Psalm 61:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David. Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;

NIV: For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David. Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.

NASB: Hear my cry, God; Give Your attention to my prayer.

CSB: God, hear my cry; pay attention to my prayer.

NLT: O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!

KJV: {To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David.} Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

NKJV: {To the Chief Musician. On a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.} Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer.

David prays, calling upon God to hear and listen. Although the Lord was the God of Israel, the nation, He was also David's God. David called upon Him as a child needing help would call upon his father. David's prayer is offered with the assumption that the Lord will hear him and respond.

Jesus taught His disciples to address God not only reverently but also intimately. He taught them to say, "Father, hallowed be your name" (Luke 11:2). He also compared God to a father who gives good gifts to His children (Luke 11:11–13). The apostle Paul writes that God has sent the Spirit of Jesus into the hearts of believers, causing them to address God as "Abba! Father!" (Galatians 4:6). "Abba" is a familiar term, almost intimate. Only those who are born into the family of God by trusting in Jesus as Savior can say with assurance that God is their Father (John 1:12–13).

Psalm 61:1–4 is David's prayer for safety during a time of uncertainty. He feels his courage draining and speaks as if he is far from home. His appeal includes references to secure, high places, fortified areas, and sanctuary. David repeats a common metaphor about God protecting His people the way a mother hen guards chicks with outstretched wings (Psalm 17:8; 63:7).

David prays as someone displaced from home and wracked with fear. He asks to be led to safety, recalling God's former protection. David appeals to his personal faithfulness towards the Lord. He asks for his kingship to be protected, echoing the promises God made about David's reign (2 Samuel 7:9–13). Anticipating that rescue, David promises to praise the Lord.

The historical setting for this psalm is uncertain, unlike psalms connected to definite events (Psalm 54; 59; 60). This psalm asks for protection for the king, so it might have been inspired by David's evacuation during the rebellion of Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13–14). That escape led David over the Mount of Olives (2 Samuel 15:30) and to the fortified city of Mahanaim (2 Samuel 17:24), events which resemble the themes of this song.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 5/4/2024 1:24:03 AM