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Psalm 61:1-3
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 61:1-3
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 61[a]
Prayer of One in Exile
1 For the director.[b] With stringed instruments. Of David.
2 O God, hear my cry
and listen to my prayer.
3 From the ends of the earth[c] I call to you,
with a heart that is fainting away;
set me high upon a rock.
Footnotes
- Psalm 61:1 The psalmist, a Levite deported to Babylon along with the elite of the Jewish people in 598 B.C., voices his ardent desire to return to the holy city and resume his service in the temple. Added to this lament of the exiled Levite is a prayer for the king, probably on behalf of Zedekiah, the last to sit on the throne of David after the first deportation of 598 B.C. This prayer also calls upon the Messiah, who is to come from the royal line (see 2 Sam 7; 1 Chr 17:14), to reign forever, and whose coming Israel awaits.
This prayer beautifully expresses our hope as Christians. Sent by the Father and anointed by the Holy Spirit, Christ has become our Head, our guide and leader to the Father, provided we keep our eyes fixed on him by faith (see Acts 3:15; 5:31; Heb 2:10; 12:2). Long live Christ the King! - Psalm 61:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation.
- Psalm 61:3 Ends of the earth: the phrase can also be translated as “from the brink of the netherworld,” i.e., the grave. Heart: see note on Ps 4:8. Set me high upon a rock: a reference to God’s sanctuary (see Ps 27:5). Another translation is: “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I”: a reference to God, the psalmist’s “rock of refuge” (Pss 31:3; 71:3; see also Pss 18:3; 62:3, 7f; 94:22).
