Chapter 71
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
2Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
3Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
4Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
6By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
7I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
8Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
9Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
10For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
11Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
12O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
13Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
14But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
15My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.
16I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
17O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
18Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.
19Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
20Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
22I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
23My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
24My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.
“O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.”
Overview
Psalm 71 is the prayer of an elderly believer who has trusted God from youth and now faces the threats of old age. He has been upheld by God from the womb and has relied on Him from his mother's bowels. Now, in old age, he pleads: 'Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.' His enemies say God has forsaken him, but David declares he will hope continually, praise God more and more, and declare God's strength to the next generation. His mouth shall be filled with God's praise and honour all the day long.
Key Themes
Lifelong Trust from Birth to Old Age
The psalmist's faith spans his entire life — from the womb to grey hairs, God has been his trust, hope, and praise.
The Vulnerability and Faith of Old Age
Growing old brings new fears — diminished strength, the threat of being cast off — yet faith in God sustains even when the body fails.
Declaring God to the Next Generation
The elderly believer has a unique calling — to show God's strength and mighty acts to the generation that follows.
Study Questions
What does it mean to trust God 'from my youth' (v. 5) and to have been upheld from the womb?
How does the plea 'cast me not off in the time of old age' (v. 9) express the fears unique to aging?
What responsibility do older believers have to declare God's works to the next generation (v. 18)?
How does this psalm address the cultural tendency to dismiss or marginalize the elderly?
What does it mean to 'hope continually' and 'praise thee yet more and more' (v. 14)?
Connection to Christ
Jesus was upheld by the Father from the womb and declared God's righteousness to His generation. Though He did not reach old age, He fulfilled the psalmist's desire to declare God's saving power to all who would come after. Through Christ, believers at every stage of life — youth and old age — are never cast off but held secure in His everlasting arms.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Psalms 71. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?