Christianity
Psalms 61The Rock Higher Than I
Summary
Psalm 61 is a short prayer from the ends of the earth, from someone whose heart is faint. He asks to be led to the rock that is higher than he, and longs to dwell in God's tent forever and shelter under his wings. He recalls that God has heard his vows. The middle verses pray for the king's long life and his reign before God forever. It ends with a promise to sing praise daily. It is ascribed to David.
Key verse
“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
Psalms 61:2
Themes
- Distance from God
- God as Rock
- Prayer for the King
- Daily Praise
Text
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.
Thou wilt prolong the king’s life: and his years as many generations.
He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.
So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.
Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.
Across traditions
Judaism
Tehillim 61 in the JPS 1917 TanakhThe Aramaic Targum reads the prayer for the king's long life as referring to the King Messiah, and Jewish readers often apply the cry from the end of the earth to Israel in exile.
Christianity
Psalm 18: The Lord Is My RockPsalm 18:2 develops the same image of God as a rock and high tower that Psalm 61:2 to 3 uses in compact form.
Questions about Psalms 61
What does lead me to the rock that is higher than I mean?
Psalm 61:2 asks God to bring the psalmist to a place of safety he cannot reach on his own, a fortress image for divine protection.
Why does Psalm 61 pray for the king?
Verses 6 and 7 ask for the king's long life and lasting reign. If the psalmist is David, he prays for himself; many read it as a prayer for the Davidic line.