The
PS 69 belong to
Book II of the
book of PS composed of a collection of texts 150 poetry books organized by five. The Book of Psalms, for its
wisdom and
basic principles of human
action , is considered the heart of the Old Testament. Book II comprises the PS 42 the 72 . The
PS 69 is divided into 37 verses.
The Psalms are
poems-prayers addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. These prayers represent
human experiences and
religious conscience . They portray the
common man , with his faults, insecurities, fears and hopes and, even today, we can identify with the Psalmist and draw inspiration from these texts to
pray and
plead with God when we feel
lost and
anguished or to express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
"There are enemies or friends, there is life or death, health or illness, pain or joy and, most of the time, there are no changes or gradations. Words are like stones and poetry like boulders carved by chisel"; "The Psalms are a bit like mountain paths, simple, especially when walking on snow, but they lead to the peaks; they are paths toward the peaks of meeting the Lord." - Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal of Milan
Psalm 69 - Prayer of the Just Afflicted
1 To the director. By the melody "
The Lilies "
. From David .
2 Save me, O God,
because the waters reach up to my neck.
3 I'm sinking into a deep bog,
I have no foothold.
I entered deep water,
and the current drags me.
4 I am exhausted from screaming,
and my throat is hoarse;
my eyes are already consumed
by waiting so long for my God.
5 Those who unjustly hate me are more than the hairs on my head.
Those who want to destroy me are powerful,
the enemies who lie against me.
Will I then have to return
what I have not stolen?
6 O God, You know my folly,
and my faults are not hidden from You.
7 Let not
those who wait in you be ashamed for my sake, O LORD, LORD of hosts.
May
those who seek you not be ashamed for my sake , O God of Israel.
8 Because of you I have endured insults,
my face was covered with shame.
9 I have become a stranger to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother's children.
10 For passion for your house consumes me;
the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
11 I mortify my soul by fasting,
and even this provokes more insults against me.
12 If I dress in mourning,
I am an object of derision to them.
13 They murmur against me as they sit at the gate of the city
and sing songs against me, drinking wine.
14 But I address my prayer to you,
O Lord, in good time.
Answer me, O God, by your great mercy,
by the fidelity of your salvation.
15 Take me out of the mud, so that I don't sink!
Deliver me from those who hate me and from the deep waters!
16 Let not the waves cover me, neither swallow me up;
let the mouth of the well not close on me.
17 Answer me, Lord, for Your mercy is kind;
turn to me for your great compassion.
18 Do not hide your face from your servant;
answer me quickly, because I am distressed.
19 Draw near to my soul and deliver it,
redeem me because of my enemies.
20 You know well my reproach,
my disillusionment and shame;
you are very present to those who persecute me.
21 The insult broke my heart until I fainted:
I expected compassion, but there was none;
I waited for someone to comfort me and I didn't find it.
22 They put gall in my food;
and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink.
23 May your table be a trap for them
and a snare for their friends.
24 Let their eyes be darkened and they do not see,
and their kidneys fail without ceasing.
25 Release your indignation upon them;
let the fury of your anger strike them.
26 Let his camp be a wilderness,
and let no one dwell in his tents.
27 For they persecute those whom You have punished,
and add to the suffering of those You have wounded.
28 Place more guilt on your guilt;
and do not have access to your justice.
29 Let them be crossed out of the book of the living
and not inscribed in the list of the righteous.
30 But to me, sad and afflicted,
may your salvation, O God, restore me.
31 I will praise the name of God with song,
and I will proclaim his greatness as thanksgiving.
32 This will please God more than the sacrifice of a bull
or a bullock already with horns and hooves.
33 Let the humble see; and let those who seek God rejoice.
May your heart regain life!
34 For the Lord listens to the needy
and does not despise his people of prisoners.
35 May heaven and earth,
the seas and all that move in them praise him.
36 Yea, God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They will dwell there and take possession of her.
37 The children of his servants shall receive it as an inheritance,
and those who love his name shall dwell there.
Meaning and interpretation
The
Psalm 69 is a
single prayer of supplication which the Psalmist laments the
injustice , the major
threats and the
suffering you have to endure because of God and asks him
protection and
punishment against the enemies, promising thank this help.
The wisdom shades of
meditation found here contain connotations similar to some passages in Job. It also has similarities with Psalm 22 . As in many other Psalms, here too a reference to the people's restoration as a conclusion.
The
Psalms of Supplication are very present in the Book of Psalms. They speak of human frailty and the most basic feelings of your mortal condition. Times of peace and plenty
contrast with war and individual or community destruction. The Psalmist pleads for
God's help and asks him to
end his situation of affliction , ending with the
certainty of having been heard .
In spiritual practice, the supplication and request to God reflects a lot the meaning of
prayer, being the privileged way to establish contact and
raise the voice to the Divine. In numerous Psalms, supplication seems to be the most immediate motivation and the greatest concern. When turning to God, the speaker / Psalmist finds tenderness, justice, compassion, reconciliation, purification, in short, peace itself.
The
narratives and
feelings involved in these prayers are varied and basic; affect Humanity over the millennia, and are still current today. They reflect
multiple interior , individual and collective experiences, and the relationship between people and peoples. They address topics such as the deadly threat of disease, persecution, aging, violence, war, betrayal, loneliness, enemy aggression and how these feelings alter
consciousness we have of ourselves, of our relationship with others and with God.
Situations that prompt supplication can be
bitter and
desperate , but the Psalms generally express a
state of mind of trust and end in
thanksgiving . The Psalmist cries out to God for his help and forgiveness in a profound expression of limitless
trust in divine compassion and justice. Even the cry of the Psalmist is already a fighting speech, change will, of inner transformation, confidence and hope for a
free future evil, the
suffering and the
wicked .
The
Psalms of Supplication they are classified as individual supplication and collective supplication. Those of
Individual Supplication comprise Psalm 3; 5-7; 13; 17; 22; 26; 27; 28; 31; 35; 39; 42-43; 51; 54-57; 59; 61; 63; 64; 69-71; 88; 102; 109; 120; 130; 140-143. and those of
Collective Supplication Ps 12; 44; 58; 60; 74; 80; 83; 85; 90; 94; 108; 123; 127.
The Book of Psalms
The Joy and Happiness of the Righteous in Communion with God
The Psalms are
prayer-poems addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak with Him. Depicting the
common man , with his failures, insecurities, fears and hopes, we can still identify with the Psalmist and be inspired today in Psalms to make
prayers and
supplications to God in times of trouble or express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
The Psalms, despite being written in Antiquity, still
move ,
sensitize ,
awaken feelings ,
inspire and
enchant . In them, we can identify
anguish and
joy , deeply human feelings, praises, supplications, teachings of reflection on spiritual wisdom and prophetic words.
Written for
different situations , some Psalms are intimate, revealing the author's personal relationship with God; others provide guidelines and advice for life, others are compositions for specific liturgical events such as rituals and pilgrimages.
The
Book of Psalms is composed of a collection of 150 poetic texts and is divided into five parts, called Psalm Books or Booklets. Each Book closes with short
hymns of praise to God . The division into five parts was considered to correspond to the five books of Moses and it is assumed that each passage in the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible, called Torah by the Jews) was read in parallel with the corresponding Psalm. Its main forms are
lamentation ,
supplication ,
praise and
gratitude .
The Power of Prayer in Dialogue with the Divine
The Psalms elevate our thoughts to the Divine and
prayer is the
power of the word . Prayer is the language of faith. Any thought, word or image addressed to God is called
prayer . It is through it that we come into contact with our
God within and, therefore, it is so powerful in
transforming life . Prayer can produce
miracles , turn dreams into reality, give us hope for
change ,
harmony and
peace with ourselves and the world.
Each Psalm has an
intention that helps us
meditate and
walk with our God . For many theologians, the Book of Psalms has a prophetic or messianic tone as its verses refer to the coming of Christ into the world of men to guide them through the uncertainty and doubts of Human existence.
The
prayer has the power to call the
Spiritual Universe full mode, honest, sincere, conscious, for the purpose of spiritual self-protection, family protection and those who are dear to us, to have peace of mind, spiritual and physical, for prosperity and success, to protect health and relationships, to ward off negative energies and, above all, to connect us to something bigger than ourselves. From this
peace , well-being, hope and goodness in front of everyone and everything result.
The
faith can change our lives. It gives us
tranquility and
spiritual strength to face challenges. It helps us to
meditate on our mission in life and to create a
balanced and healthy environment for ourselves and those we love. When you pray, fill your heart with
love and
determination . The Psalms will guide you on a path of
peace and
communion with the higher energy .
