Chapter 70 is a short psalm of six verses, centering upon King David's cry: "O God, to deliver me; Hashem, hasten to my help." The unique nature of this psalm is already hinted at in its superscription - "to bring to remembrance" (Lehazkir) - and the commentators disagree as to what this remembrance entails: an invocation in prayer, a reminder of the forgotten shepherd, or a recollection of the earlier miracles performed for David in his youth. Let us examine the verses in their order.
לַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד לְהַזְכִּיר׃ - For the conductor, of David, to bring to remembrance.
Rashi explains that "to bring to remembrance" (lehazkir) denotes prayer, as though it were written here, "A prayer of David." We find a similar usage in the verse, "and we call upon (nazkir) the name of Hashem our God" - where nazkir means we pray - as well as in Divrei HaYamim, "to invoke, to thank, and to praise Hashem," where invoking/remembering signifies prayer.
Rashi cites a wonderful Midrash from Midrash Tehillim: A parable of a king who became angry with his flock, dismantled the sheepfold, and cast out both the sheep and the shepherd. After some time, he brought back the sheep and rebuilt the sheepfold, but did not mention the shepherd - leaving him outside. The shepherd said: The sheep are returned and the sheepfold is rebuilt, yet am I not to be remembered? So too, just prior to this context, it states: "For God will save Zion... and those who love His name shall dwell therein" - the fold is rebuilt and the flock is gathered, yet the shepherd, King David, is not mentioned. Therefore, it says "Of David, to bring to remembrance": David comes to remind the Holy One, Blessed be He - Master of the Universe, "O God, to deliver me; Hashem, hasten to my help," do not only return the people to Zion, return me as well. Concerning this interpretation, the holy Alshich writes: "And behold, after their words I shall not alter, for they are sweet" - the ultimate compliment paid to the Midrash.
Radak explains that David composed this psalm either while fleeing from Saul or from Absalom, and concludes that it seems more likely to have been during his flight from Absalom, "and this is correct." A proof of this: the next psalm is linked to ours and considered part of it - it does not even open with its own heading, but serves as a direct continuation, and there Radak demonstrates that the psalm was spoken during the flight from Absalom. Metzudat David explains "to bring to remembrance" as reminding the Master of the Universe to hasten and save him: as if saying, "Remember me, please," Hashem, remember me and rescue me quickly.
Malbim reveals that our psalm is a reproduction of the conclusion of Psalm 40, a realization that reflects his sheer brilliance. Let us place the parallels side by side: there (40:14), "Be pleased, Hashem, to deliver me; Hashem, hasten to my help" - while here, "O God, to deliver me; Hashem, hasten to my help." There (v. 15), "May those who seek to destroy my soul be put to shame and confounded together; may those who desire my harm be driven backward and disgraced" - corresponding to our verse 3. There (v. 16), "May they be appalled on account of their shame, who say to me, 'Aha, aha!'" - and here in verse 4, "May they turn back on account of their shame." There (v. 17), "May all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, 'May Hashem be magnified'" - matching our verse 5. There (v. 18), "As for me, poor and needy, the Lord considers me; You are my help and my rescuer; my God, do not delay" - and here in verse 6. The differences are slight: here the name Elokim is used, whereas there the Tetragrammaton appears, and similar minor variations.
Not only this, Malbim explains, but the subsequent chapter (71) is also parallel to the beginning of Chapter 31, sharing clear textual identities with it, as we will explore in detail there. Here we will simply explain the guiding principle: David uttered this prayer during his flight from Absalom in his old age, as is evident from the words of the psalm. He recalls that Hashem performed signs and wonders for him from his youth, and pleads: Just as You did not forsake me then, do not forsake me now in my old age, but continue to accompany me. Therefore, he incorporates into this psalm the conclusion of Chapter 40 - for Chapter 40 addresses the miracle Hashem wrought for him when saving him from Saul in his youth, and now he is in need of another miracle, in his old age, when persecuted by Absalom. As if to say: Master of the Universe, now too I need such a miracle. And this is the meaning of "Of David, to bring to remembrance" - to recall the former events, to recall Chapter 40 where Hashem did not abandon him; thus, I bring to Your remembrance, Master of the Universe, to act with me in this manner now as well. Similarly, he invokes a theme from Chapter 31, where he prayed while fleeing from Saul and abiding in the wilderness, and here too it appears he is dwelling in the wilderness - presenting yet another parallel.
אֱלֹהִים לְהַצִּילֵנִי, יְהֹוָה לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה׃ - O God, to deliver me; Hashem, hasten to my help.
One certainly senses an apparent ellipsis in the verse's wording: "O God, to deliver me" - and that is all? Radak explains that the end of the verse clarifies its beginning: "Hashem, hasten to my aid," as though it read at the beginning: "O God, hasten to deliver me." The word "hasten" is seemingly omitted. Another possibility offered by Radak, and followed by the Malbim as well, is that there is truly no omission at all. Rather, this is an instance of a word applying to both clauses, as we have seen multiple times in biblical grammar - like "who has not made our portion like theirs, nor our lot like that of all their multitude," where "who has not made" also governs the second clause. So too here: "hasten" also applies back to the beginning of the verse - "O God, hasten to deliver me; Hashem, hasten to my aid." A proof for this is that there is a double invocation here, once with the name Elohim and once with the Four-Letter Name (Havayah), showing that just as he said "hasten" at the end, so too "to deliver me" carries the sense of haste.
The holy Alshich addresses the question: Why does the verse say "O God, to deliver me" and then "Hashem, hasten to my aid" - once using the name Elohim and once the Name of Havayah? He explains: The Attribute of Justice is already, so to speak, prepared to rescue me. If so, what further favor will the Attribute of Mercy grant me? For when the Attribute of Justice agrees to rescue, that is already a tremendous accomplishment, since Justice always demands strict accountability. If it consents to save here, it reflects great merit. What then remains to ask of the Attribute of Mercy? Only the element of "hasten." This is the beauty of the verse: "O God, to deliver me" - the Attribute of Justice is already willing to rescue me, albeit not quickly; "Hashem, hasten to my aid" - from the Name of Havayah, I ask, as it were, for the extra grace, that the rescue come swiftly, since the rescue itself has already been granted by the name Elohim. The Malbim also addresses the duality, explaining: "O God, to deliver me" refers to those seeking to kill me; "hasten to my aid" refers to the remaining afflictions, that You assist me against them; and "hasten" applies back to the beginning of the verse, in accordance with Radak's explanation.
יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשִׁי, יִסֹּגוּ אָחוֹר וְיִכָּלְמוּ חֲפֵצֵי רָעָתִי׃ - Let those who seek my life be shamed and humiliated; let those who desire my harm be turned back and disgraced.
In Radak's view, "let them be shamed and humiliated" is like many biblical verses - a repetition of the theme with different words to reinforce the point, as is the style of Scripture. "Let them be turned back" means they should retreat from the evil intent they harbored to harm me; when their designs and plots fail to materialize, shame and disgrace will fall upon them.
The Malbim draws a precise distinction: "Let those who seek my life be shamed" refers to those actively seeking to kill me; "let those who desire my harm be turned back and disgraced" refers to those whose malice remains in their hearts. That is, the two halves of the verse correspond to the two parts of the previous plea: "O God, to deliver me" from those who wish to kill me, regarding whom it is said, "Let those who seek my life be shamed and humiliated"; and "hasten to my aid" against the rest of the evils, regarding which it is said, "Let those who desire my harm be turned back and disgraced" - those who do not attack directly, but internally wish for my downfall.
To take a contemporary analogy: there are the Palestinians, and there is Europe. The Palestinians fall into the category of "those who seek my life" - those who literally want to kill us. Europe, however, does not come to kill directly, yet they are "those who desire my harm": they would be very pleased to see the Palestinians triumph, to see us taking missile hits with our hands tied. Therefore, they constantly attempt to accomplish this through indirect means - not openly, for that is no longer politically correct, but through a thousand and one channels, various NGOs, funds, and indirect tracks, to tie our hands, prosecute us for any self-defense, and sue us in The Hague and elsewhere. These are "those who desire my harm": they do not come to kill, but they rely on others to do the dirty work while washing their own hands of it. Concerning these, the verse says, "let them be turned back and disgraced."
יָשׁוּבוּ עַל עֵקֶב בָּשְׁתָּם, הָאֹמְרִים הֶאָח הֶאָח׃ - Let them turn back in consequence of their shame, who say, "Aha, aha!"
Rashi explains: "Let them turn back in consequence of their shame" - measure for measure, just as they did to me, so may the shame return upon them. "In consequence" (al ekev) - in that very circle, in the very path your heels trod, there they will return. "Who say, 'Aha, aha!'" - who proclaim concerning me with cries of glee: "Aha! How wonderful, how splendid!" And over what do they say this? Radak explains: over David fleeing from his son Avshalom; they rejoice - how wonderful that David was finally removed from his monarchy, and that his own son arose and rebelled against him!
The Malbim explains: "Let them turn back in consequence of their shame" refers to those who shame me and slander me, "and they say, 'Aha!'" - testifying as though they had personally witnessed evil deeds from me. As we explained earlier, David's enemies always justified their actions by claiming that David was wicked and only put on the pretense of being righteous; in their view, every persecution and trouble that befell him merely proved how wicked he truly was and how corrupt were his ways. When they saw David pursued, they cried "Aha!" with great relish: here is proof that we were right all along; look, a rebel has arisen against him from within his own household!
At that time, they even had apparent justification for their claims, for Hashem had told him, "Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house," which came as a result of the episode with Batsheva. As is known, the matter of Batsheva was an occasion of great rejoicing for all of David's enemies, as if their entire thesis had been validated: "We told you David is wicked and merely hides it, and look what deeds he performs!" And when did they finally turn back in shame? When they brought the Ark into the Beit HaMikdash and the gates clung shut, opening only when Shlomo pleaded, "Remember the good deeds of David Your servant!" At that moment, the faces of David's enemies turned black like the bottom of a pot; they retreated in disgrace, compelled to recognize that King David was indeed righteous, not as they had accused him.
יָשִׂישׂוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ בְּךָ כָּל מְבַקְשֶׁיךָ, וְיֹאמְרוּ תָמִיד יִגְדַּל אֱלֹהִים אֹהֲבֵי יְשׁוּעָתֶךָ׃ - May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and may those who love Your salvation say continually, "May God be magnified!"
Usually, when "וישמחו" is adjacent to "בך", it is read as "וְיִשְׂמְחוּ בָךְ" with a soft, rafeh *bet*, whereas here it is read as "בְּךָ" with a *dagesh*. The reason is: the letters *beged kefet* at the beginning of a word take a *dagesh*, and when they follow a word ending in one of the letters *ahvi*, the *dagesh* falls away. "וישמחו" ends with a *vav*, so ordinarily the *dagesh* would drop. However, this rule applies only when the words are closely joined; here there is a disjunctive accent mark - "וישמחו | בך" - and the words are not connected, so the *dagesh* remains: "וְיִשְׂמְחוּ בְּךָ כָּל מְבַקְשֶׁיךָ".
Radak explains: These - those who seek my life - will be shamed, whereas "all who seek You" and "those who love Your salvation" will rejoice when You save me. "And let them say continually: God is magnified" - like "God is great", for He displays His greatness to those who love Him and saves them from the hand of the enemies, and thereby "God is magnified" - all will declare how great Hashem is. When Hashem saves the Jewish people from their enemies, or David from those who rise up against him and seek his harm, Hashem's greatness is revealed. And so it will be in the future to come: "I will be magnified and sanctified in the eyes of many nations" - when? When the Holy One, blessed is He, executes judgments against the nations and punishes them, and through this His Name will be magnified and sanctified in the world. And this is what we request in *Yitgadal ve'yitkadash shmeih raba* - that Hashem take retribution from the enemies, and thereby His Name will be magnified and sanctified.
Malbim explains: "Let all those who seek You exult and rejoice in You" - all who seek You will exult when they see that You save those who take refuge, that those who trusted in You are delivered by You and their hope was not in vain - they placed their hopes in You and You truly saved them. "Those who love Your salvation" - they will continually say "God is magnified", for as Hashem continues to perform new miracles and yet more wonders, an increase in greatness is seen, and the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He, is magnified and sanctified in the world.
וַאֲנִי עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן, אֱלֹהִים חוּשָׁה לִּי, עֶזְרִי וּמְפַלְטִי אַתָּה, יְהֹוָה אַל תְּאַחַר׃ - But I am poor and needy; O God, hasten to me! You are my help and my deliverer; Hashem, do not delay.
"But I am poor and needy" - this is what King David calls himself, because his son had driven him from the monarchy, and he is consequently now poor and destitute, pursued and possessing nothing. Metzudat David explains: "Poor and needy" - submissive like a poor and destitute person; he does not mean literal poverty, but submission, that I am humble and submissive like a pauper, and therefore "hasten to me", for the Holy One, blessed is He, hears the prayer of the humble. "You are my help and my deliverer" - You have always been my help and my deliverer; up to this day You have helped me and saved me, and therefore "Hashem, do not delay": just as You delivered me in the past, save me now as well.
Malbim explains: "But I am poor and needy" - and for this reason I am always in need of salvation, which is why he says "hasten to me" and "do not delay". Since I am in constant need of deliverance, any delay could prove fatal to me. And as we saw at the Rock of Divisions (Sela Hamaḥlekot), where there was barely a step between him and death - another moment and Saul would have captured him; but precisely then word came to Saul that the Philistines were raiding the land, and he abandoned everything and pursued them. Yet David had already arrived at the very brink of death. From this we see how crucial "hasten to me" and "do not delay" are, for upon them salvation truly hangs.
Psalm 70 is a prayer of "remembrance": according to Rashi and the Midrash, it is a reminder of the shepherd who was forgotten when the sheepfold was built and the flock gathered in; and according to Malbim, it is a reminder of the earlier miracles from Psalm 40, whose conclusion is transcribed here almost word for word. David, pursued by Absalom in his old age, asks that the deliverance granted to him in his youth from Saul be repeated now as well. He requests salvation from those actively seeking to kill him and help against those desiring his harm in their hearts, that they be shamed and turned back, while those who seek Hashem and love His salvation rejoice and declare, "God is magnified." And finally, he concludes in submission: "But I am poor and needy" - and since I am always in need of salvation, "hasten to me" and "do not delay", for upon a single moment's delay, the entire deliverance depends.