Psalms 71:12 Commentary: A Cry for God's Nearness and Swift Help

The psalm has no title, but a strong tradition from Calvin and Matthew Henry (following Jewish interpreters) connects it to David's flight from Absalom (2 Samuel 15, 18). David is now old (vv. 9, 18), his strength failing, and his enemies, possibly led by Absalom and Ahithophel, conspire, saying 'God has forsaken him' (v. 11). This verse is his direct response: he refuses to believe the taunt. The language of God being 'far' is a standard lament motif (Psalm 10:1, 22:11, 35:22, 38:21). The command 'make haste' (Hebrew chushah) is especially strong, an imperative directed at God as if to say, 'This cannot wait.' Culturally, the elderly in ancient Israel depended on family and God for protection; being abandoned in old age was a deep fear (v. 9). The psalm’s structure moves from initial trust (vv. 1, 8), to renewed plea (vv. 9, 13), and finally to a vow of praise (vv. 14, 24). This verse sits at the crisis point, the moment when the psalmist cries out most urgently. Keil and Delitzsch note that the verse is an echo of Davidic prayers, though they suggest a later poet may have compiled it, given certain linguistic features like the use of le’mor ('saying') in v. 10. Still, the scene remains vivid: an old man, surrounded by enemies, feeling God's distance, yet still daring to call on God as my God.

The supplied sources note only a minor textual variant in the word for 'make haste.' The Masoretic Text (supported by the LXX and Jerome) reads chushah (from chush, 'to hurry'). The Keri (marginal reading) offers chushah as a correction of an earlier form hushah. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the Keri form is the one found exclusively elsewhere. The meaning is unaffected. No other significant variant is reported for this verse.

This verse has been used in Christian worship as a cry for God's nearness, especially by the elderly and those facing persecution. In hymnody, its sentiment echoes through songs like 'Be Not Far from Me, O My God' (19th century). Early church fathers, such as Athanasius, commended the psalms of lament as patterns for praying amidst suffering. The verse has also been a comfort to saints in their final years, giving words to the fear of being forgotten and the hope that God hears even urgent, breathless prayers.

Three-point outline

1. The fear of distance. The psalmist feels God is far; he asks God not to be. This is honest lament, not unbelief. It mirrors Jesus' cry on the cross (Psalm 22:1).
2. The claim of relationship. He calls God 'my God', a personal bond that grounds his plea. The covenant name gives him the right to ask for help.
3. The urgency of need. 'Hurry' is not disrespect; it is the language of real danger. God welcomes such cries from those in distress.

Five-point outline

1. The setting: old age, failing strength, enemies circling (vv. 9, 11).
2. The prayer: 'God, don’t be far from me', an appeal for presence, not just rescue.
3. The intensification: 'My God, hurry to help me', personal faith meets emergency.
4. The contrast: enemies say 'no one will rescue him'; the psalmist says 'my God will.'
5. The hope beyond: the next verses turn to praise and confidence (vv. 14, 16). The plea is not the last word.

Illustration hooks

• The waiting room: A person in a hospital, waiting for test results, feeling abandoned by God. The psalmist's words give language to that silence.
• The aging parent: An elderly Christian whose friends have died and whose children are far away, tempted to think God has forgotten them. This verse names the fear and fights it with a plea.
• The last-minute rescue: A story of a firefighter arriving just in time. 'Make haste' is not panic; it's the cry of someone who knows help is real but urgently needed.

Questions your congregation is asking

• 'Is it okay to tell God to hurry? Doesn't that show lack of trust?'
• 'Why does God sometimes feel far away when I need him most?'
• 'What do I do when my enemies, or my circumstances, say God has given up on me?'

Psalm 71:12 comes from a man in old age, surrounded by enemies, and feeling God's distance. Yet he prays, and he prays personally: 'my God.' This small group study will help you unpack the honesty of lament and the faith that holds on.

Discussion questions

1. Read Psalm 71:9, 12. What do you learn about the psalmist's situation? What might 'old age' add to his desperation?
2. The psalmist asks God not to be far and to hurry. What does this tell you about how he views God? Is he doubting, or is he holding onto faith?
3. Compare this verse with Psalm 22:1 ('My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?') and Psalm 22:19 ('Hurry to help me!'). What similarities and differences do you see?
4. In verse 11, the enemies say 'God has forsaken him.' Why might this taunt be especially painful? How does the psalmist answer them, not directly, but in prayer?
5. The verse shifts from 'God' (v.12a) to 'my God' (v.12b). What difference does the personal pronoun make? How does calling God 'my God' strengthen the prayer?
6. Think of a time you felt God was far away. How did you respond, did you pray with urgency, or did you withdraw? What might it look like to imitate this psalmist's honesty?
7. How does the rest of the psalm (especially vv. 14, 16) show that the plea leads back to hope? What does this teach about the pattern of lament in the Christian life?