Psalms 71:10-11 Meaning: When Others Say God Has Forsaken You
10For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together,
11saying, “God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him.”
10For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
11Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
10For mine enemies speak concerning me; And they that watch for my soul take counsel together,
11Saying, God hath forsaken him: Pursue and take him; for there is none to deliver.
10For mine enemies have spoken against me, And those watching my soul have taken counsel together,
11Saying, `God hath forsaken him, Pursue and catch him, for there is no deliverer.'
10For mine enemies speak against me, and they that watch for my soul consult together,
11Saying, God hath forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver.
Meaning in one sentence
In Psalm 71:10-11, the psalmist reports his enemies' conspiracy and their taunt: 'God has forsaken him.' This devotional explores the meaning of this accusation and how it drives the psalmist to pray
Context
This psalm has no title, but Christian tradition has long connected it to David in his old age, perhaps during Absalom's rebellion. The psalmist has walked with God from birth (verse 6), yet now his strength is failing. In verse 9 he begs God not to cast him off in old age. Then he reports what his enemies are saying about him. They gather in secret, watch his every move, and declare that God has abandoned him. That accusation is the low point of the psalm, the moment when outward trouble meets inward fear. But the psalmist does not accept their verdict. He immediately cries out, "God, don't be far from me" (verse 12). The conspiracy and the taunt become the fuel for his prayer.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight here. Nephesh, translated "soul" in verse 10, means far more than an inner part of a person. It is your whole life, the breath in your lungs, the self that can be snuffed out. The enemies are not just after an abstract soul; they watch for his very existence. Ya'ats ("conspired") means to take counsel together, to exchange advice until a plan is set. This is not loose talk, they have deliberated. And then the cruelest word: azav ("forsaken") in verse 11. It means to leave behind, to abandon, to let go. The enemies claim God has let go of this man. But note: the psalmist never says God has actually done so. He is reporting a lie spoken against him. That distinction matters when you hear similar whispers in your own heart.
How Christians Read This Verse
Adam Clarke, a Methodist commentator, warns that we must never judge God's favour by outward prosperity: adversity does not prove His displeasure. Barnes agrees, noting that the enemies think they are both safe and justified in attacking someone God has abandoned. Gill, a Baptist, adds that good people may seem forsaken for a season, but never finally or totally, the psalmist keeps praying. Calvin, in his Reformed commentary, sees this as David's honest complaint in his old age, setting up the cry for deliverance that follows. Across these traditions, Christians agree: the enemies' taunt is not the final word. The psalmist's prayer is what matters.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to think the psalmist is agreeing with his enemies, that God really has abandoned him. In fact, he is reporting their accusation, not confessing his own belief. The very next verse (12) shows his real conviction: "God, don't be far from me." He does not accept their verdict; he runs to the God they said had left him.
Living This Out
This week, you may hear voices, from others or from your own mind, that sound like the enemies in this psalm. A hard season, a lonely afternoon, a prayer that seems to hit the ceiling: the whisper says God has let go. What this passage asks of you is not to pretend the whisper is not there, but to refuse to let it have the last word. Bring the accusation into your prayer. Say to God, "They say You have left me. I feel that way. But here I am, talking to You." The psalmist did not argue theology with his enemies. He talked to the One they said had gone.
Main takeaway: Other people may judge your suffering as a sign of God's abandonment, but the psalmist answers their taunt by crying out to God for help.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Some people said bad things about the man in this story. They said God didn't love him anymore. But he knew that God was still with him, so he talked to God about it. You can always talk to God, even when people say mean things.
For ages 9, 12
In this psalm, the writer is old and in danger. His enemies spread a rumor: "God has abandoned him." That is what they say to feel okay about hurting him. But he does not believe them. He does not argue with them either. Instead, he turns to God and prays. When you hear someone say that God has given up on you, or even when you start to wonder if it is true, do what the psalmist did. Take it straight to God. He can handle your hardest questions.
Questions People Ask
What does 'watchers for my soul' mean in Psalm 71:10?
The Hebrew word 'nephesh' (soul) means your whole life, the very breath in you. 'Watchers' are people who keep their eyes on someone, waiting for a chance to harm them. So the phrase pictures enemies who are determined to destroy the psalmist's life, not just his reputation.
Did God actually forsake the psalmist in Psalm 71:10-11?
No. The psalmist is reporting what his enemies are saying about him. He does not agree with them. In fact, his first response is to pray, 'God, don't be far from me.' So the verse shows a common human experience, others misreading our suffering, but it does not teach that God actually abandons His people.
What is the historical context of Psalm 71?
The psalm has no title, but many Christians, including John Calvin, connect it to David during Absalom's rebellion (2 Samuel 15, 18). David was old and forced to flee Jerusalem. His enemies, like Ahithophel, advised pursuing him because they thought God had abandoned him (2 Samuel 17:1). This fits the psalm's themes of old age, conspiracy, and trust.
How do Christians interpret the enemies' taunt 'no one will rescue him'?
Commentators from various traditions note that the enemies assume the psalmist has no deliverer. But the psalmist himself immediately calls on God, showing that he disagrees. Adam Clarke warns that we must never equate worldly trouble with God's disfavor. The taunt becomes a foil for the psalmist's prayer.
What should I do when I feel like God has abandoned me?
Do what the psalmist did: take that feeling straight to God in prayer. He does not deny the pain, but he does not accept the lie. He says, 'God, don't be far from me. Hurry to help me.' Honest lament is not a lack of faith, it is faith reaching for the God it trusts even in the dark.
For pastors & researchers
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