Psalms 71:23My lips shall shout for joy! My soul, which you have redeemed, sings praises to you!
The setting
Jerusalem, Israel, ~1000 BC. An elderly David, having survived Absalom's rebellion and multiple assassination attempts, sits in his palace reflecting on God's faithfulness through decades of danger.
The emotion here: overwhelming gratitude after surviving decades of attempts on his life
The original word
gā'al (גאל) — to buy back, redeem from slavery or debt, act as kinsman-redeemer
Why it matters
David wrote this psalm in his old age, looking back on 40+ years of enemies trying to kill him
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 71:23
The word 'redeemed' here is the same word used for buying slaves out of bondage
Common misconceptionPeople think this is generic praise music, but David is specifically celebrating that his enemies failed to kill him after trying for decades. This is victory-after-war joy.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 71:23
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 71:23 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 71:23 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 joyful, with a comfort power of 80% and a tone that is celebratory. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include joy, redemption, exuberant praise. Notable phrases: lips shall shout for joy; soul which you have redeemed. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same joyful
“For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, …”
— Isaiah 9:6
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:22
“"Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?"”
— 1 Corinthians 15:55
“Rejoice always.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:16
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
Your reflection
What does Psalms 71:23 mean to you, today?
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