For
the zeal of your house consumes me. The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
Psalm 69:9
Psalm 68 [30.] Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds,
the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples.
Being humbled, may it bring bars of silver.
Scatter the nations that delight in war.
Princes shall come out of Egypt.
Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.
Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth!
Sing praises to the Lord!
Selah.
To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old;
behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.
Ascribe strength to God!
His excellency is over Israel,
his strength is in the skies.
You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries.
The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people.
Praise be to God!
For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Lilies.” By David.
Psalm 69 [1.] Save me, God,
for the waters have come up to my neck!
I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold.
I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
I am weary with my crying.
My throat is dry.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.
Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty.
I have to restore what I didn’t take away.
God, you know my foolishness.
My sins aren’t hidden from you.
Don’t let those who wait for you be shamed through me, Lord Yahweh of Armies.
Don’t let those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of Israel.
Because for your sake, I have borne reproach.
Shame has covered my face.
I have become a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my mother’s children.
For the zeal of your house consumes me.
The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
Psalm 69 [10.] When I wept and I fasted,
that was to my reproach.
When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became a byword to them.
Those who sit in the gate talk about me.
I am the song of the drunkards.
But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time.
God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.
Deliver me out of the mire, and don’t let me sink.
Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.
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.
Answer me, Yahweh, for your loving kindness is good.
According to the multitude of your tender mercies, turn to me.
Don’t hide your face from your servant,
for I am in distress.
Answer me speedily!
Draw near to my soul, and redeem it.
Ransom me because of my enemies.
You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor.
My adversaries are all before you.
Meaning:
Psalm 69 is a prayer of David from deep distress. In this verse he explains one reason for his suffering: his loyalty to God and to God's house has made him a target. The New Testament quotes both halves of the verse and applies them to Jesus.
- “For the zeal of your house consumes me”
“Your house” is the house of God, the place of his worship. David longed to see God honoured in a fitting dwelling, and another psalm remembers his vow not to rest “until I find out a place for Yahweh” (Psalm 132:5). His zeal cost him even his friends: “I have become a stranger to my brothers.”
When Jesus drove the traders out of the temple courts, his disciples remembered these words: “Zeal for your house will eat me up” (John 2:17). Jesus' devotion to his Father's house would indeed consume him, leading to his death.
- “The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me”
David took on himself the scorn that was really directed at God. Paul applies this line to Christ, writing that “even Christ didn’t please himself” and quoting, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me” (Romans 15:3). Jesus bore the hostility of people who rejected God, above all on the cross.
- A psalm fulfilled in Christ
Other verses of Psalm 69 also point to Jesus. At the cross he was given sour wine, as the psalm says: “In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink” (Psalm 69:21). Jesus also quoted the psalm's complaint about those who hate without a cause (John 15:25).
The Significance of Psalm 69:9
- Zeal for God's honour
David and Jesus both cared more for God's honour than for their own comfort. Believers are called to share that devotion.
- Sharing in reproach
Those who stand with God may face misunderstanding and scorn. Paul's use of this verse encourages Christians to bear such reproach patiently, following Christ's example.
Cross-References:
John 2:17: “Zeal for your house will eat me up.” The disciples apply the verse to Jesus.
Romans 15:3: “For even Christ didn’t please himself.” Paul quotes the second half of the verse.
Psalm 69:21: “In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.” Another verse of the psalm fulfilled at the cross.
Conclusion: Psalm 69:9 describes David's burning zeal for God's house and his willingness to bear the insults aimed at God. The New Testament sees both lines fulfilled in Jesus. His zeal for his Father's house consumed him, and he bore the reproaches of those who rejected God.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible