Psalm 71

Psalm 71 stands near the end of Book II of the Psalms (Psalms 42–72). It follows Psalm 70, which closes with a brief plea that God would "make haste to help me," and continues with similar petitions at greater length. The Hebrew text has no superscription (the heading placed before a psalm).

Structure

• Verses 1–4 The psalmist takes refuge in the Lord and asks not to be put to shame. He calls the Lord his rock, his strong habitation, and his fortress, and asks to be delivered from the hand of the wicked and of the cruel man.
• Verses 5–8 He recalls the Lord, who has upheld him from the womb and from his youth. Though he has become a wonder to many, he confesses that the Lord is his strong refuge.
• Verses 9–13 He pleads not to be cast off in old age when his strength fails. His enemies say, "God hath forsaken him," and plot to seize him. The psalmist asks God to make haste to help him and prays that his adversaries be put to shame.
• Verses 14–16 He resolves to hope continually and to declare all day long the Lord's righteousness and salvation, which are beyond measure.
• Verses 17–21 Taught by God from his youth, the psalmist asks that he may declare God's strength to the coming generation even when he is old and grayheaded. He confesses, "O God, who is like unto thee!" and is confident that the God who has shown him great troubles will bring him up again from the depths of the earth.
• Verses 22–24 He vows to praise the Holy One of Israel with the psaltery and the harp. The psalm closes by declaring that his adversaries have been confounded and brought to shame.

Key Verses

• Psalm 71:5 "For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth." This confession summarizes a lifetime of trust.
• Psalm 71:9 "Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth." This verse is regarded as one of the Bible's best-known prayers for old age.
• Psalm 71:18 "Until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come." The verse expresses the hope of passing the faith on to the next generation.

People and Places

• The psalmist: He is not named. He presents himself as an elderly person who has relied on God since his youth.
• The enemies: Those who watch the psalmist and plot to harm him.
• The Holy One of Israel (v. 22): A title for God identical to one that appears frequently in Isaiah.

Points for Reflection

• Verses 1–3 are nearly identical to verses 1–3 of Psalm 31, and verses 12–13 overlap with the wording of Psalm 70. On the basis of these parallels and the absence of a superscription, some scholars hold that Psalms 70 and 71 were originally a single psalm.
• The Septuagint is reported to include a superscription bearing the name of David. Because the Hebrew text lacks it, however, the authorship cannot be determined with certainty.
• Christian readers sometimes connect verse 20, "thou... shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth," with the hope of the resurrection. The text itself celebrates restoration from suffering.

In the Korean Church

Verses 9 and 18 are frequently cited in sermons and devotional writings on faith in old age and on passing the faith on to the next generation.