Psalm 71:2

Psalm 71:2, in plain English

God's justice isn't distant or abstract here—you're asking Him to lean in close and actually save you, to use His power on your behalf.

Why it's here

When the psalmist mentions God's justice, they're not talking about punishment for enemies only, though that matters. They're asking God to be fair and faithful to the covenant He's made—to rescue someone who has belonged to Him. This is very personal.

Who's speaking

The same person from verse 1, now getting specific about what they need.

Where it sits in the story

This connects to how God repeatedly rescued Israel from Egypt, Babylon, and countless enemies. God's justice always includes rescue for His people—it's not just about judgment.

The scholarly reading

The psalmist appeals to God's justice and righteousness as the grounds for rescue, asking God to 'lean in' and hear his plea—using the intimate language of inclined attention.

Language and setting

The term 'justice' (צְדָקָה, tsedaqah) here encompasses both righteousness and the vindication that flows from it. The imagery of God inclining his ear derives from the ancient posture of a judge bending forward to hear a supplicant's case. This is juridical language rooted in Israel's gate courts.

Voice

The same vulnerable petitioner, now explicitly framing his distress as a legal matter requiring divine arbitration rather than mere comfort.

Significance

This appeals to God as the ultimate judge—a theme running through the psalter and crystallized in texts like Psalm 7 and Isaiah 41. The New Testament identifies Christ as both judge and righteousness, fulfilling the psalmist's confidence in divine justice.

1In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.

2In Your justice, rescue and deliver me; incline Your ear and save me.

3Be my rock of refuge, where I can always go. Give the command to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress.

4Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and ruthless.

Read all of Psalm 71 — From youth to gray hairs, the psalmist has known God's faithfulness. Now aging and weak, he asks: do not forsake me when my strength is spent.