Psalm 143 7

Psalm 143:7 kjv

Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

Psalm 143:7 nkjv

Answer me speedily, O LORD; My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.

Psalm 143:7 niv

Answer me quickly, LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

Psalm 143:7 esv

Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

Psalm 143:7 nlt

Come quickly, LORD, and answer me,
for my depression deepens.
Don't turn away from me,
or I will die.

Psalm 143 verses

Psalm 143 7 Meaning

Psalm 143:7 is an urgent, desperate plea to the Lord for immediate divine intervention. The psalmist expresses an intense physical and spiritual collapse, signaling extreme distress and approaching death or complete despair. He implores God not to withdraw His presence, for divine abandonment would lead to a state likened to perishing in the grave, separated from all life and hope.

Psalm 143 7 Context

Psalm 143 is one of David's laments, deeply reflecting the intense suffering and persecution he endured. It is traditionally considered the seventh and final of the Penitential Psalms (alongside Pss 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130), though its direct focus here is not explicitly on sin but on an urgent cry for deliverance. The immediate verses surrounding verse 7 detail David's exhaustion and the oppressive nature of his enemies (v. 3-4), as well as his remembrance of God's past deeds (v. 5) and his intense longing for God (v. 6). His "spirit failing" directly follows his meditation on God and stretching out his hands in prayer, indicating that even in his spiritual efforts, he is near collapse. The overall tone is one of profound vulnerability and utter dependence on God for survival in the face of overwhelming odds.

Psalm 143 7 Word analysis

• Hear me speedily (עֲנֵנִי מַהֵר - 'aneni maher'):
  • Hear me ('aneni' from 'anah'): More than just "listen," it implies to respond, answer, or intervene effectively. It is a cry for an active, saving response.
  • speedily ('maher'): Denotes urgency and haste. The psalmist's situation is so dire that any delay means certain destruction. It emphasizes the immediacy of the threat.
• O Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH):
  • Refers to the covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal, relational, and unchanging character. It's an appeal to His faithfulness to His promises and His people. It distinguishes Him from any pagan deity.
• my spirit faileth (כָּלְתָה רוּחִי - kāltâ rûḥî):
  • faileth ('kāltâ' from 'kalah'): To complete, consume, pine away, waste away, be exhausted. It suggests total depletion, mental, emotional, and possibly physical collapse, drawing close to expiration. It signifies being utterly spent and at the end of one's endurance.
  • my spirit ('rûḥî'): Refers to one's breath, life force, innermost being, and vital energy. When this "fails," it indicates a complete breakdown of life, verging on death, both physically and existentially.
• hide not thy face from me (אַל תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי - 'al tastêr pānêkā mimmennî'):
  • hide not ('al tastêr' from 'satar'): An emphatic negative command, begging God not to conceal Himself or withdraw His presence.
  • thy face ('pānêkā'): God's "face" represents His presence, favor, active attention, and life-giving blessing. When God hides His face, it signifies displeasure, abandonment, loss of light, and the withdrawal of His sustaining power, leading to terror and despair.
• lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit (פֶּן־אֶמְשַׁל עִם־יוֹרְדֵי בוֹר - pen emshal im yōrdê bōr):
  • lest ('pen'): Indicates a dreaded consequence, expressing fear.
  • I be like unto them ('emshal im' from 'mashal'): To be compared, to resemble, to share the same fate as. The psalmist fears becoming indistinguishable from the dead.
  • that go down into the pit ('yōrdê bōr'): "The pit" ('bor') is a common Old Testament term for the grave, the underworld, or Sheol—the realm of the dead, characterized by silence, darkness, and separation from God's presence. To "go down into the pit" means to die and be cut off from the land of the living and, implicitly, from God's active involvement.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Hear me speedily, O Lord": This phrase establishes the extreme urgency and dependence on divine power. It's a prayer born of desperation, requiring an immediate, tangible divine response, not just a sympathetic ear. The invocation of "O Lord" (YHWH) is crucial here, reminding God of His covenant faithfulness.
• "my spirit faileth": This describes the internal state of utter exhaustion and despair. It's a plea from someone who is at the very brink, experiencing not merely physical weakness but a complete collapse of life force, hope, and inner strength, highlighting human frailty apart from divine sustenance.
• "hide not thy face from me": This is the pivotal petition of the verse, linking the inner failing to the direct need for God's active, visible presence. God's presence is synonymous with life, blessing, and favor, while His hidden face spells disfavor, abandonment, and desolation. It reflects the understanding that God's immediate attention and relationship are vital for survival.
• "lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit": This phrase articulates the ultimate consequence of God's absence – complete and irreversible destruction or separation, equated with death and oblivion. It underscores that spiritual and physical life, hope, and purpose are intrinsically tied to being in relationship with God; without His intervention, the psalmist's state will become one of permanent silence and spiritual demise, a non-existence in the realm where God is acknowledged.

Psalm 143 7 Bonus section

The profound fear of "the pit" in Psalm 143:7 emphasizes not just physical death but a dreaded state of complete oblivion, where connection with God, praise, and memory are extinguished. For ancient Israelites, the pit (Sheol) was not a place of torment for the wicked (as often conceived later) but a shadow realm of existence, devoid of God's active presence and therefore terrifyingly barren. David's plea reflects the profound belief that true life, and indeed the very meaning of existence, is found solely in God's presence and active involvement. Therefore, to be "like unto them that go down into the pit" meant the ultimate loss – loss of connection, hope, and the capacity to praise the living God. This is a reminder that the life of the spirit is as critical as the physical, and both depend on the Divine Giver of breath.

Psalm 143 7 Commentary

Psalm 143:7 captures a profound human experience of desperate need for God's immediate presence. David's urgent cry, "Hear me speedily, O Lord," arises from a deep crisis where his very "spirit faileth." This isn't merely tiredness but an internal, existential collapse—his life force is ebbing away, and he is teetering on the edge of utter despair or death. The request, "hide not thy face from me," is central. In biblical thought, God's "face" signifies His active, benevolent presence, His favor, and His sustaining life. When God "hides His face," it means withdrawal, abandonment, and disfavor, which for the Psalmist is the ultimate horror. The chilling consequence he fears—"lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit"—reveals his greatest dread: to be consumed by death, reduced to silence and separation from God, indistinguishable from those forgotten in the grave. This verse powerfully illustrates absolute dependence on God for not only physical rescue but also spiritual vitality and continued relationship. It serves as a raw, honest model for believers facing overwhelming darkness, urging a tenacious hold on God even when His presence feels most distant. For practical usage, this verse can be a prayer in moments of spiritual exhaustion, deep sorrow, or intense persecution when one feels abandoned by God and life's burdens are crushing.