Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
Parallel translations
- WEB Vindicate me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Oh, deliver me from deceitful and wicked men.
- BSB Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; deliver me from deceitful and unjust men.
- NKJV Vindicate me, O God, And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
- NASB Vindicate me, God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; Save me from the deceitful and unjust person!
- NLT Declare me innocent, O God! Defend me against these ungodly people. Rescue me from these unjust liars.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The psalmist asks God to vindicate him and defend his cause against ungodly, deceitful men. He appeals to God as his righteous Judge.
Overview
Psalm 43 continues the thought of Psalm 42 and shares its refrain, suggesting they form one prayer. He pleads for divine vindication rather than self-defense. Committing one's cause to God the Judge is the believer's recourse against injustice (Romans 12:19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Ps 35:1Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
- Ps 26:1Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
- Ps 7:8The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.
- 1 Sam 24:15The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
- Ps 35:24Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
- Ps 71:4Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
- Ps 5:6Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
- Mic 7:9I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.
- 1 Pet 2:23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
- 1 Cor 4:4For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
- Prov 23:11For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
- Prov 22:23For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
- Ps 75:7But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
- 2 Sam 16:20Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
- 2 Sam 15:31And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 43:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.