Psalms 69:13
in Psalms 69But my prayer to You, O LORD, is for a time of favor. In Your abundant loving devotion, O God, answer me with Your sure salvation.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Jehovah, in an acceptable time: O God, in the abundance of thy lovingkindness, Answer me in the truth of thy salvation.
KJV
But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.
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This verse in Psalms 69
Commentary
10 notes on this verseBut as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord. He turned to Jehovah in prayer as being the most natural thing for the godly to do in their distress. To whom should a child turn but to his father. He did not answer them; like a sheep before her shearers he was dumb to them, but he opened his mouth unto the Lord his God, for he would hear and deliver. In an acceptable time. It was a time of rejection with man, but of acceptance with God. Sin ruled on earth, but grace reigned in heaven.
This site's exposition
for a time of favor
on Psalms 69:13-15
Verse 13 asks for a time of favor. Spurgeon reads that as faith's claim on God's timing, made while the mire of verse 2 still holds him. Verse 15 names three shapes of drowning: the flood, the depths, and the Pit's closing mouth.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"But I with My prayer with You, O Lord" [Psalm 69:13]. But I was with You. But how? With You by praying. For when you are evil spoken of, and know not what you may do; when at you are hurled reproaches, and you find not any way of rebuking him by whom they are hurled; nothing remains for you but to pray. But remember even for that very man to pray. "But I with my prayer with You, O Lord. It is the time of Your good pleasure, O God." For behold the grain is being buried, there shall spring up fruit. "It is the time of Your good pleasure, O God." Of this time even the Prophets have spoken, whereof the Apostle makes mention: "Behold now the time acceptable, behold now the day of salvation." [2 Corinthians 6:2] "It is the time of Your good pleasure, O God. In the multitude of Your mercy." This is the time of good pleasure, "in the multitude of Your mercy." For if there were not a multitude of Your mercy, what should we do for the multitude of our iniquity? "In the multitude of Your mercy; Hearken to me in the truth of Your Salvation." Because He has said, "of Your mercy," he has added truth also: for "mercy and truth" are all the ways of the Lord. Why mercy? In forgiving sins. Why truth? In fulfilling the promises.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The truth also of his salvation (the truth of all those promises of salvation which he has made to those that trust in him) is a further encouragement. He repeats his argument taken from the mercy of God: " Hear me, for thy lovingkindness of good. It is so in itself; it is rich and plentiful and abundant.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord. He turned to Jehovah in prayer as being the most natural thing for the godly to do in their distress. To whom should a child turn but to his father. He did not answer them; like a sheep before her shearers he was dumb to them, but he opened his mouth unto the Lord his God, for he would hear and deliver. In an acceptable time. It was a time of rejection with man, but of acceptance with God. Sin ruled on earth, but grace reigned in heaven. There is to each of us an accepted time, and woe to us if we suffer it to glide away unimproved. God's time must be our time, or it will come to pass that, when time closes, we shall look in vain for space for repentance. Our Lord's prayers were well timed, and always met with acceptance. O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me. Even the perfect one makes his appeal to the rich mercy of God, much more should we. To misery no attribute is more sweet than mercy, and when sorrows multiply, the multitude of mercy is much prized. When enemies are more than the hairs of our head, they are yet to be numbered, but God's mercies are altogether innumerable, and let it never be forgotten that every one of them is an available and powerful argument in the hand of faith. In the truth of thy salvation. "Jehovah's faithfulness is a further mighty plea." His salvation is no fiction, no mockery, no changeable thing, therefore he is asked to manifest it, and make all men see his fidelity to his promise. Our Lord teaches us here the sacred art of wrestling in prayer, and ordering our cause with arguments; and he also indicates to us that the nature of God is the great treasury of strong reasons, which shall be to us most prevalent in supplication.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2356: “The Truth Of God's Salvation” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
I WOULD have you admire the educational power of prayer, for prayer is, in itself, an education for a saint. God might have given us every blessing at once without our asking Him for anything, but He says, even of that which He has promised to His people, "I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them," the reason being that, sometimes, the prayer for the blessing is as beneficial to us as the blessing, itself, and thus we are twice blessed—first in asking—and then in receiving!
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2356: “The Truth Of God's Salvation” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
I WOULD have you admire the educational power of prayer, for prayer is, in itself, an education for a saint. God might have given us every blessing at once without our asking Him for anything, but He says, even of that which He has promised to His people, "I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them," the reason being that, sometimes, the prayer for the blessing is as beneficial to us as the blessing, itself, and thus we are twice blessed—first in asking—and then in receiving! Prayer brings the mercy, but in fetching it for us, prayer, itself, gives us an additional blessing. We are, ourselves, graciously helped of God as we pray, and we grow thereby. Will you also observe that, usually, when saints plead mightily with God, they draw their arguments from the Lord Himself? In this case, David speaks to God of, "Your mercy," and, "the Truth of your salvation." We do not bring pleas to God from abroad—we find them in Him with whom we plead. We say to Him, "You are such a One, therefore, will You not do this for me?" Or, "You have said it, therefore, do as You have said." Our best pleas lie within the compass of God's Character and God's promises. Now, because of this fact, you will at once see why prayer is so beneficial, for thus it helps us to communion. If we come to God and plead with Him on account of what He, Himself, is, we have, in that very pleading, fellowship and communion with Him. We have to think of Him, to consider Him, to endeavor to understand His attributes, and so we come into His Presence intelligently and profitably. This is no small gift, to have our fellowship with the Father fostered by our prayer to Him. Out of this communion comes edification.
My prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time - This seems to refer to the end of the captivity, which Jeremiah had said should last seventy years, Jer 25:11, Jer 25:12: “The whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon,” etc. The conclusion of this period was the accepted tome of which the psalmist speaks. Now, they incessantly pray for the fulfillment of the promise made by Jeremiah: and to hear them, would be the truth of God’s salvation; it would show the promise to be true, because the salvation - the deliverance, was granted.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But as for me - In respect to my conduct and my feelings in these circumstances, and under this treatment. My prayer is unto thee - I indulge in no reproaches of others, and no recriminations. I do not permit myself to indulge in any revengeful feelings. I give myself to prayer. I look to God alone. I keep up my devotions, I maintain my habits of religion, notwithstanding their reproaches, and revilings. I do not allow these things to alter my course of life. Compare the notes at Dan 6:10. In an acceptable time - A time that is well-pleasing to thee; a time when thou wilt hear me. See Isa. 49:83; Isa 61:2; 2Co 6:2. This implies (a) that he had come to God when he was “disposed” to hear; and (b) that he had heard him, and had answered his requests. While others mocked, he continued to pray, and the Lord heard him. No time for prayer can be more “acceptable” to God than when others are reproaching us because we are his friends. In the multitude of thy mercy hear me - In the abundance of thy mercy; or, in thy abounding compassion. This was the substance of his prayer. In the truth of thy salvation - In the exercise of that faithfulness on which salvation depends; or which is manifested in the salvation of people. He prayed that God would show himself faithful to the promises which he had made to those who were seeking salvation.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
and melodies they made of me for those who imbibe strong drink.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
But, as for me, may my prayer to You, O Lord, be may the time of my prayer be a desirable time.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַאֲנִ֤י | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| תְפִלָּתִֽי־ | tefilati- | prayer my | H8605 → | 72 times |
| לְךָ֨׀ | lekha | [is] to you | ||
| יְהוָ֡ה | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עֵ֤ת | ʾet | a time of | H6256 → | 296 times |
| רָצ֗וֹן | ratzon | favor | H7522 → | 56 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֥ים | ʾelohim | O God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בְּרָב־ | berov- | in [the] greatness of | H7230 → | 149 times |
| חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ | chasdekha | covenant loyalty your | H2617 → | 247 times |
| עֲ֝נֵ֗נִי | ʾaneni | answer me | H6030 → | 331 times |
| בֶּאֱמֶ֥ת | beemet | in [the] faithfulness of | H571 → | 127 times |
| יִשְׁעֶֽךָ׃ | yishekha | salvation your | H3468 → | 36 times |
וַאֲנִ֤יand I
vaaniH589 →874 times
תְפִלָּתִֽי־prayer my
tefilati-H8605 →72 times
לְךָ֨׀[is] to you
lekha
יְהוָ֡הO Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עֵ֤תa time of
ʾetH6256 →296 times
רָצ֗וֹןfavor
ratzonH7522 →56 times
אֱלֹהִ֥יםO God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
בְּרָב־in [the] greatness of
berov-H7230 →149 times
חַסְדֶּ֑ךָcovenant loyalty your
chasdekhaH2617 →247 times
עֲ֝נֵ֗נִיanswer me
ʾaneniH6030 →331 times
בֶּאֱמֶ֥תin [the] faithfulness of
beemetH571 →127 times
יִשְׁעֶֽךָ׃salvation your
yishekhaH3468 →36 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Corinthians 6:2For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!
it leads to
- Isaiah 49:8
This is what the LORD says: “In the time of favor I will answer You, and in the day of salvation I will help You; I will keep You and appoint You to be…
- Hebrews 4:7
God again designated a certain day as “Today,” when a long time later He spoke through David as was just stated: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”
- Hebrews 3:13
But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
- Isaiah 49:8
Through
Psalms 91:15When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 33:3
Call to Me, and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
- Isaiah 65:24
Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
- Psalms 50:15
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- Psalms 138:7
If I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve me from the anger of my foes; You extend Your hand, and Your right hand saves me.
- Jeremiah 33:3
Through
Isaiah 49:8This is what the LORD says: “In the time of favor I will answer You, and in the day of salvation I will help You; I will keep You and appoint You to be…
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 6:2
For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!
- 2 Corinthians 6:2
Where this verse is studied
About Psalms
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 69; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2356: “The Truth Of God's Salvation” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.