Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 69

Save me, O God - That is, interpose and deliver me from the dangers which have come upon me.

For the waters are come in unto my soul - So as to endanger my life. Waters, deep, raging, overwhelming, are images of calamity or danger. See the notes at Psalms 32:6. Compare Psalms 42:7.

I sink in deep mire - Margin, as in Hebrew, "the mire of the depth." This would denote either mire which was itself so deep that one could not free himself from it; or, mire found in a deep place, as at the bottom of a pit. Compare the notes at Psalms 40:2. An illustration of this might be drawn from the case of Joseph, cast by his brothers into a deep pit (Genesis 37:24); or from the case of Jeremiah, thrown into a deep dungeon: And they let down Jeremiah with cords; and in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire. (Jeremiah 38:6).

Where there is no standing - No solid ground; nothing for the foot to rest on. I am come into deep waters. Margin, as in Hebrew, "depth of waters." That is, waters where he could not touch the bottom - an image of some peril that threatened his life.

Where the floods overflow me - The waters. They break over my head. My life is "in danger."

I am weary of my crying - The word crying here does not mean weeping, or shedding tears, but calling upon God for help. He had grown weary; his strength had been exhausted in the act of calling upon God to assist him. See the notes at (Psalms 6:6). This was an instance where one had called so long on God, and prayed so much and so earnestly, that his strength was gone. Compare (Matthew 26:41).

My throat is dried - Or, is parched up. The Hebrew word denotes to burn; to be enkindled; and then, to be inflamed. Here it means that by the excessive exertion of his voice, his throat had become parched, so that he could not speak.

My eyes fail - That is, become dim from exhaustion. I have looked so long in that one direction that the power of vision begins to fail, and I see nothing clearly. See the notes at (Psalms 6:7). Compare (Job 17:7; Psalms 31:9; Psalms 38:10).

While I wait for my God - That is, by continued looking to God. The word wait is not used here, nor is it generally in the Bible, as it is now with us, in the sense of looking for future interposition, or of doing nothing ourselves in expectation of what may occur; but it is used in the sense of looking to God alone; of exercising dependence on him; of seeking his aid. This is indeed connected with the ordinary idea of abiding his will, but it is also an active state of mind - a state expressive of intense interest and desire. See the notes at (Psalms 62:5).

They that hate me without a cause — Without any just reason; without any provocation on my part. There were many such in the case of David, for to those who rose up against him in the time of Saul, and to Absalom also, he had given no real occasion of offence.

An expression similar to the one used here occurs in (Psalms 35:19). See the notes at that passage. The “language” is applied to the Savior (John 15:25), not as having had original reference to him, but as language which received its most perfect fulfillment in the treatment which he received from his enemies. See the notes at (John 15:25).

Are more than the hairs of mine head — The number is so great that it cannot be estimated.

They that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty — literally, “More than the hairs of my head are my haters falsely (those who hate me falsely); strong are those destroying me; my enemies.” The idea is, that those who were numbered among his foes without any just provocation on his part were so numerous and strong that he could not contend with them.

Then I restored that which I took not away — Professor Alexander renders this, “What I did not rob, then must I restore.” This seems to have a proverbial cast, and the idea is, that under this pressure of circumstances — borne down by numbers — he was compelled to give up what he had not taken away from others. They regarded and treated him as a bad man — as if he had been a robber; and they compelled him to give up what he possessed, “as if” he had no right to it, or “as if” he had obtained it by robbery. This does not seem to refer to anything that was “voluntary” on his part — as if, for the sake of peace, he had proposed to give up that to which they had no claim, or to surrender his just rights, but to the act of compulsion by which he was “forced” to surrender what he had, “as if” he had been a public offender.

How far it is proper to yield to an unjust claim for the sake of peace, or to act “as if” we had done wrong, rather than to have controversy or strife, is a point which, if this interpretation is correct, is not settled by this passage. It seems here to have been merely a question of “power.”

O God, you know my foolishness — the errors and follies of my life. Though conscious of innocence in this particular case—feeling that his enemies hated him without cause and took what belonged to him, not to them—he was nevertheless aware that he was a sinner. He was willing to confess before God that, however upright he might be in his dealings with people, toward God, he was a sinful man.

From Him, he deserved all that had come upon him. Indeed, the very calamities that had been permitted to come upon him were proof to his own mind that he was a sinner. They served, as they were doubtless designed, to turn his mind to that fact and to humble him. The effect of calamities coming upon us, reminding us that we are sinners, is often referred to in the Psalms. See Psalms 38:2-4; Psalms 40:12.

And my sins are not hidden from you — Margin, “guiltiness.” The word used here always has the idea of “guilt” attached to it. The meaning is that God knew all his life. Therefore, however unjust the conduct of “men” toward him might be when they treated him as if he had wronged them, all that had occurred was right when considered as part of God’s dealings or as something God allowed to happen to him. This was because it was a proper expression of God’s displeasure with his sins.

We may feel that we have not wronged our fellow men. Yet, even the treatment we receive from them, however unjust from their perspective, can be regarded as deserved by us from God. It may be seen as proper on His part: an expression of His displeasure for our transgressions against Him and proof that we are sinners. Trial never comes to us from any source except as it is founded on the fact that we are sinners. Even when there is complete innocence toward our fellow men, God may use their passions to rebuke and discipline us for our sins toward Him.