Save me Lord, David says, Psa 69:1.

A psalm of David. It is clear from the start of this psalm that the author is in a very bad way. I’ve just been overwhelmed Lord, things are just covering me up. I’ve been crying and waiting for God. And there are a bunch of men who hate me without cause. He says he is sinking in the mire. His feet are not on firm ground, and waters are flowing over him, Psa 69:2. He says he is worn out with crying. He throat is dray, and his eyes are failing him, Psa 69:3. Then he says,

“Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty.
I have to restore what I didn’t take away.”
Psa 69:4.

He has more enemies than the hairs of my head! I think that would be hyperbole, exaggeration, when speaking of David. Not to say that he did not have many enemies, but more than the hairs of his head?

That last quote of course is referring to Jesus

Jesus is speaking in John 15 about the persecution which is coming on Him and His followers. He says He has come and spoken to them so that they would have no excuse. But now men have seen His works and have hated both Him and His Father. So He says,

“But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’” Jn 15:23.

That is a reference to Psalm 69:4. Here is the interesting thing. The psalm is about Jesus and it is also about David, and there is not a clear dividing line. Now Saul became the enemy of David without cause, when David was not a threat to him. But notice in the very next verse it is talking David and only about David, because he says …

“God, you know my foolishness.
My sins aren’t hidden from you.” Psa 69:5,

So Psa 69:5 is CLEARLY and ONLY
about David.

David, even as a prophet of God, is acknowledging his many sins, and he speaks about all of David’s foolishness. But you can’t say that of Jesus, because he was the one without sin.

“For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.” Heb 4:15.

Of course it says that in more than one place.

“You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.”
1Jn 3:5

But Psa 69:4 could include both Jesus, and David.

This psalm is about both Jesus and David, and you have to look and think to realize what applies to which one. Would you have spotted the dual subjects by verse 5? Would you have even known there were dual subjects? How would you, could you?

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901