Verse 18. - Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it. David often complains that God is far from him (Psalm 10:1; Psalm 22:19; Psalm 38:21; Psalm 71:12, etc.), and prays that he will "draw nigh," the sense of distance and alienation being intolerable. Deliver me because of mine enemies; i.e. because of their plots and machinations (see ver. 4).

69:13-21 Whatever deep waters of affliction or temptation we sink into, whatever floods of trouble or ungodly men seem ready to overwhelm us, let us persevere in prayer to our Lord to save us. The tokens of God's favour to us are enough to keep our spirits from sinking in the deepest outward troubles. If we think well of God, and continue to do so under the greatest hardships, we need not fear but he will do well for us. And if at any time we are called on to suffer reproach and shame, for Christ's sake, this may be our comfort, that he knows it. It bears hard on one that knows the worth of a good name, to be oppressed with a bad one; but when we consider what a favour it is to be accounted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus, we shall see that there is no reason why it should be heart-breaking to us. The sufferings of Christ were here particularly foretold, which proves the Scripture to be the word of God; and how exactly these predictions were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, which proves him to be the true Messiah. The vinegar and the gall given to him, were a faint emblem of that bitter cup which he drank up, that we might drink the cup of salvation. We cannot expect too little from men, miserable comforters are they all; nor can we expect too much from the God of all comfort and consolation.Draw nigh unto my soul,.... God his father, while he was suffering, stood afar off from him; wherefore he desires that he would draw nigh to him in the manifestations of his love and favour to him; which he did, when he made known to him the way of life, and made him full of joy with his countenance;

and redeem it: that is, from the power of the grave; not leave it there, but raise him from the dead, and give him glory, as he did;

deliver me, because of mine enemies; that they might not triumph over him, as if, being dead, he should rise no more; and so the Targum,

"that mine enemies might not lift up themselves against me.''

Or the meaning is, deliver me from the grave, raise me from the dead, that I may requite mine enemies, and take vengeance on them; see Psalm 41:8.