Ps. 31 is a heartfelt prayer for deliverance from trouble, enlivened by a sincere trust in God’s ability to deliver. It is characterized by a galaxy of rich figures describing the distress of the persecuted and the hope that comes in time of trouble. Some suggest as its background the experience of David in the Wilderness of Maon (see 1 Sam. 23:19-26), although the theme could apply to many similar occasions. The psalm was a favorite of Huss, Luther, and Melanchthon.