begins the psalm with, "Hurry up, God." And he ends it with, "Hurry up God, don't tarry. Let's get on with the help for me."

Oh, let God be magnified in the lives of His people through the week. Let's stand. May the Lord enrich you in all good things in Christ Jesus. May He fill you with the knowledge of His love and His grace. And may you walk in fellowship with Him through the week. And may the Lord continue His work in your life as He draws you unto Himself, as He cleanses you through His Word. As He fits you and prepares you for that work that He would have you to do in touching the needy world around you. God bless you. And God strengthen you and keep you ever in His love and in His will. In Jesus' name. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. A plea for immediate help 70:1-3

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 70

The superscription of this psalm, a "memorial" or "petition," literally means, "to bring to remembrance" (cf. Psalms 38).

"Perhaps this was a note that the psalm was to be used in connection with the offerings (cf. 1 Chronicles 16:4), which would help ’remind’ the Lord of the petitioner’s request." [Note: Ross, p. 845.]

The subject matter of this psalm is very similar to that of Psalms 69, though the treatment is much shorter. It is almost identical to Psalms 40:13-17 except for the absence of the divine name (a characteristic of the "Elohistic Psalter," i.e., Psalms 42-72) and the addition of "hasten" at the beginning (Psalms 70:1).

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

He needed help quickly because enemies were trying to ruin him. He prayed that God would bring shame on those who sought to shame David. His enemies were evidently trying to kill him.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Let them be ashamed and confounded,.... In Psalms 40:14 it is added, "together"; Psalms 40:14- :;

that seek after my soul; or "life"; in Psalms 40:14 it is added, "to destroy it"; for that was the end of their seeking after it;

let them be turned backward, &c. Psalms 40:14- :.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

To the chief musician. A psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.

      1 Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD.   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.   3 Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.   4 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.   5 But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.

      The title tells us that this psalm was designed to bring to remembrance; that is, to put God in remembrance of his mercy and promises (for so we are said to do when we pray to him and plead with him. Isaiah 43:26, Put me in remembrance)--not that the Eternal Mind needs a remembrancer, but this honour he is pleased to put upon the prayer of faith. Or, rather, to put himself and others in remembrance of former afflictions, that we may never be secure, but always in expectation of troubles, and of former devotions, that when the clouds return after the rain we may have recourse to the same means which we have formerly found effectual for fetching in comfort and relief. We may in prayer use the words we have often used before: our Saviour in his agony prayed thrice, saying the same words; so David here uses the words he had used before, yet not without some alterations, to show that he did not design to tie himself or others to them as a form. God looks at the heart, not at the words.

      I. David here prays that God would make haste to relieve and succour him (Psalms 70:1; Psalms 70:5): I am poor and needy, in want and distress, and much at a loss within myself. Poverty and necessity are very good pleas in prayer to a God of infinite mercy, who despises not the sighing of a contrite heart, who has pronounced a blessing upon the poor in spirit, and who fills the hungry with good things. He prays, 1. That God would appear for him to deliver him from his troubles in due time. 2. That in the mean time he would come in to his aid, to help him under his troubles, that he might not sink and faint. 3. That he would do this quickly: Make haste (Psalms 70:1; Psalms 70:1), and again (Psalms 70:5; Psalms 70:5), Make haste, make no tarrying. Sometimes God seems to delay helping his own people, that he may excite such earnest desires as these. He that believes does not make haste, so as to anticipate or outrun the divine counsels, so as to force a way of escape or to take any unlawful methods of relief; but he may make haste by going forth to meet God in humble prayer that he would hasten the desired succour. "Make haste unto me, for the longing desire of my soul is towards thee; I shall perish if I be not speedily helped. I have no other to expect relief from: Thou art my help and my delivered. Thou hast engaged to be so to all that seek thee; I depend upon thee to be so to me; I have often found thee so; and thou art sufficient, all-sufficient, to be so; therefore make haste to me."

      II. He prays that God would fill the faces of his enemies with shame, Psalms 70:2; Psalms 70:3. Observe, 1. How he describes them; they sought after his soul--his life, to destroy that--his mind, to disturb that, to draw him from God to sin and to despair. They desired his hurt, his ruin; when any calamity befel him or threatened him they said, "Aha, aha! so would we have it; we shall gain our point now, and see him ruined." Thus spiteful, thus insolent, were they. 2. What his prayer is against them: "Let them be ashamed; let them be brought to repentance, so filled with shame as that they may seek thy name (Psalms 83:16); let them see their fault and folly in fighting against those whom thou dost protect, and be ashamed of their envy,Isaiah 26:11. However, let their designs against me be frustrated and their measures broken; let them be turned back from their malicious pursuits, and then they will be ashamed and confounded, and, like the enemies of the Jews, much cast down in their own eyes," Genesis 6:16.

      III. He prays that God would fill the hearts of his friends with joy (Psalms 70:4; Psalms 70:4), that all those who seek God and love his salvation, who desire it, delight in it, and depend upon it, may have continual matter for joy and praise and hearts for both; and then he doubts not but that he should put in for a share of the blessing he prays for; and so may we if we answer the character. 1. Let us make the service of God our great business and the favour of God our great delight and pleasure, for that is seeking him and loving his salvation. Let the pursuit of a happiness in God be our great care and the enjoyment of it our great satisfaction. A heart to love the salvation of the Lord, and to prefer it before any secular advantages whatsoever, so as cheerfully to quit all rather than hazard our salvation, is a good evidence of our interest in it and title to it. 2. Let us then be assured that, if it be not our own fault, the joy of the Lord shall fill our minds and the high praises of the Lord shall fill our mouths. Those that seek God, if they seek him early and seek him diligently, shall rejoice and be glad in him, for their seeking him is an evidence of his good-will to them and an earnest of their finding him, Psalms 105:3. There is pleasure and joy even in seeking God, for it is one of the fundamental principles of religion that God is the rewarder of all those that diligently seek him. Those that love God's salvation shall say with pleasure, with constant pleasure (for praising God, if we make it our continual work, will be our continual feast), Let God be magnified, as he will be, to eternity, in the salvation of his people. All who wish well to the comfort of the saints, and to the glory of God, cannot but say a hearty amen to this prayer, that those who love God's salvation may say continually, Let God be magnified.