For no fault of my own, they move swiftly to attack me. Arise to help me, and take notice.
Parallel translations
- WEB I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Rise up, behold, and help me!
- KJV They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.
- NKJV They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine. Awake to help me, and behold!
- NASB For no guilt of mine, they run and take their stand against me. Stir Yourself to help me, and see!
- NLT I have done nothing wrong, yet they prepare to attack me. Wake up! See what is happening and help me!
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
Though guiltless, David finds his enemies poised to attack, so he calls God to rise and help. It is an urgent appeal for God to act.
Overview
David repeats his innocence and summons God to awake and come to his aid. The language is bold, urging God to behold the injustice and intervene. Such prayers reflect confidence that God is not indifferent but will rouse himself on behalf of his afflicted people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 35:23Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!
- Ps 5:6You destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
- Prov 1:16For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
- Ps 44:23Wake up, O Lord! Why are You sleeping? Arise! Do not reject us forever.
- Isa 59:7Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.
- Isa 51:9Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon?
- Ps 35:19Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.
- Acts 23:15Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.”
- Rom 3:15“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
- 1 Sam 19:12–24So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.
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 59:4 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.