Bible Strands
Psalms 22:20
Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of wild dogs.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the LORD directly, pleading for immediate rescue while facing lethal violence. The request occurs between a call for God to stop staying distant and a subsequent appeal for deliverance from lions.
The words — The imperative הַצִּילָהּ (haTzîlâh) commands God to "deliver" or "snatch away." The noun יְחִידָתִי (yĕḥîḏātî) literally means "my only one" or "my precious one," specifying the singular value of the life under threat.
The thread — The plea for rescue from the sword and predatory animals appears in Psalms 35:17 and is echoed in the prophetic summons of Zechariah 13:7. The pattern of God answering violent pleas also runs through Psalms 17:13.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to place a direct request for physical preservation before God's authority. It demands acknowledgment that survival depends on divine intervention rather than human strength.
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
Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
Cross-references
- Psalms 35:17 How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
- Zechariah 13:7 Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones.
- Psalms 17:13 Arise, O LORD, confront them! Bring them to their knees; deliver me from the wicked by Your sword,