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Draw near to my soul, and redeem it; Deliver me because of my enemies.
Psalms 69:18 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Draw near to my soul, and redeem it. Ransom me because of my enemies.
  • KJV Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.
  • BSB Draw near to my soul and redeem me; ransom me because of my foes.
  • NASB Come near to my soul and redeem it; Ransom me because of my enemies!
  • NLT Come and redeem me; free me from my enemies.

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 asks God to draw near, redeem, and ransom his soul because of his enemies. It pleads for God's personal, rescuing intervention.

Overview

David calls on God to come close and to redeem and ransom him from his foes, using the language of buying back a captive. His hope is in God acting as his Redeemer. This redemption foreshadows the gospel, where Christ ransoms his people from sin and death, drawing near to save those who could never free themselves.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 10

  • Ps 22:1For the Chief Musician; set to “The Doe of the Morning.” A Psalm by David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
  • Ps 111:9He has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his covenant forever. His name is holy and awesome!
  • Ps 22:19But don’t be far off, Yahweh. You are my help: hurry to help me.
  • Ps 49:15But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah.
  • Ps 10:1Why do you stand far off, Yahweh? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
  • Ps 31:5Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, Yahweh, God of truth.
  • Deut 32:27were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, lest their adversaries should judge wrongly, lest they should say, ‘Our hand is exalted, Yahweh has not done all this.’”
  • Jer 14:8You hope of Israel, its Savior in the time of trouble, why should you be as a foreigner in the land, and as a wayfaring man who turns aside to stay for a night?
  • Josh 7:9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. What will you do for your great name?”
  • Job 6:23or, ‘Deliver me from the adversary’s hand?’ or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors?’

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 69:18YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 69:18 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.