Bible Strands
Psalms 22:11
Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist speaks to God, shifting from recollection of divine faithfulness to an urgent plea for presence amid imminent danger. The speaker is isolated and surrounded by hostile forces, requesting nearness when human aid is absent.
The words — The Hebrew verb תִּרְחַק (tir.chak) commands "you be far," paired with אֵ֥ין ('ein) meaning "there not," to declare the literal absence of help. These terms anchor the plea in a concrete state of abandonment rather than metaphorical distance.
The thread — This plea appears in Psalms 71:12 and Psalms 10:1, where the same request to not be abandoned accompanies cries for intervention in trouble. The motif of unmet human need also surfaces in Psalms 72:12, which notes the afflicted having no helper.
Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that distress requires divine proximity when human resources fail. It requires the reader to acknowledge reliance on God's presence rather than self-sufficiency or external rescue.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Cross-references
- Psalms 71:12 Be not far from me, O God. Hurry, O my God, to help me.
- Psalms 10:1 Why, O LORD, do You stand far off? Why do You hide in times of trouble?
- Psalms 72:12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.
- John 16:32 “Look, an hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
- Hebrews 5:7 During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.
- Psalms 38:21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; be not far from me, O my God.
- Psalms 35:22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.
- Psalms 69:1 For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David. Save me, O God, for the waters are up to my neck.
- Psalms 142:4 Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul.
- Psalms 13:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?