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Psalm 30[a]

A psalm, a song used at the dedication of the temple;[b] by David.

30 I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up,[c]
and did not allow my enemies to gloat[d] over me.
O Lord my God,
I cried out to you and you healed me.[e]
O Lord, you pulled me[f] up from Sheol;
you rescued me from among those descending into the grave.[g]
Sing to the Lord, you faithful followers[h] of his;
give thanks to his holy name.[i]
For his anger lasts only a brief moment,
and his good favor restores one’s life.[j]
One may experience sorrow during the night,
but joy arrives in the morning.[k]
In my self-confidence I said,
“I will never be shaken.”[l]
O Lord, in your good favor you made me secure.[m]
Then you rejected me[n] and I was terrified.
To you, O Lord, I cried out;
I begged the Lord for mercy:[o]
“What[p] profit is there in taking my life,[q]
in my descending into the Pit?[r]
Can the dust of the grave[s] praise you?
Can it declare your loyalty?[t]
10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me.
O Lord, deliver me.”[u]
11 Then you turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy.[v]
12 So now[w] my heart[x] will sing to you and not be silent;
O Lord my God, I will always[y] give thanks to you.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 30:1 sn Psalm 30. The author thanks the Lord for delivering him from death and urges others to join him in praise. The psalmist experienced divine discipline for a brief time, but when he cried out for help the Lord intervened and restored his favor.
  2. Psalm 30:1 tn Heb “a song of the dedication of the house.” The referent of “house” is unclear. It is possible that David wrote this psalm for the dedication ceremony of Solomon’s temple. Another possibility is that the psalm was used on the occasion of the dedication of the second temple following the return from exile, or on the occasion of the rededication of the temple in Maccabean times.
  3. Psalm 30:1 tn Elsewhere the verb דָּלָה (dalah) is used of drawing water from a well (Exod 2:16, 19; Prov 20:5). The psalmist was trapped in the pit leading to Sheol (see v. 3), but the Lord hoisted him up. The Piel stem is used here, perhaps suggesting special exertion on the Lord’s part.
  4. Psalm 30:1 tn Or “rejoice.”
  5. Psalm 30:2 sn You healed me. Apparently the psalmist was plagued by a serious illness that threatened his life. See Ps 41.
  6. Psalm 30:3 tn Or “my life.”
  7. Psalm 30:3 tn Heb “you kept me alive from those descending into the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib); the marginal reading (Qere) has, “you kept me alive so that I did not go down into the pit.”
  8. Psalm 30:4 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
  9. Psalm 30:4 tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The noun זֵכֵר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 6:5; 97:12.The Lord’s “name” is “holy” in the sense that it is a reminder of his uniqueness and greatness.
  10. Psalm 30:5 tn Heb “for [there is] a moment in his anger, [but] life in his favor.” Because of the parallelism with “moment,” some understand חַיִּים (khayyim) in a quantitative sense: “lifetime” (cf. NIV, NRSV). However, the immediate context, which emphasizes deliverance from death (see v. 3), suggests that חַיִּים has a qualitative sense: “physical life” or even “prosperous life” (cf. NEB “in his favour there is life”).
  11. Psalm 30:5 tn Heb “in the evening weeping comes to lodge, but at morning a shout of joy.” “Weeping” is personified here as a traveler who lodges with one temporarily.
  12. Psalm 30:6 sn In my self-confidence I said… Here the psalmist begins to fill in the background of the crisis referred to in the earlier verses. He had been arrogant and self-confident, so the Lord withdrew his protection and allowed trouble to invade his life (vv. 8-11).
  13. Psalm 30:7 tn Heb “in your good favor you caused to stand for my mountain strength.” Apparently this means “you established strength for my mountain” (“mountain” in this case representing his rule, which would be centered on Mt. Zion) or “you established strength as my mountain” (“mountain” in this case being a metaphor for security).
  14. Psalm 30:7 tn Heb “you hid your face.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or, as here, carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Ps 88:14).
  15. Psalm 30:8 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 8 are probably preterites; the psalmist recalls that he prayed in his time of crisis.
  16. Psalm 30:9 sn The following two verses (vv. 9-10) contain the prayer (or an excerpt of the prayer) that the psalmist offered to the Lord during his crisis.
  17. Psalm 30:9 tn Heb “What profit [is there] in my blood?” “Blood” here represents his life.
  18. Psalm 30:9 tn The Hebrew term שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 49:9; 55:24 HT [55:23 ET]; 103:4).
  19. Psalm 30:9 tn Heb “dust.” The words “of the grave” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  20. Psalm 30:9 tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “Of course not!”sn According to the OT, those who descend into the realm of death/Sheol are cut off from God’s mighty deeds and from the worshiping covenant community that experiences divine intervention (Pss 6:5; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18). In his effort to elicit a positive divine response, the psalmist reminds God that he will receive no praise or glory if he allows the psalmist to die. Dead men do not praise God!
  21. Psalm 30:10 tn Heb “be a helper to me.”
  22. Psalm 30:11 sn Covered me with joy. “Joy” probably stands metonymically for festive attire here.
  23. Psalm 30:12 tn Heb “so that”; or “in order that.”
  24. Psalm 30:12 tn Heb “glory.” Some view כָבוֹד (khavod, “glory”) here as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kevedi, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 57:9; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.” “Heart” is used in the translation above for the sake of English idiom; the expression “my liver sings” would seem odd indeed to the modern reader.
  25. Psalm 30:12 tn Or “forever.”

Thanksgiving for Answered Prayer

A psalm; a song for the dedication of the house.[a] Of David.[b]

30 I will exalt you, O Yahweh,
because you have drawn me up,
and have not made my enemies rejoice over me.
O Yahweh, my God,
I cried for help to you,
and you healed me.
O Yahweh, you have brought my life up from Sheol.
You preserved me alive
from among those going down [c] to the pit.
Sing praises to Yahweh, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy fame.[d]
For there is a moment in his anger;
there is a lifetime in his favor.
Weeping lodges for the evening,
but in the morning comes rejoicing.
But as for me, I had said in my prosperity,
“I shall not be moved ever.”
O Yahweh, by your favor
you caused my strong mountain to stand.
You hid your face. I was bewildered.
To you, O Yahweh, I called,
and to the Lord I pleaded for grace saying,
“What gain is there in my death,[e]
in my going down into the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 “O Yahweh, hear and be gracious to me.
O Yahweh, be my helper.”
11 You have turned my wailing into my dancing.
You have removed my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy
12 so that I[f] may sing praises to you
and not be quiet.
O Yahweh, my God,
I will give thanks to you forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 30:1 Or “temple”
  2. Psalm 30:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  3. Psalm 30:3 According to the Kethib; the reading tradition (Qere) reads “so I would not go down”
  4. Psalm 30:4 Literally “to the fame of his holiness”
  5. Psalm 30:9 Literally “blood”
  6. Psalm 30:12 Literally “my glory”

22 David then said, “This is the place where the temple of the Lord God will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel.”

David Orders a Temple to Be Built

David ordered the resident foreigners[a] in the land of Israel to be called together. He appointed some of them to be stonecutters to chisel stones for the building of God’s temple. David supplied a large amount of iron for the nails of the doors of the gates and for braces, more bronze than could be weighed, and more cedar logs than could be counted. (The Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large amount of cedar logs to David.)

David said, “My son Solomon is just an inexperienced young man,[b] and the temple to be built for the Lord must be especially magnificent so it will become famous and be considered splendid by all the nations.[c] Therefore I will make preparations for its construction.” So David made extensive preparations before he died.

He summoned his son Solomon and charged him to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel. David said to Solomon: “My son, I really wanted[d] to build a temple to honor[e] the Lord my God. But this was the Lord’s message to me: ‘You have spilled a great deal of blood and fought many battles. You must not build a temple to honor me,[f] for you have spilled a great deal of blood on the ground before me. Look, you will have a son, who will be a peaceful man.[g] I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side.[h] Indeed, Solomon[i] will be his name; I will give Israel peace and quiet during his reign.[j] 10 He will build a temple to honor me;[k] he will become my son, and I will become his father. I will grant to his dynasty permanent rule over Israel.’[l]

11 “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you! May you succeed and build a temple for the Lord your God, just as he announced you would.[m] 12 Only may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he places you in charge of Israel, so you may obey[n] the law of the Lord your God. 13 Then you will succeed, if you carefully obey the rules and regulations which the Lord ordered Moses to give to Israel.[o] Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic![p] 14 Now, look, I have made every effort to supply what is needed to build the Lord’s temple.[q] I have stored up 100,000 talents[r] of gold, 1,000,000 talents[s] of silver, and so much bronze and iron it cannot be weighed, as well as wood and stones. Feel free to add more! 15 You also have available many workers, including stonecutters, masons, carpenters,[t] and an innumerable array of workers who are skilled 16 in using gold, silver, bronze, and iron.[u] Get up and begin the work! May the Lord be with you!”

17 David ordered all the officials of Israel to support[v] his son Solomon. 18 He told them,[w] “The Lord your God is with you![x] He has made you secure on every side,[y] for he handed over to me the inhabitants of the region[z] and the region[aa] is subdued before the Lord and his people. 19 Now seek the Lord your God wholeheartedly and with your entire being![ab] Get up and build the sanctuary of the Lord God! Then you can bring[ac] the ark of the Lord’s covenant and the holy items dedicated to God’s service[ad] into the temple that is built to honor the Lord.”[ae]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 22:2 sn The term גֵּר (ger) refers to a foreign resident, but with different social implications in different settings. In Mosaic Law the resident foreigner was essentially a naturalized citizen and convert to worshiping the God of Israel (see Exod 12:19, 48; Deut 29:10-13).
  2. 1 Chronicles 22:5 tn Heb “a young man and tender.”
  3. 1 Chronicles 22:5 tn Heb “and the house to build to make exceedingly great for a name and for splendor for all the lands.”
  4. 1 Chronicles 22:7 tn Heb “I was with my heart.”
  5. 1 Chronicles 22:7 tn Heb “for the name of.”
  6. 1 Chronicles 22:8 tn Heb “for my name.”
  7. 1 Chronicles 22:9 tn Heb “man of rest.”
  8. 1 Chronicles 22:9 tn Heb “his enemies all around.”
  9. 1 Chronicles 22:9 sn The name Solomon (שְׁלֹמֹה, shelomoh) sounds like (and may be derived from) the Hebrew word for “peace” (שָׁלוֹם, shalom).
  10. 1 Chronicles 22:9 tn Heb “in his days.”
  11. 1 Chronicles 22:10 tn Heb “for my name.”
  12. 1 Chronicles 22:10 tn Heb “and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel permanently.”
  13. 1 Chronicles 22:11 tn Heb “as he spoke concerning you.”
  14. 1 Chronicles 22:12 tn Or “keep.”
  15. 1 Chronicles 22:13 tn Heb “which the Lord commanded Moses concerning Israel.”
  16. 1 Chronicles 22:13 tn Or perhaps, “and don’t get discouraged.”
  17. 1 Chronicles 22:14 tn Heb “and look, in my affliction [or perhaps, “poverty”] I have supplied for the house of the Lord.”
  18. 1 Chronicles 22:14 tn See the note on the word “talents” in 19:6.
  19. 1 Chronicles 22:14 tn Heb “a thousand thousands.”
  20. 1 Chronicles 22:15 tn Heb “craftsmen of stone and wood.”
  21. 1 Chronicles 22:16 tn Heb “and every kind of skilled one in all work, concerning gold, concerning silver, and concerning bronze, and concerning iron, there is no numbering.”
  22. 1 Chronicles 22:17 tn Or “help.”
  23. 1 Chronicles 22:18 tn The words “he told them” are added in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  24. 1 Chronicles 22:18 tn In the Hebrew text the statement is phrased as a rhetorical question, “Is not the Lord your God with you?” The question anticipates the response, “Of course he is!” Thus in the translation the positive statement “The Lord your God is with you!” has been used.
  25. 1 Chronicles 22:18 tn Heb “and he gives rest to you all around.”
  26. 1 Chronicles 22:18 tn Or “earth.”
  27. 1 Chronicles 22:18 tn Or “earth.”
  28. 1 Chronicles 22:19 tn Heb “now give your heart and your being to seek the Lord your God.”
  29. 1 Chronicles 22:19 tn Heb “to bring.”
  30. 1 Chronicles 22:19 tn Heb “items of holiness of God.”
  31. 1 Chronicles 22:19 tn Heb “for the name of the Lord.”

22 Then David said, “This will be the house of Yahweh God, and this altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

David’s Preparations for Building the Temple

And David commanded to assemble the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel and appointed stone craftsmen to cut dressed stones to build the house of God. And David provided much iron for nails for the doors of the gates and for the seams, and abundant copper that could not be weighed, and cedar timbers without number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought abundant cedars to David. Then David said, “Solomon my son is a boy and inexperienced, and the house built for Yahweh must be exceedingly great in fame and splendor throughout every land. I will make preparations for him.” So David provided abundant materials before he died.

Solomon Charged with Building the Temple of Yahweh

Then he called to Solomon his son and commanded him to build a house for Yahweh, the God of Israel. And David said to Solomon his son, “I myself had in my heart to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, but it happened that the word of Yahweh came over me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have made much war; you shall not build a house for my name because you have shed much blood upon the ground before me. Behold, a son shall be born to you; he himself will be a man of rest, and I will give rest to him from all his enemies all around, for his name will be Solomon, and peace and quietness I will give to Israel in his days. 10 He himself will build a house for my name, and he himself will be to me a son, and I will be to him as a father, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’ 11 Now, my son, Yahweh will be with you, that you may succeed and build the house of Yahweh your God as he has spoken concerning you. 12 Only may Yahweh give to you understanding and insight that he might give you charge over Israel and the keeping of the law of Yahweh your God. 13 Then you will prosper if you take care to do the statutes and judgments which Yahweh commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and be courageous; fear not and do not be dismayed. 14 Now see, with great effort I have made provision for the house of Yahweh: 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron that cannot be weighed, for there is an abundance. Also timber and stone I have provided, but to these you should add. 15 And with you there is an abundance of craftsmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and everyone skilled in every kind of craftsmanship 16 with gold, silver, bronze, and iron without number. Arise and work! Yahweh will be with you!”

17 And David commanded all the commanders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, 18 “Is not Yahweh your God with you? And has he not given you rest all around? For he has put in my hand the inhabitants of the land, and the land is subdued before Yahweh and before his people. 19 Now set your heart and mind to seek Yahweh your Go, and arise and build the sanctuary of Yahweh God, that the ark of the covenant of Yahweh and the holy vessels of God might be brought into the house built for the name of Yahweh.

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