‏ Psalms 69

Summary for Ps 69:1-72:20: Pss 69–72  ^a These last four psalms of Book Two contrast with the psalms describing God’s mighty acts in creation and in redemption, capped by God’s march to Zion (Pss 65–68  ^b). Psalms 69–71  ^c portray the king’s anguish, and Ps 72  ^d responds with a prayer for God to bless the king.
Summary for Ps 69:1-36: Ps 69  ^e In this individual lament, the poet expresses his vulnerability, humiliation, and overwhelming pain, asking God to vindicate him for the sake of the righteous. 69:title  ^f to the tune “Lilies”: Psalm 45  ^g also notes this tune, but Ps 45  ^h celebrates the glory of kingship, whereas Ps 69  ⁱ is the cry of a tired king who feels abandoned by the Lord.
Summary for Ps 69:1-2: 69:1-2  ^j The psalmist sees himself as almost drowning but still surviving chaotic forces and alienation from God (see 42:7  ^k; 69:14  ^l, 15  ^m; Isa 8:8  ⁿ).
69:4  ^o John applied this lament to Jesus (John 15:25  ^p).
Summary for Ps 69:5-6: 69:5-6  ^q The psalmist confesses his sins and prays that God’s response to him will encourage others in similar conditions to place their hope in the Lord.
Summary for Ps 69:7-12: 69:7-12  ^r Mistreated and abandoned by family, friends, and community, the psalmist turns to the Lord for comfort, relief (69:13-18  ^s), and redress (69:22-28  ^t).
69:9  ^u Though the psalmist concerns himself with God and all that is holy, insults have been his earthly reward. This verse was later applied to Jesus’ anger at the Temple’s money changers (John 2:17  ^v) and to his undeserved suffering (Rom 15:3  ^w).
Summary for Ps 69:10-12: 69:10-12  ^x When the psalmist denies himself normal comforts to seek God in prayer, the wicked ridicule him.
Summary for Ps 69:13-18: 69:13-18  ^y The psalmist’s only recourse is to pray for rescue and relief from his enemies.
Summary for Ps 69:19-21: 69:19-21  ^z Alone and misunderstood, the psalmist confesses that he cannot bear his doubts. His heart has been broken by his problems.
69:21  ^aa sour wine for my thirst: This description applies to Jesus’ suffering (Matt 27:34  ^ab, 48  ^ac; Luke 23:36  ^ad; John 19:28-29  ^ae).
Summary for Ps 69:22-23: 69:22-23  ^af The psalmist wants God to transfer his suffering (69:3  ^ag) to his enemies. Paul applied these words to the unbelieving Jews of his day (Rom 11:9-10  ^ah).
69:25  ^ai Peter quoted this verse after the death of Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:20  ^aj).
69:28  ^ak Erase their names from the Book of Life: Cp. 1:5-6  ^al; 9:5  ^am; Rev 3:5  ^an; 20:15  ^ao; 21:22-27  ^ap.
Summary for Ps 69:29-33: 69:29-33  ^aq The psalmist prays that his pain will turn to praise.
69:31  ^ar Making a vow often included a sacrifice (20:3  ^as; 51:19  ^at; cp. 50:13-14  ^au; 51:16  ^av).
Summary for Ps 69:32-33: 69:32-33  ^aw despise: See 22:24  ^ax; cp. Matt 25:36  ^ay; Heb 13:3  ^az.
Summary for Ps 69:34-36: 69:34-36  ^ba The psalmist prays for Zion, offering a new petition from a new circumstance. He applies the prayer (69:1-33  ^bb) to the desperate condition of Judah (see 51:18-19  ^bc).
69:36  ^bd God’s people will inherit the land because the wicked will perish (see 37:8-9  ^be).

‏ Psalms 70

Summary for Ps 70:1-5: Ps 70  ^bf This psalm, nearly identical to 40:13-17  ^bg, contains an urgency (70:1  ^bh, 5  ^bi) that fits with the surrounding psalms (cp. 69:17  ^bj; 71:12  ^bk). 70:title  ^bl asking God to remember him: The meaning of this phrase is unknown (also found in 38:title  ^bm).

‏ Psalms 71

Summary for Ps 71:1-24: Ps 71  ^bn This untitled lament by an aging believer is more of a confession of confidence and hope than the cry of someone abandoned by God. The psalmist experienced God’s power and protection in his youth (71:5-8  ^bo) and now prays for rescue from the adversaries who stalk him in his old age (71:9-13  ^bp). Even in the midst of his peril, he continues to tell of God’s past faithfulness and looks forward with hope to a time when he can testify to the next generation that God is faithful and righteous.
Summary for Ps 71:1-4: 71:1-4  ^bq The poet has learned to acknowledge God as the reliable rock who will do what is right toward him and his oppressors. See also 31:1-3  ^br.
Summary for Ps 71:5-6: 71:5-6  ^bs The psalmist has trusted God throughout his life (see 22:9  ^bt).
Summary for Ps 71:9-18: 71:9-18  ^bu The aging believer turns to the Lord for hope. As questions from his adversaries get under his skin and his own strength fails, he asks God to answer his prayers. He does not seek answers to prayer for himself but so that he can tell the story to the next generation. 71:9  ^bv The poet prays for continued fellowship with God (see 9:10  ^bw; 51:11  ^bx). In his weakness, he needs the Lord’s strength even more (see 143:7  ^by).
71:10  ^bz In their plotting, the psalmist’s enemies take counsel and scheme together (2:2  ^ca; 21:11  ^cb; 31:13  ^cc; 35:4  ^cd; 63:9-10  ^ce).
71:14  ^cf The psalmist contrasts his own goodness with his enemies’ evil; he centers his life in the Lord, even during hard times (see 9:17-18  ^cg; 27:13-14  ^ch).
Summary for Ps 71:19-21: 71:19-21  ^ci God’s righteous character provides encouragement and strength in the midst of suffering. The wounded psalmist confesses faith in God’s ability to transform his misery and weakness into abundant life.
71:20  ^cj lift me up from the depths: The psalmist hopes for the renewal of an abundant earthly life. This later became grounds for belief in the resurrection of the dead.
71:21  ^ck Being assured of God’s comfort also assures the poet of God’s presence, care, and goodness (23:4  ^cl, 6  ^cm; 86:17  ^cn). God’s comfort enhances the psalmist’s sense of being alive (see 119:50  ^co).
Summary for Ps 71:22-24: 71:22-24  ^cp As he awaits God’s rescue, the psalmist prepares himself to declare with instruments and voice that God is faithful and righteous.

‏ Psalms 72

Summary for Ps 72:1-20: Ps 72  ^cq This royal psalm closes Book Two, with 72:18-20  ^cr functioning as an epilogue to all of Book Two. The psalmist reflects on the prospects of David’s royal line and on Zion (see Pss 46  ^cs, 48  ^ct). He prays that Israel’s kings will be good and prosperous, extending the Lord’s blessing on his people throughout the whole earth. The surpassing righteousness and dominion sought in this prayer foreshadow the coming of Jesus, the Son of David.
Summary for Ps 72:1-7: 72:1-7  ^cu The blessings of justice create a balance in nature, resulting in harmony, prosperity, and fertility. 72:1  ^cv love of justice ... righteousness: Kings in the ancient Near East were expected to represent justice; the standard for Israel’s kings was much higher because the Lord was their model.
72:3  ^cw The administration of justice transforms the earth into fruitfulness, abundance, harmony, and goodness (see Isa 32:16-17  ^cx).
72:4  ^cy A just ruler will defend the poor against injustice, rescue them from violence, and bring their oppressors to account for their wrongdoing.
72:5  ^cz May they fear you: In Hebrew, this clause seems to be a response to the enforcement of justice. The Greek version reads May they endure, which makes this a prayer for longevity (21:4  ^da; 72:15  ^db, 17  ^dc).
Summary for Ps 72:6-7: 72:6-7  ^dd The administration of justice is refreshing like spring rain, enabling the godly to flourish (see Isa 45:8  ^de) like flowers.

• until the moon is no more: This phrase means forever (see Ps 89:36-37  ^df).
Summary for Ps 72:8-11: 72:8-11  ^dg The anointed king will rule over the whole world. Even hostile nations will submit to him. In the ancient Near East, bearing gifts to the king acknowledged his success and his reputation (see 1 Kgs 10  ^dh).
Summary for Ps 72:8-9: 72:8-9  ^di from sea to sea: This phrase represents the whole world.

• Solomon’s kingdom extended from the Euphrates River in the east to the Philistine territory in the west (1 Kgs 4:21  ^dj; see Pss 80:8-11  ^dk; 89:19-25  ^dl), where the Mediterranean Sea appeared to be at the ends of the earth (see 2:8  ^dm). Everyone will bow before this king, including the desert nomads (72:9  ^dn), his enemies, and all the kings of the world (see Mic 7:17  ^do).
72:10  ^dp The western kings of Tarshish came from a major colony in the western basin of the Mediterranean. The eastern kings of Sheba came from an area in southern Arabia, home of the queen of Sheba (1 Kgs 10  ^dq).

• Seba was probably located somewhere south of Egypt, perhaps on the western shore of the Red Sea across from Sheba.

• The gifts offered to the king represented a tribute and a token of submission.
72:11  ^dr All kings and all nations must submit to the messianic king. The hope expressed in 2:10-11  ^ds will be realized (see 96:1-3  ^dt; 1 Cor 15:25  ^du) when other leaders and peoples bow before and serve this king.
Summary for Ps 72:12-14: 72:12-14  ^dv The anointed king will rescue the needy. He is not only the judge but also a father to the poor (10:14  ^dw, 17  ^dx; 68:5  ^dy). 72:12  ^dz To rescue the poor means to bring an end to the rule of their oppressors.
72:13  ^ea Like a father, the king feels pity for those in need (see Mal 3:17  ^eb).
Summary for Ps 72:15-17: 72:15-17  ^ec The just kingdom will be long-lasting and universal. The summary combines the themes of abundance of crops, longevity, tribute of the nations, and the prayer of the nations. 72:15  ^ed The people will bless him, fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham (Gen 12:3  ^ee; see Ps 133:3  ^ef).
72:16  ^eg the trees of Lebanon: Lebanon was renowned for its lumber (see study note on 2 Chr 2:8).
Summary for Ps 72:18-19: 72:18-19  ^eh This doxology concludes Book Two of the Psalter.
72:20  ^ei This parenthetical note ends Book Two, which consists mostly of prayers of David. Books Three to Five were probably compiled after Book Two; they include additional psalms of David (Pss 86  ^ej, 101  ^ek, 103  ^el, 108–110  ^em, 122  ^en, 124  ^eo, 131  ^ep, 133  ^eq, 138–145  ^er).