Psalm 30
Expanded Bible
Thanksgiving for Escaping Death
A psalm of David. A song for ·giving the Temple to the Lord [L the dedication of the Temple; C perhaps written by David in anticipation of the dedication of the Temple under Solomon; the connection with healing is uncertain].
30 I will ·praise [L exalt] you, Lord,
because you ·rescued me [L brought me up].
You did not let my enemies ·laugh at [rejoice over] me.
2 Lord, my God, I ·prayed to you [cried to you for help],
and you healed me.
3 You lifted me out of ·the grave [or the underworld; L Sheol];
you spared me from going down to the ·place of the dead [L Pit; 16:10].
4 Sing praises to the Lord, you ·who belong to him [loyal ones; saints];
·praise [give thanks to] his holy name.
5 His anger lasts only a moment,
but his ·kindness [favor] lasts for a lifetime.
Crying may last for a night,
but joy comes in the morning.
6 When I ·felt safe [or was prosperous], I said,
“I will never ·fear [L be moved].”
7 Lord, in your ·kindness [favor] you made my mountain ·safe [L stand; C God made him prosperous and safe].
But when you ·turned away [L hid your face; C because he became self-reliant, v. 6], I was ·frightened [terrified; or discouraged].
8 I ·called [prayed] to you, Lord,
and ·asked you to have mercy on me [made supplication].
9 I said, “What ·good will it do if I die [profit is there for you in my blood]
or if I go down to ·the grave [corruption; destruction]?
·Dust cannot [L Will the dust…?; Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7] ·praise [thank] you;
·it cannot [L will it…?] speak about your ·truth [faithfulness].
10 Lord, hear me and have mercy on me.
Lord, help me.”
11 You changed my ·sorrow [mourning] into dancing.
You took away my ·clothes of sadness [sackcloth],
and clothed me in ·happiness [joy].
12 I will sing to you and not be silent.
Lord, my God, I will ·praise you [give you thanks] forever.
Psalm 30
King James Version
30 I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
3 O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
4 Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
7 Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
8 I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.
9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper.
11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
Psalm 30
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 30[a]
Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death
1 A psalm. A song for the dedication of the temple. Of David.
2 I will exalt you, O Lord,
for you have raised me out of the depths[b]
and have not let my enemies exult over me.
3 O Lord, my God,
I called to you and you healed me.[c]
4 O Lord, you lifted me up from the netherworld;[d]
you saved me from sinking into the pit.
5 Sing praise to the Lord, O you his saints;[e]
give thanks to his holy name.
6 For his anger lasts for only a moment,
while his goodwill endures for a lifetime.
Weeping may last throughout the night,[f]
but at daybreak there is rejoicing.
7 In time of good fortune, I said,
“Nothing can ever sway me.”[g]
8 O Lord, in your goodness
you established me as an impregnable mountain;
however, when you hid your face,
I was filled with terror.
9 [h]To you, O Lord, I cried out,
and I implored my God for mercy:
10 “What advantage would my death provide
if I descend into the pit?
Can the dust praise you?
Can it proclaim your faithfulness?
11 Listen, O Lord, and have mercy on me;
O Lord, be my helper.”
12 You have turned my mourning into dancing;
you have taken away my sackcloth[i]
and clothed me with joy.
13 My heart[j] will therefore sing
in unceasing praise to you;
O Lord, my God,
I will praise you forever.
Footnotes
- Psalm 30:1 This is a psalm of thanksgiving arising out of the experience of someone who was at death’s door because of an illness, compounded by feelings of haughtiness in time of prosperity and despair in times of humiliation. The Lord listened to his cry and healed him; hence the psalmist calls for praise. This psalm came to be applied to Israel itself, especially in its experience of the Exile, and was chanted at the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple in commemoration of the purification of the temple in 164 B.C. (see Ezr 6:16; 1 Mac 4:36ff).
This psalm reminds us that while we await life eternal and union with Christ, the present life with its adversities offers us the opportunity to receive from the divine goodness a cure, various deliverances, and even spiritual resurrection. - Psalm 30:2 Out of the depths: a common Old Testament phrase of extreme distress (see Pss 69:3, 16; 71:20; 88:6; 130:1; Lam 3:55; Jon 2:2) usually connected with the words “the grave” and “the pit.”
- Psalm 30:3 You healed me: other passages that proclaim God as a healer are: Pss 103:3; 107:20; Hos 6:1; 7:1; 11:3; 14:5.
- Psalm 30:4 Netherworld: symbol for a life-threatening experience (see Ps 18:6; Jon 2:2). Pit: metaphor for the grave.
- Psalm 30:5 Saints: see note on Ps 16:3. Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
- Psalm 30:6 Last throughout the night: literally, “come in at evening to lodge,” like a guest seeking a night’s rest.
- Psalm 30:7 In time of good fortune, I said, “Nothing can ever sway me”: security brings forgetfulness of God (see Deut 8:8-10; Hos 13:6; Prov 30:9). The secure psalmist spoke similar words to those of the wicked in Ps 10:6 and so lost the blessing promised to the righteous (see Ps 15:5).
- Psalm 30:9 In the stillness and inactivity of the pit, no one gives praise to God; the psalmist prays to be delivered so that he may rejoin those who worship the Lord (see Pss 6:6; 88:11-13; 115:17; Isa 38:18).
- Psalm 30:12 Sackcloth: a symbol of mourning (see Ps 35:13; Gen 37:34).
- Psalm 30:13 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
