Psalms 31:15-24

15 My life is in your hands. Save me from my enemies and from those who are chasing me.

16 Show your kindness to me, your servant. Save me because of your love.

17 Lord, I called to you, so do not let me be disgraced. Let the wicked be disgraced and lie silent in the grave.

18 With pride and hatred they speak against those who do right. So silence their lying lips.

19 How great is your goodness that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you have given to those who trust you. You do this for all to see.

20 You protect them by your presence from what people plan against them. You shelter them from evil words.

21 Praise the Lord. His love to me was wonderful when my city was attacked.

22 In my distress, I said, "God cannot see me!" But you heard my prayer when I cried out to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all you who belong to him. The Lord protects those who truly believe, but he punishes the proud as much as they have sinned.

24 All you who put your hope in the Lord be strong and brave. A maskil of David.

Psalms 31:15-24 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. This psalm, according to Arama, was composed by David when in Keilah; but, according to Kimchi and others, when the Ziphites proposed to deliver him up into the hands of Saul; and who, upon their solicitations, came down and surrounded him with his army, from whom in haste he made his escape, and to which he is thought to refer in Psalm 31:22. Theodoret supposes it was written by David when he fled from Absalom, and that it has some respect in it to his sin against Uriah, in that verse.