Psalms 71:21 Meaning: Increase My Honor, Comfort Me Again

Increase my honor and comfort me again.

Meaning in one sentence

Psalm 71:21 expresses confidence that God will restore the psalmist after severe trouble, increasing his honor and surrounding him with comfort.

Psalms Old Testament Hebrew

Context

Psalm 71 was written by an aging man who has seen his share of trouble. Many think it is David during Absalom’s rebellion, old, gray-haired, and hunted. He has just said that God has shown him “great and sore troubles” (v. 20). Yet at the same breath he declares that God will let him live and bring him up from the depths. This verse is the hinge: David moves from desperate prayer into a bold statement of trust. He is not asking for mere survival. He expects God to do more than restore what was lost. He expects an increase. This is the faith of a man who knows that God’s goodness does not stop at putting things back the way they were.

Key Words

The Hebrew word behind “honor” (or “greatness,” gedullah) appears in other psalms to describe God’s own majesty. When David asks for his greatness to be increased, he is not chasing fame. He is asking to share in the kind of honor that comes from God’s hand, public restoration that shows everyone that the Lord has acted. The verb “increase” (ravah) means to multiply, to make abundant. David expects not just a little improvement but a full, overflowing restoration.

Then there is “comfort.” The Hebrew nacham carries a deep sense of turning: to be sorry, to console, to breathe again after grief. It is the same word God uses when He comforts His people in Isaiah. But here David adds a second verb: “turn again” (savav), which means to surround or encircle. The old translations capture it well: “comfort me on every side.” God does not send comfort from a distance. He comes close and wraps around the one who mourns.

How Christians Read This Verse

Christians across traditions have found different layers in this verse. Most see David praying for restoration after a great fall. Adam Clarke (Methodist) thought David expected to be restored to his throne with even greater honor than before. Matthew Henry (Reformed) highlighted the spiritual dimension: David hoped for an increase of grace, faith, and love, being comforted “by his Spirit, word, and ordinances.” The Cambridge Bible (Anglican) suggests that the psalmist thinks of himself as sharing in the honor of the whole restored nation, not just personal dignity. All these readings agree: this is not prideful ambition. It is a cry of trust that God’s restoration goes beyond what we could ask.

A common misunderstanding

Some hear “increase my honor” and think David is asking for fame or status. In fact, his desire for increased honor is tied directly to his calling. Just a few verses earlier (v. 18) he says, “Even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don’t forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation.” David wants God’s restoring work to be visible so that others will see and trust. The honor is not for his own name, but for God’s glory and the strengthening of those who come after.

Living This Out

This week, if you are living through a long season of trouble, illness, loss, a relationship that feels broken, you might be praying only for survival. “Just get me through this.” David dared to ask for more. He asked for increase. He asked to be surrounded with comfort, not barely rescued. You can bring that kind of prayer to God. Not as a demand, but as an act of trust. Say: “Lord, I don’t just need to survive. I need You to restore and even increase. I need Your comfort to wrap around me completely.” Then watch what He does.

Main takeaway: God not only restores us from trouble but surrounds us with His comfort and increases our honor for His glory.

For Families

For ages 5, 8

David was old and tired, and bad people were chasing him. But he knew God would help him and even make things better than before. God wraps His comfort around us, like a big hug.

For ages 9, 12

Sometimes when you go through a hard time, you just want things to go back to normal. But David asked God for something bigger: not just to survive, but to come out stronger. He asked God to increase his honor and wrap comfort all around him. That’s a brave prayer. It says, “God, I trust You to do more than fix the mess. I trust You to make something good from it.” If you are going through something hard, you can pray that same bold prayer too.

Questions People Ask

What does 'increase my honor' mean in Psalm 71:21?

It means the psalmist is asking God to restore him in a way that shows God’s power and faithfulness. He is not asking for personal fame. He wants his restoration to be clear evidence of God’s goodness, so that others, especially the next generation, will see and trust the Lord.

Who wrote Psalm 71?

The psalm has no title, but many Christians over the centuries have believed it was written by David during the rebellion of his son Absalom. Others think it may have been written by another older Israelite leader. The tone fits someone who is elderly and has faced severe opposition but still trusts God completely.

Why does the psalmist ask for comfort 'on every side'?

The Hebrew word translated 'on every side' or 'turn again' (savav) means 'to surround' or 'encircle.' The psalmist is asking God to wrap comfort around him completely, from every direction. He wants more than a little relief, he wants to be fully enveloped in God’s consolation.

Is it wrong to ask God for honor after suffering?

Not if the honor is tied to God’s glory and the good of others. The psalmist’s request for increased honor comes right after he says he wants to declare God’s strength to the next generation (v. 18). He wants God’s restoring work to be visible so that others will trust God too. That kind of honor is a testimony, not pride.

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