Read & explore together
Be My Rock of Refuge
Psalm 71 is a prayer-song that asks God for rescue and keeps returning to praise. The speaker moves from danger and weakness to confident worship, using pictures like rock, fortress and refuge.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
In this psalm, the speaker addresses Yahweh directly, asking for deliverance from wicked enemies and for help in old age. The psalm also looks back to lifelong dependence on God from the womb and forward to telling the next generation about God’s strength, righteousness and great acts.
Psalms 71:1–24Main takeaway
This psalm teaches that in trouble and weakness, the speaker keeps asking God for help and keeps speaking about God’s righteousness and praise.
Explore the poem and its images
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Refuge and rescueThe psalm opens with trust and urgent requests. The speaker takes refuge in Yahweh and asks not to be disappointed.
Explanation
The psalm opens with trust and urgent requests. The speaker takes refuge in Yahweh and asks not to be disappointed. God is called a rock of refuge and a fortress, showing safety and strength. The danger is real, because the speaker asks to be rescued from wicked, unrighteous and cruel people.
02Confidence from youth to old ageThe speaker says God has been the speaker’s hope and confidence from youth, even from the womb, so praise is fitting all day long.
Explanation
The speaker says God has been the speaker’s hope and confidence from youth, even from the womb, so praise is fitting all day long. Yet this trust does not remove weakness. The psalm openly asks God not to reject or forsake the speaker in old age when strength fails and enemies speak this way.
03Hope that keeps speakingAfter asking God to hurry to help, the speaker turns firmly to hope. The speaker plans to keep praising God and telling of God’s righteousness and salvation all day.
Explanation
After asking God to hurry to help, the speaker turns firmly to hope. The speaker plans to keep praising God and telling of God’s righteousness and salvation all day. God has taught the speaker from youth, and the speaker wants to keep declaring God’s strength and might to the next generation.
04Great things and joyful praiseThe final movement celebrates God’s unmatched greatness. The speaker says God’s righteousness reaches to the heavens and addresses God as the one who has shown us many and bitter troubles.
Explanation
The final movement celebrates God’s unmatched greatness. The speaker says God’s righteousness reaches to the heavens and addresses God as the one who has shown us many and bitter troubles. In the same prayer, the speaker says, “you will let me live” and asks for honour and comfort, ending with music, joy and talk of God’s righteousness.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What word-pictures does the psalm use for God at the beginning, and what do they show about what the speaker needs?
Look at the images of refuge, rock and fortress and connect them with the requests for rescue and safety from wicked people.
02How does the psalm connect youth, old age and praise?
Notice that the speaker says God has been the speaker’s confidence from youth and then asks not to be forsaken in old age, while still filling the mouth with praise.
03What does the speaker want to keep declaring, and to whom?
Find the repeated words about righteousness, salvation, wondrous works, strength and the next generation.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Psalms 71:1–24
1In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Never let me be disappointed.
2Deliver me in your righteousness, and rescue me. Turn your ear to me, and save me.
3Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may always go. Give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4Rescue me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5For you are my hope, Lord Yahweh, my confidence from my youth.
6I have relied on you from the womb. You are he who took me out of my mother’s womb. I will always praise you.
7I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge.
8My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your honor all day long.
9Don’t reject me in my old age. Don’t forsake me when my strength fails.
10For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together,
11saying, “God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him.”
12God, don’t be far from me. My God, hurry to help me.
13Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me.
14But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise.
15My mouth will tell about your righteousness, and of your salvation all day, though I don’t know its full measure.
16I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord Yahweh. I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours alone.
17God, you have taught me from my youth. Until now, I have declared your wondrous works.
18Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don’t forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come.
19God, your righteousness also reaches to the heavens. You have done great things. God, who is like you?
20You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.
21Increase my honor and comfort me again.
22I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God. I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.
23My lips shall shout for joy! My soul, which you have redeemed, sings praises to you!
24My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, for they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.