Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.
Parallel translations
- WEB For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Lilies.” By David. Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck!
- BSB For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David. Save me, O God, for the waters are up to my neck.
- NKJV Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.
- NASB Save me, God, For the waters have threatened my life.
- NLT Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck.
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 cries out for God to save him as overwhelming troubles rise like floodwaters to his neck. It models honest prayer in deep distress.
Overview
This lament by David begins with a desperate plea for rescue, picturing his afflictions as rising waters threatening to drown him. The psalm is heavily quoted in the New Testament regarding Christ's sufferings, making David's experience a foreshadowing of the Messiah. Like David and like Jesus, believers may pour out raw cries for salvation, trusting God to hear.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Isa 43:2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
- Ps 69:14–15Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.
- Lam 3:54Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.
- 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.
- Jonah 2:3–5For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
- Ps 42:7Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
- Ps 69:2I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
- Rev 17:15And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
- Ps 32:6For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
- Ps 18:4The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
- Job 22:11Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
- Ps 45:1My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
- Ps 60:1O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
- Isa 28:17Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
- Ps 80:1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 69:1 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.