Psalm 38 22

Psalm 38:22 kjv

Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

Psalm 38:22 nkjv

Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

Psalm 38:22 niv

Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.

Psalm 38:22 esv

Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

Psalm 38:22 nlt

Come quickly to help me,
O Lord my savior.

Psalm 38 verses

Psalm 38 22 Meaning

Psalm 38:22 is a fervent, desperate, and urgent plea to God for immediate deliverance. The psalmist, suffering under the weight of sin, illness, and attacks from adversaries, calls upon the Lord, identifying Him as the sole source of his rescue and hope. It is an emphatic cry for intervention in a time of profound distress, expressing a complete reliance on God's saving power.

Psalm 38 22 Context

Psalm 38 is a lament psalm, specifically classified as a penitential psalm (one of seven such psalms). The entire chapter describes the psalmist's intense suffering, attributed directly to God's wrath due to his sin (Psa 38:1-3). He details his severe physical ailments, loneliness, and the abandonment by friends and family. Enemies rejoice in his downfall and plot against him, while false accusations weigh him down. Amidst this profound anguish, the psalmist expresses a deep and abiding hope in the Lord, despite his despondent state. Verse 22 serves as the desperate climactic appeal, concluding a raw portrayal of human misery and utter dependence on divine intervention. It shifts from description to direct, urgent supplication, demonstrating that even in the lowest depths, faith in God as Savior persists. The historical context for David often involves his own moral failings, such as his sin with Bathsheba, which led to significant consequences and distress, mirroring the themes within this psalm. The exclusive call to 'Adonai' for 'salvation' in a period often surrounded by polytheistic practices implicitly asserted the unique sovereignty and saving power of the God of Israel over any other perceived deity or earthly source of help.

Psalm 38 22 Word analysis

• חוּשָׁה (Chusha): This is a strong imperative verb, "Hurry!", "Hasten!", "Be quick!". It conveys a sense of immediate, urgent need. The psalmist's situation is critical, demanding rapid intervention. It underscores the severity of the crisis and the intense personal suffering, highlighting that any delay would be catastrophic.
• לְעֶזְרָתִי (le'ezrati): "for my help," "to my aid." It stems from the Hebrew noun עֵזֶר ('ezer), meaning "help," "aid," "support," or even "strength." This help is deeply personal and vital. The suffix "-i" denotes "my," emphasizing the individual, direct nature of the appeal. God is not just a general helper but specifically his helper in this desperate moment. This is divine aid, superior to any human capacity or wisdom.
• אֲדֹנָי (Adonai): "Lord," "Master." This title emphasizes God's sovereign authority and His ownership over His people. It is a reverential term used often in prayer, serving as a direct address to the supreme ruler and master of all. Using 'Adonai' here shows not only reverence but also an acknowledgment of God's power and rightful authority to intervene. It acknowledges His dominion over all circumstances, including the psalmist's distress.
• תְּשׁוּעָתִי (Yeshu'ati): "my salvation," "my deliverance," "my victory," "my rescue." This word comes from the root יָשַׁע (yasha'), which means "to save," "to deliver," or "to rescue." It is the Hebrew origin of the name Jesus (Yeshua). The psalmist's identifying God as "my salvation" signifies a personal relationship and a complete reliance on God as the unique source of his spiritual, physical, and situational deliverance. It is not merely a request for help but a profound declaration of faith that God is his deliverer, the very essence of his hope. This term encompasses complete welfare and rescue from all forms of evil and distress, whether sin, illness, or enemies.

• חוּשָׁה לְעֶזְרָתִי ("Hasten to my help"): This phrase encapsulates the acute urgency of the psalmist's suffering and the recognition that only divine intervention can remedy his situation. It is an urgent plea for God to act swiftly and decisively, reflecting the immediate peril and overwhelming burden experienced. It highlights an expectation that God has the power and the willingness to deliver promptly.
• אֲדֹנָי תְּשׁוּעָתִי ("O Lord, my salvation!"): This powerful declaration anchors the urgent plea in a profound theological truth. By addressing God as "Adonai" (sovereign Lord) and affirming Him as "my salvation," the psalmist transcends mere petition; he asserts his unwavering faith and hope in God's saving character and personal commitment to him. It's a statement of trust that even amidst dire circumstances, God remains the ultimate source of rescue, redemption, and victory. This isn't just asking for salvation, but identifying God as salvation itself.

Psalm 38 22 Bonus section

The positioning of this verse at the very end of Psalm 38 gives it particular weight, serving as the climax and ultimate prayer of the sufferer. It encapsulates the core message of laments: from profound despair, one turns to God as the ultimate hope. The strong imperatival form חוּשָׁה (Chusha - "Hasten!") is common in similar psalms of distress (e.g., Psa 70:1, Psa 70:5), indicating a common pattern of urgent supplication in Israelite prayer when facing overwhelming adversity. The use of 'Adonai' for 'Lord' rather than YHWH here emphasizes reverence and God's sovereign control. The term תְּשׁוּעָתִי (Yeshu'ati) directly connects to the foundational promise of God as the ultimate deliverer, a concept central to the entire biblical narrative that ultimately points to Yeshua (Jesus) as the personification of this very salvation. The psalmist's appeal reflects the personal relationship forged in covenant, where individual distress prompts a direct, trusting cry to the one who has promised to save. This demonstrates that personal affliction can drive deeper dependence on God, refining faith even amidst trials.

Psalm 38 22 Commentary

Psalm 38:22 culminates the psalmist's harrowing lament with a succinct, yet profound, cry of desperate trust. Having meticulously detailed his physical agony, spiritual guilt, social isolation, and the relentless attacks of his enemies, he bypasses any intermediate appeal and cries directly to God. The word "Hasten!" reveals the critical nature of his distress, demanding immediate divine action. It signifies a profound awareness that human help is either insufficient or absent. The direct address "O Lord" (Adonai) recognizes God's absolute sovereignty and authority, an essential acknowledgment that only He possesses the power to intervene effectively. The final phrase, "my salvation," is not just a plea for help, but a declarative statement of faith, revealing that despite overwhelming suffering, the psalmist's identity and hope are irrevocably bound to God as his Deliverer. This verse encapsulates the theological truth that even in the deepest pits of human misery and guilt, God remains the ultimate, indispensable, and exclusive source of rescue, deserving of our complete trust and urgent appeal. It is a reminder that a sincere, heart-wrenching cry to God is always heard and often answered with dispatch, as His very character is that of a Redeemer and Helper.