Psalm 9:13 kjv
Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:
Psalm 9:13 nkjv
Have mercy on me, O LORD! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death,
Psalm 9:13 niv
LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
Psalm 9:13 esv
Be gracious to me, O LORD! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
Psalm 9:13 nlt
LORD, have mercy on me.
See how my enemies torment me.
Snatch me back from the jaws of death.
Psalm 9 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 6:2 | "Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am faint; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are in agony." | Plea for mercy in physical/emotional distress. |
| Psa 25:16 | "Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted." | Request for mercy due to affliction. |
| Psa 86:3 | "Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to You do I cry all the day." | Calling upon God for grace continually. |
| Psa 51:1 | "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love..." | Cry for mercy from a heart of deep need. |
| Psa 3:7 | "Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For You strike all my enemies on the cheek..." | God delivers from enemies. |
| Psa 18:4-6 | "The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me... in my distress..." | Experiencing near-death, crying to God. |
| Psa 30:3 | "O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit." | God's power to rescue from death. |
| Psa 40:2 | "He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog..." | God lifting from a desperate state. |
| Psa 71:20 | "You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again..." | God's power to restore life after trouble. |
| Psa 107:18 | "They loathed all food, and they drew near to the gates of death." | Figurative "gates of death" due to distress. |
| Psa 116:3 | "The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of Sheol came upon me; I found trouble and sorrow." | Extreme distress leading to the brink of death. |
| Jon 2:2-6 | "...from the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice...the bars of the earth closed upon me forever..." | Jonah's prayer from depths, experiencing death's realm. |
| Job 38:17 | "Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?" | Emphasizes "gates of death" as a deep, mysterious place. |
| Isa 38:10 | "I said, 'In the noontide of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol...'" | Hezekiah's contemplation of death. |
| Psa 7:1-2 | "O Lord my God, in You do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me..." | Refuge in God from enemies. |
| Psa 35:19 | "Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes..." | Suffering from unjust enemies. |
| Psa 59:1-2 | "Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me..." | Prayer for deliverance from attacking foes. |
| 2 Cor 1:9-10 | "...we had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead." | Trust in God's resurrection power in peril. |
| Heb 2:14-15 | "...that through death He might destroy him who has the power of death... and deliver all those who through fear of death..." | Christ's victory over death and its fear. |
| 1 Cor 15:26 | "The last enemy to be destroyed is death." | Ultimate defeat of death through Christ. |
| Psa 13:3-4 | "Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death..." | Prayer for God's attention in distress. |
| Lam 3:55-58 | "I called on Your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; You heard my plea..." | Calling from extreme distress, God hears. |
| Psa 75:7 | "but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another." | God's sovereignty in elevating or abasing. |
Psalm 9 verses
Psalm 9 13 Meaning
Psalm 9:13 is a fervent plea from the psalmist to God for divine intervention in a time of severe affliction. It expresses the psalmist's deep distress, caused by his adversaries, and appeals to God's mercy and powerful deliverance. The verse transitions from a lament of extreme peril to an expression of confident trust in God as the One who can rescue from the very brink of death. It encapsulates a plea for grace and an acknowledgement of God's sovereign power to uplift from dire circumstances.
Psalm 9 13 Context
Psalm 9 is a Davidic psalm of thanksgiving and praise to God, primarily for His righteous judgment against the wicked and His deliverance of the psalmist and the oppressed. While broadly a psalm of praise (v. 1-12), it contains elements of lament (v. 13-20), including the direct plea in verse 13. The psalmist has experienced severe oppression from "them that hate me" and sees himself brought to the verge of death. This immediate peril forms the backdrop for the intense cry for mercy. The context of the psalm shifts between celebrating God's past triumphs and an earnest petition for His continued intervention against present or impending threats. Historically, the psalm could reflect David's numerous conflicts with enemies like the Philistines or internal adversaries, where his life was frequently endangered. The imagery of "gates of death" would have resonated deeply with an ancient audience familiar with the tangible threats to life from war, disease, or unjust persecution, viewing Sheol as a real destination.
Psalm 9 13 Word analysis
- Have mercy upon me (חָנֵּנִי, chan·né·ni): Derived from the root chanan (חָנַן), meaning "to show favor," "be gracious," or "pity." It implies a spontaneous act of kindness from a superior to an inferior, based on need rather than merit. It is a plea for God to intervene with His gracious favor and compassion, acknowledging the psalmist's dependence and vulnerability.
- O Lord (יְהוָה, YHWH): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal, unchanging nature, and His relationship with His people. Calling on YHWH appeals to His character as the faithful, delivering God who hears and responds to the cries of the afflicted.
- consider (רְאֵה, rə·’e): From the verb ra’ah (רָאָה), meaning "to see," "look upon," or "perceive." More than just casual observation, it conveys a plea for God to actively acknowledge, pay attention to, and intervene regarding the psalmist's suffering. It's a call for attentive and empathetic understanding.
- my trouble (עָנְיִי, ‘ān·yî): From oni (עֳנִי), signifying affliction, distress, misery, or oppression. It encompasses both the suffering itself and the circumstances causing it, often stemming from persecution or hardship imposed by others. It highlights the profound pain and hardship the psalmist endures.
- which I suffer (lit. "of me suffering"): This highlights the personal and ongoing nature of the affliction, an intense lived experience of distress.
- of them that hate me (מִשֹּׂנְאִי, miš·śō·n’î): "From my haters" or "from my adversaries." The hatred is directed specifically at the psalmist, indicating personal enmity and persecution. It identifies the direct cause of the trouble, emphasizing the malice behind the suffering.
- thou that liftest me up (מְרוֹמְמֵמִי, mə·rō·mə·mê·mî): From the verb rum (רוּם), "to be high," "exalt," or "lift up." It describes God as the one who has the power and practice of elevating, restoring, or rescuing His people from low and dangerous places. This implies God's mighty hand reversing dire circumstances. It reflects an underlying faith even in distress.
- from the gates of death (מִשַּׁעֲרֵי מָוֶת, miš·ša‘ă·rê mā·weṯ): A powerful poetic idiom referring to the brink of the grave, Sheol, or extreme peril that feels like imminent death. "Gates" (שַׁעֲרֵי, sha'arei) personify death as a walled city or realm, signifying a boundary from which one normally does not return. This phrase communicates a desperate situation, bordering on mortality, from which only a divine act can rescue. It is the ultimate manifestation of the trouble mentioned earlier.
Psalm 9 13 Bonus section
The juxtaposition of intense suffering ("trouble... from them that hate me") and the ultimate peril ("gates of death") highlights the existential threat experienced by the psalmist. This is not merely a difficult situation, but one perceived as leading directly to the termination of life. The plea is therefore for salvation from an absolute end. The description of God as the One who "lifts up" implicitly links this act of deliverance to His power over Sheol itself, foretelling the ultimate triumph over death through Christ. While an Old Testament prayer for physical rescue, its theological echoes resonate with the New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ conquering the gates of Hades (Matt 16:18) and defeating death (1 Cor 15:55-57), thereby providing the ultimate "lifting up" for all believers. The psalmist's request is deeply personal, yet it speaks to a universal human condition of encountering seemingly insurmountable adversaries and trusting in a higher power for rescue.
Psalm 9 13 Commentary
Psalm 9:13 encapsulates a classic biblical lament, articulating deep distress while maintaining underlying trust in God. The psalmist, on the verge of destruction due to the hatred and oppression of enemies, appeals to the Lord's mercy. This plea for chanan (mercy/grace) is not a demand but a desperate cry from a place of profound vulnerability. It recognizes God as the ultimate source of salvation and deliverance, especially when human avenues for relief are exhausted. The phrase "consider my trouble" highlights the psalmist's longing for God's personal attention and intervention into his painful reality. The "gates of death" metaphor vividly conveys a state of extreme peril—whether from illness, battle, or persecution—where life hangs by a thread. This imagery points to an overwhelming crisis, suggesting an ultimate and dire threat to life itself. Yet, the verse doesn't end in despair; rather, it pivots on the recognition of God as "thou that liftest me up." This signifies God's powerful capacity to deliver from what seems an irreversible path to the grave. It implies a history of divine deliverance or an unshakable faith in God's restorative power, transforming an immediate plea into a confession of faith in God's ability to transcend the power of death and rescue His faithful ones.