Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
Parallel translations
- WEB Don’t let the flood waters overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Don’t let the pit shut its mouth on me.
- BSB Do not let the floods engulf me or the depths swallow me up; let not the Pit close its mouth over me.
- NKJV Let not the floodwater overflow me, Nor let the deep swallow me up; And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.
- NASB May the flood of water not overflow me Nor the deep swallow me up, Nor the pit close its mouth on me.
- NLT Don’t let the floods overwhelm me, or the deep waters swallow me, or the pit of death devour 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
David prays that the floods, the deep, and the pit would not swallow him up. It pleads for rescue from overwhelming, deadly danger.
Overview
David asks that the surging waters not overwhelm him, the deep not consume him, and the grave-like pit not close over him. The layered images convey the threat of being utterly lost. The deliverance sought here anticipates Christ's rescue from death itself, for the grave could not hold the one whom God raised, securing hope for all who trust him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Rev 12:15–16And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
- Ps 16:10For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
- Isa 43:1–2But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
- Acts 2:24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
- Jonah 2:2–7And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
- Ps 124:4–5Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:
- Ps 88:4–6I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:
- Num 16:33–34They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
- Acts 2:31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
- Matt 12:40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
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 69:15 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.