Psalms 71:20
in Psalms 71Though You have shown me many troubles and misfortunes, You will revive me once again. Even from the depths of the earth You will bring me back up.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou, who hast showed us many and sore troubles, Wilt quicken us again, And wilt bring us up again from the depths of the earth.
KJV
Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
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This verse in Psalms 71
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again. Here is faith's inference from the infinite greatness of the Lord. He has been strong to smite; he will be also strong to save. He has shown me many heavy and severe trials, and he will also show me many and precious mercies. He has almost killed me, he will speedily revive me; and though I have been almost dead and buried, he will give me a resurrection, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
This site's exposition
reaches to the heavens
on Psalms 71:19-21
The praise comes before the rescue, with God's righteousness reaching to the heavens and no one like him. Verse 20 names the troubles as shown by God himself and still looks for reviving, even out of the depths of the earth. Delitzsch reads those depths as the grave.
This site's exposition
You will revive me once again
Adam Clarke fixed on the verb shown, as if God had let the troubles come only so near. Their full weight would have destroyed him. Charles Spurgeon drew the inference that the hand strong to smite is strong to save.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"How great troubles hast Thou shown to me, many and evil!" (ver. 20). Deservedly, proud servant. For thou hast willed perversely to be like thy God, who hadst been made after the image of thy Lord. Wouldest thou have it to be well with thee, when withdrawing from that good? Truly God saith to thee, if thou withdrawest from Me, and it is well with thee, I am not thy good. Again, if He is good, and in the highest degree good, and of Himself to Himself good, and by no foreign good thing good, and is Himself our chief good; by withdrawing from Him, what wilt thou be but evil? Also if He is Himself our blessedness, what will there be to one withdrawing from Him, except misery? Return thou then after misery, and say, "O Lord, who is like unto Thee? How great troubles hast Thou shown to me, many and evil!"
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Are they dead? he can quicken them again. Are they buried, as dead men out of mind? he can bring them up again from the depths of the earth, can cheer the most drooping spirit and raise the most sinking interest. [4.] If we have a due regard to the hand of God in our troubles, we may promise ourselves, in due time, a deliverance out of them.
Thou, which hast showed me great and sore troubles,.... Or, "made him to see" (g); that is, to experience.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again. Here is faith's inference from the infinite greatness of the Lord. He has been strong to smite; he will be also strong to save. He has shown me many heavy and severe trials, and he will also show me many and precious mercies. He has almost killed me, he will speedily revive me; and though I have been almost dead and buried, he will give me a resurrection, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. However low the Lord may permit us to sink, he will fix a limit to the descent, and in due time will bring us up again. Even when we are laid low in the tomb, the mercy is that we can go no lower, but shall retrace our steps and mount to better lands; and all this, because the Lord is ever mighty to save. A little God would fail us, but not Jehovah the Omnipotent. It is safe to lean on him, since he bears up the pillars both of heaven and earth.
Thou, which hast showed me great and sore troubles - Multiplied straits and difficulties. And thou hast only showed them. Hadst thou permitted them to have fallen upon me with all their own energy and natural consequences, they would have destroyed me. As it was, I was nearly buried under them. Shalt quicken me again - Shalt revive me - put new life in me. This has been applied to the passion of our Lord, and his resurrection; for it is added, Thou: - Shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth - Death shall not prey upon my body; thy Holy One can see no corruption. As applicable to David, it might mean his being almost overwhelmed with afflictions; and his deliverance was like a life from the dead.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Thou, which hast showed me great and sore troubles - Or rather, who hast caused us to see or experience great trials. The psalmist here, by a change from the singular to the plural, connects himself with his friends and followers, meaning that he had suffered with them and through them. It was not merely a personal affliction, but others connected with him had been identified with him, and his personal sorrows had been increased by the trials which had come upon them also. Our severest trials often are those which affect our friends. Shalt quicken me again - literally, “Shalt return and make us live.” The word “quicken” in the Scriptures has always this sense of “making to live again.” See the notes at Joh 5:21; compare Rom 4:17; 1Co 15:36; Eph 2:1. The plural form should have been retained here as in the former member of the sentence. The authors of the Masoretic punctuation have pointed this as if it were to be read in the singular, but the plural is undoubtedly the true reading. Alike in his affliction, and in his hope of the returning mercy of God, he connects himself here with those who had suffered with him. The language expresses firm confidence in the goodness of God - an assurance that these troubles would pass away, and that he would see a brighter day. And shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth - As if he had been sunk in the waters, or in the mire. See Psa 130:1. The word here used means commonly “wave, billow, surge;” then, a mass of waters, “a flood,” the deep; then, a gulf, an abyss. The idea here is, that, instead of being on the mountain top, in a place of security, he had sunk down to the lowest point; he had, as it were, sunk “into” the very earth. Yet from that low estate he felt assured that God would raise him up, and place him in a condition of happiness and safety. […]
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִרְאִיתַ֨נִי | hiritani | you have made see me | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| צָר֥וֹת | tzarot | troubles | H6869 → | 73 times |
| רַבּ֗וֹת | rabot | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| וְרָ֫ע֥וֹת | veraot | and calamities | H7451 → | 662 times |
| תָּשׁ֥וּב | tashuv | you will return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| תְּחַיֵּ֑ינִי | techaiyeini | you will preserve alive me | H2421 → | 282 times |
| וּֽמִתְּהֹמ֥וֹת | umitehomot | and from [the] depths of | H8415 → | 36 times |
| הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| תָּשׁ֥וּב | tashuv | you will return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| תַּעֲלֵֽנִי׃ | taaleni | you will bring up me | H5927 → | 890 times |
אֲשֶׁ֤רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הִרְאִיתַ֨נִיyou have made see me
hiritaniH7200 →1300 times
צָר֥וֹתtroubles
tzarotH6869 →73 times
רַבּ֗וֹתmany
rabotH7227 →454 times
וְרָ֫ע֥וֹתand calamities
veraotH7451 →662 times
תָּשׁ֥וּבyou will return
tashuvH7725 →1056 times
תְּחַיֵּ֑ינִיyou will preserve alive me
techaiyeiniH2421 →282 times
וּֽמִתְּהֹמ֥וֹתand from [the] depths of
umitehomotH8415 →36 times
הָ֝אָ֗רֶץthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
תָּשׁ֥וּבyou will return
tashuvH7725 →1056 times
תַּעֲלֵֽנִי׃you will bring up me
taaleniH5927 →890 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
Psalms 138:7If 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.
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- Psalms 23:3–4
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.
- Psalms 71:20–21
Though You have shown me many troubles and misfortunes, You will revive me once again. Even from the depths of the earth You will bring me back up.
- Psalms 85:6
Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?
- Acts 2:33
Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
- Isaiah 41:10
Through
Psalms 86:13For great is Your loving devotion to me; You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol.
it leads to
- Psalms 103:8–12
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.
- Psalms 57:10
For Your loving devotion reaches to the heavens, and Your faithfulness to the clouds.
- Luke 1:58
Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.
- Psalms 103:8–12
About Psalms
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 71; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.