Psalm 31 explained: Trust When Surrounded by Enemies

A plea for safety (vv. 1-5)

The writer, traditionally David, asks God to be a rock and fortress, pictures of a high, safe place attackers cannot reach. When he places his spirit into God's hand, he is handing over his whole life, and the Gospel of Luke reports Jesus praying these words as he died.

Trust, not idols (vv. 6-8)

He sets himself apart from people who rely on idols, which he calls empty because they cannot help. He remembers that God saw his suffering and set his feet in wide open ground, a picture of freedom after being hemmed in.

Worn down and shunned (vv. 9-13)

Grief drains his body and mind, and even friends avoid him on the street, as if he were dead or a broken pot thrown away. In verse 10 the Hebrew can point to weakness from his own wrongdoing or simply from his suffering, so translations differ.

Trust in the middle (vv. 14-18)

When he says his times are in God's hand, he means the whole course of his life belongs to God, not to his enemies. He asks God's face to shine on him, echoing an old priestly blessing, and openly asks that the liars be silenced in the grave.

Hidden and heard (vv. 19-22)

He pictures God sheltering his people from plotting and slander, and thanks God for kindness shown to him in a walled, fortified city. He admits that in panic he thought God had stopped seeing him, and scholars are unsure whether the city refers to a real event or is a picture of protection.

Courage for everyone (vv. 23-24)

The psalm turns outward and urges the whole community to love God and take heart. It claims that God keeps faith with the faithful and repays the proud.

Key verse: Psalm 31:15

Where Christians differ

Christians differ on whether this psalm, especially verse 5, was written as a prophecy pointing to Jesus or was David's own prayer that Jesus later borrowed to express his trust.

Something to think about

When life feels out of your control, what, if anything, do you find yourself trusting to hold you up?