They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.
Parallel translations
- WEB I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Rise up, behold, and help me!
- BSB For no fault of my own, they move swiftly to attack me. Arise to help me, and take notice.
- 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 35:23Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
- Ps 5:6Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
- Prov 1:16For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
- Ps 44:23Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
- Isa 59:7Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.
- Isa 51:9Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
- Ps 35:19Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
- Acts 23:15Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.
- Rom 3:15Their feet are swift to shed blood:
- 1 Sam 19:12–24So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, 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.