Psalms 61 (KJV)

Chapter Text

61:1 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

61:2 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.

61:3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

61:4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

61:5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.

61:6 Thou wilt prolong the king’s life: and his years as many generations.

61:7 He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.

61:8 So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mercy", "hear", "attend", "prayer", "earth", "thee", "heart", and "overwhelmed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mercy" and "hear", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local KJV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "mercy" and "hear" carries the first interpretive weight. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "mercy" and "hear" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.