I have done nothing wrong, yet they prepare to attack me. Wake up! See what is happening and help me!
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.
- 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!
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 35:23Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!
- Ps 5:6You will destroy those who speak lies. Yahweh abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
- Prov 1:16for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.
- Ps 44:23Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever.
- Isa 59:7Their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. desolation and destruction are in their paths.
- Isa 51:9Awake, awake, put on strength, arm of Yahweh! Awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Isn’t it you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the monster?
- Ps 35:19Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.
- Acts 23:15Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
- Rom 3:15“Their feet are swift to shed blood.
- 1 Sam 19:12–24So Michal let David down through the window. He went away, 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.