Psalms 69:14Deliver me out of the mire, and don't let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~1000 BC. David uses the metaphor of being stuck in mud or quicksand - probably from memory of actual battlefields or marshy areas near the Jordan River. Modern-day Israel/Palestine region.
The emotion here: desperate but actively reaching toward God for rescue
The original word
יָוֵן (yaven) — mire, deep mud that sucks you down the more you struggle
Why it matters
Ancient armies often got trapped in marshlands during battle, making this a vivid military metaphor
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 69:14
The more you struggle in mire, the deeper you sink - David knows only outside help can save him
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about literal water. David is using drowning as a metaphor for being overwhelmed by circumstances and enemies.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 69:14
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 69:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 69:14 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 80% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include deliverance, rescue, desperation. Notable phrases: deliver me out of the mire; don't let me sink; deep waters. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Psalms 69:14 mean to you, today?
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