Psalm 130
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English Standard Version Psalm 130
My Soul Waits for the Lord
130 A SONG OF mASCENTS.
1 Out of cthe depths I cry to you, O יהוהLORD!
2 O אָדוֹןLord, hear my voice!
dLet your ears be attentive
to ethe voice of my pleas for mercy!
3 If you, O יָהּLORD, should fmark iniquities,
O אָדוֹןLord, who could gstand?
4 But with you there is hforgiveness,
ithat you may be feared.
5 I jwait for the יהוהLORD, kmy soul waits,
and lin his word I hope;
6 my soul mwaits for the אָדוֹןLord
more than nwatchmen for othe morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, phope in the יהוהLORD!
For qwith the יהוהLORD there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
8 And he will rredeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
KJV Bible Commentary (X. Out of the Depths. 130:1–8)
This psalm is unique, however, in that the focus of the psalm is on sin itself, and not the consequences of sin. The psalm highlights the horrendousness of sin. Yet, the themes of forgiveness and redemption are also to be seen.
Psalm 130. Forgiveness
Righteousness sets this triad of psalms apart. True, if the righteous God sides with his people, then no foe can prosper (129); but if this God comes among his people so as to side with them, will not his righteous presence expose and condemn their sin? The key-words of Psalm 130 tell their own story: the psalm opens with a cry, rising out of the depths of distance and alienation, for mercy, the unmerited, undeserved grace of God (1–2). It moves to an affirmation that, (lit.) ‘with you (i.e. as an inseparable companion) is forgiveness that is forgiveness indeed!’ (3–4). This is followed by waiting (5–6). To be sure the verb contains the idea of waiting with confident expectation but waiting it is: there is nothing we can do: forgiveness when it comes is a sovereign decision and action of God. In 7–8 the individualism of the psalm gives way to a community-wide appeal: there is hope for all, sure, certain, confident hope; because the Lord has two other inseparable companions: pledged love and ‘abundant’ redemption—resources and readiness in God to pay whatever price will redeem, ‘ransom’ us from all … sins (8).
J. A. Motyer, “The Psalms,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 575.
130:title–8 This individual lament psalm—which is also part of the pilgrimage psalms (Pss 120–134) that were meant to be used during pilgrimage to Jerusalem (see note on 120:title)—focuses on the psalmist’s internal experience. He begins by crying for help and pleading for Yahweh’s mercy (vv. 1–2). He then implicitly asks forgiveness by stating that no one could endure Yahweh’s scrutiny for sins, but Yahweh forgives in order that He might be worshiped (vv. 3–4). The psalmist then describes his hope and anticipation of Yahweh’s help in terms of night watchmen yearning for morning light (vv. 5–6). He concludes by exhorting all Israel to hope in Yahweh because He will redeem Israel (vv. 7–8).
Ps 130:1–8. The penitent sinner’s hope is in God’s mercy only.
130:1–2 The psalmist begins by pleading with Yahweh for help. The psalmist may feel that his difficulties result from his sins, as indicated by his later mention of iniquities (vv. 3, 8).
130:1 the depths The Hebrew word used here, ma'amaqqim, usually refers to the depths of the sea (see Isa 51:10). While Israelites did engage in sea travel and trade (compare Ps 107:23), the sea was usually viewed as a symbol of chaos and danger. Thus, ma'amaqqim may be a figurative expression for guilty feelings or some sort of literal imprisonment.
1, 2. depths—for great distress (Ps 40:2; 69:3).
130:2 hear my voice The psalmist asks God to listen and answer favorably.
1. “Out of the deep have I called unto Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice” (ver. 1). Jonas cried from the deep; from the whale’s belly.3 He was not only beneath the waves, but also in the entrails of the beast; nevertheless, those waves and that body prevented not his prayer from reaching God, and the beast’s belly could not contain the voice of his prayer. It penetrated all things, it burst through all things, it reached the ears of God: if indeed we ought to say that, bursting through all things, it reached the ears of God, since the ears of God were in the heart of him who prayed. For where hath not he God present, whose voice is faithful? Nevertheless, we also ought to understand from what deep we cry unto the Lord. For this mortal life is our deep. Whoever hath understood himself to be in the deep, crieth out, groaneth, sigheth, until he be delivered from the deep, and come unto Him who sitteth above all the deeps.… For they are very deep in the deep, who do not even cry from the deep. The Scripture saith, “When the wicked hath reached the depth of evils, he despiseth.”4 Now consider, brethren, what sort of deep that is, where God is despised. When each man seeth himself overwhelmed with daily sins, pressed down by heaps and weights, so to speak, of iniquities: if it be said unto him, Pray unto God, he laughs. In what manner? He first saith, If crimes were displeasing unto God, should I live? If God regarded human affairs, considering the great crimes which I have committed, should I not only live, but be prosperous? For this is wont to happen to those who are far in the deep, and are prosperous in their iniquities: and they are the more plunged in the deep, in proportion as they seem to be more happy; for a deceitful happiness is itself a greater unhappiness.…
2. “Lord, hear my voice. O let Thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint” (ver. 2). Whence doth he cry? From the deep. Who is it then who crieth? A sinner. And with what hope doth he cry? Because He who came to absolve from sins, gave hope even to the sinner down in the deep. What therefore followeth after these words: “If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is amiss, O Lord, who may abide it?” (ver. 3). So, he hath disclosed from what deep he cried out. For he crieth beneath the weights and billows of his iniquities.… He said not, I may not abide it: but, “who may abide it?” For he saw that nigh the whole of human life on every side was ever bayed at by its sins, that all consciences were accused by their thoughts, that a clean heart trusting in its own righteousness could not be found.
130:1–2. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD (cf. 69:2, 14; Isa 51:10; Ezk 27:34). The depths are the lowest abysses to which the soul can sink. From the lowest point in his life the psalmist cries unto God LORD … let thine ears be attentive. All the psalmist asks is that Jehovah hear his supplications.
130:3–4 The psalmist seems to connect his suffering to possible punishment for sin, but he emphasizes Yahweh’s forgiving nature. He asserts that Yahweh forgives so that He might be worshiped; thus, the psalmist implies that he will worship Yahweh if Yahweh rescues him.
130:3 iniquities The Hebrew word used here, awon, can refer to a misdeed itself, the guilt caused by the misdeed, or even the punishment for the misdeed. Here, the term is plural and likely refers to the guilt that misdeeds accrue.
3. shouldest mark—or, “take strict account” (Job 10:14; 14:16), implying a confession of the existence of sin.
who could stand The psalmist is aware that no one lives perfectly before Yahweh and that no one can withstand close scrutiny by Yahweh for misdeeds and mistakes.
who shall stand—(Ps 1:6). Standing is opposed to the guilty sinking down in fear and self-condemnation (Mal 3:2; Rev 6:15, 16). The question implies a negative, which is thus more strongly stated.
3. Yet, there is a fly in the ointment. The psalmist questions, If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? If the Lord Jehovah should diligently observe our sins, who among men would be able to withstand the scrutiny of His omniscient purity? This is a question that dots the pages of the Bible (cf. 76:7; 1 Sam 6:20; Nah 1:6; Mal 3:2; Rev 6:17). If God observes our sin closely, who shall be able to stand in His sight? “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through out Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand …” (Rom 5:1–2). As sinners, the only opportunity we have to stand firmly on the solid rock of His grace is the grace with which we were saved.
4. But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. Forgiveness (Heb selīchah), although used only here and in Daniel 9:9 and Nehemiah 9:17, is promised throughout the Scriptures (cf. 25:13; 32:1; Ex 34:7; 1 Kgs 8:30, 34, 36, 39; 1 Jn 1:9; etc.). The piety of the psalmist allows him to see one purpose only for divine forgiveness of sins, i.e., that thou mayest be feared.
130:4 is forgiveness This type of pardon goes beyond a strictly legal context to include the general stance of trust in Yahweh (compare Num 14:19–20).
4. Pardon produces filial fear and love. Judgment without the hope of pardon creates fear and dislike. The sense of forgiveness, so far from producing licentiousness, produces holiness (Je 33:9; Ez 16:62, 63; 1 Pe 2:16). “There is forgiveness with thee, not that thou mayest be presumed upon, but feared.”
130:5–6 The psalmist waits for Yahweh’s help.
130:5 his word The word davar generally refers to a statement, but it can indicate something more specific like a saying or a promise. God has made many promises to Israel—so many that the psalmist doesn’t need to be more specific.
5, 6. wait for the Lord—in expectation (Ps 27:14).
watch for, &c.—in earnestness and anxiety.
I wait The Hebrew word used here, yachal, is synonymous with qawah (often rendered “wait”), which is used twice earlier in this verse. Both terms indicate waiting with anticipation (compare Ps 130:7).
5–6. I wait for the LORD … and in his word do I hope. Hoping and waiting are inseparably united. All who would hope must wait. The psalmist firmly believed that God was gracious and forgiving, and out of that confident faith sprang the wellspring of hope. More than they that watch for the morning, the psalmist would hopefully wait for the Lord’s deliverance. As much as the watchman anticipated the dawn that would end his nightly duties, so the psalmist anticipated the Lord’s gracious deliverance.
130:7–8 The psalmist exhorts all Israel to hope in Yahweh’s redemption from sin. His ability to present his psalm is implicit proof of Yahweh’s redemption.
130:8 will redeem The Hebrew verb used here, padah, has the sense of ransoming or releasing from imprisonment. This depicts iniquities as creating guilt that must be offset by some sort of recompense (see v. 3 and note; v. 7).
7, 8. Let Israel, &c.—that is, All are invited to seek and share divine forgiveness.
from all his iniquities—or, “punishments of them” (Ps 40:12, &c.).
7–8. Why should Israel hope in Jehovah? Two reasons: (1) With the LORD there is mercy; and (2) with him is plenteous redemption. The psalmist is confident that he will be rescued from his dire condition because he places his hope and trust in a merciful God who has more than enough redemption to spare. And he shall redeem Israel from an his iniquities. In his Paradise Lost, Milton has Satan say, “Then farewell hope, and with hope, farewell fear!” But contrary to Satan, the psalmist, and all who put their hope in God, has no reason to fear, for he has the promise that paradise once lost is found again in the mercy of God.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 386.
John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Ps 130:title–8.