I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

PSALMS 69:2KJV
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Psalms 69:2 (KJV)

What does Psalms 69:2 mean?

Psalms 69:2 describes the writer feeling overwhelmed and helpless, as if sinking into deep mud with no solid ground to stand on and being swept away by powerful floods. The verse uses vivid imagery to express a sense of being trapped and unable to escape overwhelming trouble or distress.

King David is speaking in this psalm, crying out to God during a time of intense suffering. The language paints a picture of someone stuck in a hopeless situation, surrounded by dangers that threaten to overcome him. This verse sets the tone for the rest of the psalm, which continues to describe David’s desperate need for rescue.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 69:2

  • The word "sink" (טָבַע, ṭāvaʿ) means to be submerged or stuck, often used for someone drowning or being swallowed up. Here, it emphasizes how powerless David feels.
  • "Deep mire" (יַוֵן, yāwen) refers to thick, sticky mud or clay, making the image more intense—David is not just in water but in a place where movement is impossible.
  • "Standing" (מְמוֹד, məmōd) means a place to stand or something solid underfoot. The absence of this word shows there is no stability or safety for David.
  • "Floods overflow" (שָׁטַף, shāṭaf) describes being swept away by rushing waters, highlighting the sense of being overwhelmed and unable to resist the force of trouble.

Why Psalms 69:2 matters

  • The verse helps readers understand the depth of David’s distress, using physical dangers as a metaphor for emotional or spiritual crisis.
  • It clarifies that the psalm is not just about minor troubles but about feeling completely overpowered, which sets up the urgent tone of the whole psalm.
  • The vivid language connects with anyone who has felt trapped or overwhelmed, making David’s prayer relatable and honest.

Where else these words appear

“mire” Hebrew H3121 · used in 2 verses

  • Psalms 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

“deep” Hebrew H4615 · used in 5 verses

  • Psalms 69:14 Deliver 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.
  • Psalms 130:1 A Song of degrees. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
  • Isaiah 51:10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

“sink” Hebrew H2883 · used in 10 verses

  • Exodus 15:4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
  • Psalms 9:15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
  • Jeremiah 38:6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

“deep” Hebrew H4688 · used in 11 verses

  • Exodus 15:5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
  • Psalms 68:22 The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:
  • Psalms 107:24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.