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Psalm 70 · a question people ask

"Let them be disappointed and confounded who seek my soul" (70:2). How can a prayer ask for that?

In the text

First, what the verses say. The prayer is spoken to God. It asks that those who "seek my soul" and "desire my ruin" be "disappointed and confounded" and "turned back in disgrace" (70:2), and that those who say "Aha! Aha!" be "turned because of their shame" (70:3) (tap disappointed, turned back). The psalmist doesn't say he will act against them himself. And in the next verse he prays for others: "Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you" (70:4). Psalm 70 is not the only psalm that prays against enemies, and Christians read these prayers in more than one way. The chapter on Psalm 109 sets out the main readings, each resting on its verses, and chooses none. These notes don't choose either.

The verses

“Let them be disappointed and confounded who seek my soul. Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. Let them be turned because of their shame who say, “Aha! Aha!” Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation continually say, “Let God be exalted!””
Psalm 70:2-4 · World English Bible
“For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. God of my praise, don’t remain silent, for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause. In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer. They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.”
Psalm 109:1-5 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 70

Psalm 70: Come to me quickly

Psalm 70's first and last verses ask God to come quickly with one Hebrew verb, chush (70:1, 70:5): the Psalms have it nine times, and only this psalm twice. In between, one verb, seek, names two groups: those who seek the psalmist's soul, and those who seek God (70:2, 70:4).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions