Psalms 71:20You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~970 BC. An aging David reflects on decades of warfare, family betrayal, and God's faithfulness through it all.
The emotion here: battle-weary but amazed at survival
The original word
ra'ah (רָאָה) — to see/show, implying God deliberately allowed these troubles to be visible
Why it matters
David wrote this psalm likely after surviving Absalom's rebellion and civil war
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 71:20
The phrase 'depths of the earth' was metaphorical for death itself — David felt buried alive
Common misconceptionPeople think this means God won't give you troubles, but David says God SHOWED him troubles — meaning God allowed them for a purpose.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 71:20
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 71:20 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 71:20 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 grateful, with a comfort power of 90% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include suffering, restoration, hope, resurrection imagery. Notable phrases: many and bitter troubles; bring us up again; depths of the earth. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grateful
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
— John 3:16
“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.”
— 2 Timothy 4:7
“It will be, that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”
— Acts 2:21
“for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”
— Ephesians 2:8
“So now it wasn't you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land o…”
— Genesis 45:8
Your reflection
What does Psalms 71:20 mean to you, today?
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