Psalms 69:14 · Bible study
Psalms 69:14 Commentary: Cry from the Mire, Hope in Deliverance
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
David’s desperate plea for rescue from deep waters and enemies; a verse Christians connect to Christ’s own suffering and prayer for salvation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A plea for rescue from overwhelming trouble, with prophetic echoes of Christ’s suffering.
- Key words: “Mire,” “sink,” “deep waters”, repeated metaphors for life-threatening distress.
- Main debate: Whether the primary referent is David’s historical situation or Christ as the ultimate sufferer (both are affirmed in the tradition).
- Theological theme: God’s deliverance in response to earnest prayer amidst suffering; the hope that suffering is not final.
- Best use: Teaching on lament, perseverance in prayer, and the way Christ enters fully into human anguish.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Rescue me from the mire and do not let me sink; deliver me from my foes and out of the deep waters.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Deliver me out of the mire, and don’t let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.
KJV King James Version 1769
Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: Let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Deliver me from the mire, and let me not sink, Let me be delivered from those hating me, And from deep places of waters.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Deliver me out of the mire, let me not sink; let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the depths of waters.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Sácame del lodo, y no sea yo sumergido: sea yo libertado de los que me aborrecen, y del profundo de las aguas.
Livra-me do lamaçal, e não me deixes afundar; seja eu resgatado dos que me odeiam, e das profundezas das águas.
Mais je t’adresse ma prière, ô Éternel!
Errette mich aus dem Kot, daß ich nicht versinke; daß ich errettet werde von meinen Hassern und aus dem tiefen Wasser;
Maar mij aangaande, mijn gebed is tot U, o HEERE; er is een tijd des welbehagens, o God! door de grootheid Uwer goedertierenheid; verhoor mij door de getrouwheid Uws heils.
Tirami fuor del pantano, e ch’io non affondi! Fa’ ch’io sia liberato da quelli che m’odiano, e dalle acque profonde.
Ale ja obracam modlitwę moję do ciebie, Panie! czas jest upodobania twego; o Boże! według wielkości miłosierdzia twego wysłuchajże mię, dla prawdy zbawienia twego.
求你搭救我 出離淤泥，不 叫我陷在其中；求你使我脫離 那些恨我的人，使我出離深 水。
Take me from the grip of the sticky earth, so that I may not go down into it; let me be lifted up from the deep waters.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse repeats the imagery of sinking in mire and deep waters from earlier in the psalm (Psalm 69:2, 4). Barnes reads the mire as “troubles and calamities” and the deep waters as the same. Calvin notes that the psalm is quoted at least seven times in the New Testament, establishing David as a type of Christ. Gill applies the words directly to Christ: “delivered out of all the mire of sin, the sins of his people that were upon him.” Keil and Delitzsch observe that the figures are “studiously wrought out,” suggesting a real event behind the metaphor. The consensus holds that the prayer is urgent, that the sufferer is near death, and that the only hope is God’s lovingkindness (v. 13, 16). Though the immediate referent is David’s own distress, the New Testament use gives the verse a prophetic dimension pointing to the Messiah’s passion.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical David: Reads the verse as David’s literal cry during persecution by Saul or Absalom. The mire and deep waters are metaphors for real, life-threatening circumstances.
- Typological Christ: Sees the verse as prophetically spoken by Christ, given the New Testament quotations. David is a type; the true referent is the Messiah, who experienced the fullest depths of suffering and deliverance.
What is clear: The verse is a desperate cry for deliverance from overwhelming trouble, addressed to a God who is able to save, and it connects to Christ’s own experience of suffering and vindication.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Historical occasion | The psalm was composed by David during a time of severe personal distress, probably during persecution by Saul or the rebellion of Absalom. | Some commentators argue for a specific historical event (Absalom), while others see it as a composite lament applicable to multiple crises. The debate does not affect the theological message. |
| Typological interpretation | The New Testament quotes this psalm in connection with Christ (e.g., John 15:25; John 19:28, 29), confirming a prophetic dimension. | Protestant commentators often see David as a direct type of Christ (Calvin, Gill). Catholic tradition also reads it Christologically, while some modern scholars emphasize the original historical meaning and restrict typology to the NT quotations only. |
| Imprecatory character | The psalm includes prayers for judgment on enemies (vv. 22, 28), and the plea for deliverance here is linked to that larger context. | Some Christians apply the imprecatory sections as models for justice prayer; others see them as only appropriate for Christ, who could pray them perfectly. This verse itself is pure petition, not imprecation, but its setting raises the question. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This psalm is attributed to David in its superscription and given the musical direction “To the tune of ‘Lilies’ (Shoshannim).” The exact historical occasion is uncertain; Calvin lists the two main proposals, persecution by Saul or the rebellion of Absalom. Either way, the psalm belongs to a period of intense personal danger. The imagery of mire, deep waters, and a closing pit draws on the physical landscape of ancient Israel: seasonal floods, muddy cisterns, and dark wells. A person sinking in a bog or trapped in a flooded pit faced a terrifying, helpless death. The metaphor would have been visceral to the original audience.
The psalm is a lament, a genre in which the worshiper cries out to God from the brink of destruction. In verses 4 and 21, the psalmist mentions being hated “without a cause” and being given gall and vinegar, language the gospel writers apply to Jesus (John 19:28, 29; Matthew 27:34). Calvin points out that the frequency of New Testament quotations makes clear this is “prophetic of him, of whom David, rejected and persecuted, was an eminent type.” The immediate historical setting is David’s crisis, but the psalm’s placement in Israel’s worship and its later use in the church have given this verse a wider theological reach.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 69:14. The Cambridge Bible mentions that the R.V. changed “overflow” (used in v. 2) to “overwhelm” in v. 15, but this is a translation decision, not a manuscript issue. The Hebrew word is the same in both places. Therefore, the text is stable and well-attested.
Reception History
From the early church, this psalm was read as a prophecy of Christ’s passion. The “mire” and “deep waters” were interpreted as the suffering of the Messiah, and verse 14 was linked to Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane and on the cross. During the Reformation, Calvin emphasized David’s patient faith as a type of Christ; Gill applied the deliverance directly to Christ rising from the grave, free from the sins he bore. In modern liturgical use, the psalm is often appointed for Holy Week, and verse 14 is prayed by believers in acute distress. Across Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox traditions, this verse remains a voice for the suffering believer who clings to God’s mercy, and a testimony that Christ entered the deepest waters first.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Sinking in the mire, The psalmist acknowledges his helplessness. Trouble has reached a life-or-death point. This is not a minor annoyance but a drowning crisis.
- Calling out to God, The repeated imperatives (“Deliver me,” “don’t let me sink”) show raw, persistent prayer. The sufferer refuses to stop asking.
- Hope beyond the deep waters, The surrounding verses (13, 16) ground the plea in God’s “lovingkindness” and “tender mercies.” Rescue is expected because of who God is, not because of the sufferer’s worth.
Five-point outline
- The mire represents complete helplessness, we cannot save ourselves.
- Enemies are real, whether human opponents, circumstances, or spiritual forces.
- Prayer is the only lifeline, David chooses to pray even when mocked for it (v. 10, 12).
- God’s character (lovingkindness, mercy) is the foundation for hope.
- The deliverance in view ultimately points to Christ, who sank into the deepest waters of suffering and was raised.
Illustration hooks
- A person trapped in quicksand, the more they struggle, the faster they sink. Only an outside rescuer can help.
- A family overwhelmed by medical debt, feeling the “waters” rising day by day.
- A believer betrayed by a close friend, learning what it means to cry out to God when human comfort fails (v. 20).
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God always rescue from trouble, or are some who pray this verse left to drown?
- How do I keep praying when it feels like the pit is closing over me?
- Is it okay to use this verse as my own prayer, or does it only apply to Jesus?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows how to pray when you feel completely overwhelmed. It also looks ahead to Jesus, who experienced the fullest depths of suffering. As you discuss, pay attention to the honesty of the cry and the trust that underlies it.
Discussion questions
- What do “mire” and “deep waters” represent in this psalm? Can you name a situation in your own life that feels like this?
- Why does David repeat the request for deliverance in slightly different words? What does that tell you about prayer?
- How does this verse connect to what Jesus experienced on the cross? Read Psalm 69:21 and Matthew 27:34 for the link.
- In verse 13, David appeals to “an acceptable time.” What does that phrase suggest about trusting God’s timing even when the situation is desperate?
- When you read this verse, do you primarily hear despair or hope? What makes the difference?
- How can this prayer shape the way you pray for yourself or others in a prolonged crisis?
- What does it mean that God’s “lovingkindness is good” (v. 16) in the middle of sinking?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 25:18 | Consider my affliction and my travail. Forgive all my sins. |
| Psalms 25:19 | Consider my enemies, for they are many. They hate me with cruel hatred. |
| Psalms 35:19 | Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes. |
| Psalms 40:1 | For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. I waited patiently for Yahweh. He turned to me, and heard my cry. |
| Psalms 40:3 | He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Yahweh. |
| Psalms 42:2 | My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? |
| Psalms 42:7 | Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me. |
| Psalms 69:1 | For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Lilies.” By David. Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck! |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
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What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes reads the mire and deep waters as direct images of the psalmist's crushing troubles and the schemes of his enemies. The plea is not just for rescue but specifically to be kept from being dragged under and overwhelmed by sorrow and opposition.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin reads Psalm 69 as a prophecy of Christ, not just a record of David's suffering. He points out that the New Testament quotes it at least seven times, showing that David, rejected and persecuted, was a clear type of the coming Messiah.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes a translation inconsistency, observing that the same Hebrew word is rendered "overwhelm" here but "overflow" in a similar verse. He also clarifies that the "pit" is a metaphor for the grave or a dungeon, not meant as a literal reference to Jeremiah's imprisonment.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Deliuer mee out of the myre, that I sinke not: let me be deliuered from them that hate me, and out of the deepe waters.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads the mire as the sins of Christ's people laid upon him, from which he was delivered at the resurrection, and will appear completely free of them at his second coming. The deep waters and those who hate him refer to his enemies, from which he was also rescued.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that the psalmist's repeated images of sinking in mire and the pit closing its mouth are not mere rhetorical figures, but describe something that actually happened. They stress that the cry for help grows more urgent as the danger worsens, and the plea is grounded in God's absolutely good loving-kindness, which alone can save.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Psalm 69 is not directly about Christ because David confesses his own sins. Instead, he calls it "typically prophetic": God so ordered David's actual sufferings that the Spirit made them into a prophecy of Christ's passion. The historical, penitent David points beyond himself.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights David's resolve to keep praying even when he is mocked for it. Being jeered for doing right should never drive a person away from duty. David had a God to go to, and he chose to entrust his cause to prayer rather than to retaliation.