Psalms 69:29 (KJV)

What does Psalms 69:29 mean?

Psalms 69:29 expresses a cry for help from someone who feels deeply afflicted and weighed down by sorrow, asking God to rescue and lift them up. The verse shows a person admitting their low and troubled state and pleading for God’s saving power to raise them above their hardship.

The speaker is traditionally understood to be David, praying to God in the midst of suffering and distress. In this verse, David openly describes himself as “poor” and “sorrowful,” highlighting his vulnerability. The request for God’s “salvation” to “set me up on high” is a plea for deliverance and restoration, asking not just for relief but for a complete reversal of his situation.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 69:29

• “poor” (עָנִי, ‘ani): This word often refers to someone who is afflicted, humble, or oppressed, not just financially poor. Here, it emphasizes the speaker’s low and needy condition.
• “sorrowful” (כְּאֵב, ke’ev): This word means to be in pain or deep distress, pointing to emotional or physical suffering.
• “salvation” (יְשׁוּעָה, yeshu‘ah): This is a broad word for rescue or deliverance, often used for God’s saving action. The plea is for God’s intervention, not just comfort.
• “God” (אֱלֹהִים, ’Elohim): This is a common name for God in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing His power and authority.
• “high” (שָׂגַב, sagav): This word means to be set securely on high, out of danger. The request is not just for escape, but for safety and honor above the reach of trouble.

Why Psalms 69:29 matters

• Psalms 69:29 clarifies that the speaker’s sense of being “poor” is about affliction and humility, not just material poverty.
• The verse highlights the depth of the psalmist’s pain, showing that the request for salvation is rooted in real, personal suffering.
• This verse connects to the larger theme of Psalms 69, where the writer repeatedly turns to God for help in the face of overwhelming trouble, modeling honest prayer in distress.