Psalm 69 2

Psalm 69:2 kjv

I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

Psalm 69:2 nkjv

I sink in deep mire, Where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, Where the floods overflow me.

Psalm 69:2 niv

I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.

Psalm 69:2 esv

I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.

Psalm 69:2 nlt

Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;
I can't find a foothold.
I am in deep water,
and the floods overwhelm me.

Psalm 69 verses

Psalm 69 2 Meaning

Psalm 69:2 powerfully describes a state of overwhelming and inescapable distress, likening it to being bogged down in a deep, treacherous mire without any stable footing, and simultaneously being submerged in deep waters where surging floods threaten to engulf and drown. The verse vividly portrays complete helplessness and imminent perishing, with no means of self-rescue from the multi-faceted perils surrounding the supplicant. It speaks to profound spiritual, emotional, and perhaps physical affliction, a feeling of being consumed by one's troubles.

Psalm 69 2 Context

Psalm 69 is a poignant lament, often ascribed to David, where the speaker pours out deep distress to God, facing severe persecution and reproach from many adversaries, including his own kinsmen. It is filled with fervent prayer for deliverance and justice. The historical context reflects a righteous individual, possibly David himself, suffering immensely for his faithfulness and zealous commitment to God's ways, yet slandered and abused. Culturally, the imagery of sinking in mire and being engulfed by deep waters was a potent and common metaphor in the Ancient Near East for overwhelming trouble, chaos, impending death, and helplessness, often seen as forces of uncreation or enemies. The Psalmist's plea is an implicit polemic against reliance on human strength or false gods, positioning YHWH as the sole source of rescue from such existential threats. This Psalm is notably Messianic, with several verses (like Ps 69:4, 9, 21) explicitly quoted or alluded to in the New Testament to describe the intense suffering, zeal, reproach, and death of Jesus Christ, making it a prophetic utterance of the ultimate righteous sufferer.

Psalm 69 2 Word analysis

• I sink (טָבַע, tāḇaʿ): This Hebrew verb means to sink, be immersed, or go down into something. It implies a loss of control, an involuntary descent, and being stuck in a compromising, debilitating situation from which extrication is impossible by one's own power.
• in deep mire (בֶּן מְצוּלָה, ben mᵊtsûlâ): Literally "son of the depths" of mud or an abyss. Metsulah refers to the profoundest, darkest depths. "Mire" (יוֵן, yāwēn, in some cognate texts) signifies sticky, inescapable mud, like quicksand, preventing movement or escape. It conveys total entanglement and being dragged down, perhaps slowly, towards suffocation or dissolution.
• where there is no foothold (אֵין מָעֳמָד, ʾên maʿămād): Ma'amad means a standing place, firm ground, or support. Ein means "there is not." This phrase emphasizes the absolute absence of any stable ground or solid foundation upon which to stand, to push off from, or to regain balance. It signifies utter instability, vulnerability, and a complete lack of ability to help oneself or find a secure position.
• I have come into (בָּאתִי בּ־, bāʾṯî b-): Indicates the entry or progression into a new, but related, dimension of the plight. It suggests an intensification or a shift from one deadly predicament to another, further emphasizing the Psalmist's inescapable suffering.
• deep waters (מַיִם עַמֻּקִים, mayim ʿammuqîm): Waters that are profound and extensive. In biblical thought, "deep waters" often symbolize overwhelming troubles, chaos, great peril, or impending death, where one feels completely submerged and helpless. Unlike mire which implies slow suffocation, deep water can signify rapid drowning.
• where the floods engulf me (שִׁבֹּלֶת שְׁטָפָה֑נִי, šibbōleṯ šāṭaphāniy): Šibboleth refers to a rushing current or a powerful stream/flood. Šāṭaph means to overflow, wash away, sweep away, or engulf. This vividly portrays being completely overwhelmed and carried away by an irresistible force, sinking beyond hope, and losing the very breath of life. It implies being dragged down to a watery grave.

• "I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold": This initial image paints a picture of being stuck, immobilised, and slowly consumed. It conveys the despair of being mired in seemingly unending troubles, unable to move or find stability, signifying internal torment and the complete erosion of inner strength or any external support.
• "I have come into deep waters, where the floods engulf me": This second image escalates the threat, shifting from being stuck to being drowned. It signifies a crisis that is immediate and life-threatening, suggesting a torrent of external pressures or calamities that threaten to overwhelm and consume one entirely, leading to spiritual or physical demise.
• The combined imagery of mire and deep waters: This powerful double parallelism emphasizes the totality and multi-dimensional nature of the Psalmist's suffering. He is not just stuck, nor merely drowning; he is experiencing both forms of absolute vulnerability and impending doom simultaneously. It signifies no escape route whatsoever, portraying utter desperation and complete reliance on external, divine intervention for survival.

Psalm 69 2 Bonus section

The progressive intensity of the imagery in Psalm 69:2, moving from being stuck in "deep mire" (a more gradual, suffocating demise) to being engulfed by "deep waters" and "floods" (a more sudden, overwhelming doom), serves to underscore the utter totality and varied nature of the Psalmist's peril. This layering of distress communicates an extreme existential threat where death seems not just possible, but inevitable from multiple angles. It portrays the individual as being trapped below the surface of normal existence, completely out of their depth, symbolizing the deep spiritual and emotional anguish that precedes utter despair, making the subsequent plea to God (in Ps 69:3) even more urgent and profound.

Psalm 69 2 Commentary

Psalm 69:2 captures the very essence of desperate human experience in the face of overwhelming adversity. The dual metaphors of sinking in deep mire and being engulfed by floods are not mere embellishments; they underscore a total lack of control, stability, and breathable air—a state akin to slow suffocation combined with rapid drowning. This verse is profoundly applicable to Christ, who bore the full weight of sin and suffering, experiencing a spiritual "engulfment" and feeling abandoned by God (Mk 15:34) in a manner incomprehensible to us. For believers, it reflects moments of profound distress, affliction, and spiritual warfare where life's challenges feel inescapable and threaten to consume all hope and peace. It serves as a reminder that when human effort or external supports fail, when we truly have "no foothold," the only recourse is a cry for divine rescue. It teaches complete dependence on God's outstretched hand for salvation and deliverance.