Psalms 30:7-12

7 By your favor, O LORD, you made my ¹mountain stand strong; you ²hid your face; I was ³dismayed.

8 To you, O LORD, I cry, and ⁴to the Lord I plead for mercy:

9 "What profit is there in my death,^[a] if I go down to the pit?^[b] Will ⁵the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?

10 ⁶Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!"

11 You have turned for me my mourning into ⁷dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

12 that my ⁸glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Psalms 30:7-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 30

\\<>\\. This is the first time that a psalm is called a song; some psalms are called by one name, some by another, and some by both, as here; and some are called hymns: to which distinction of them the apostle refers in Eph 5:19. A psalm was sung upon musical instruments, a song with the voice; it may be this psalm was sung both ways: the occasion of it was the dedication of David's house: the Targum interprets it of the house of the sanctuary, the temple; and so most of the Jewish commentators {i}; which might be called his house, because it was his intention to build it; his heart was set upon it, he provided materials for it, and gave his son Solomon the form of it, and a charge to build it; and, as is thought, composed this psalm to be sung, and which was sung by the Levites at the dedication of it: others, as Aben Ezra, are of opinion it was his own dwelling house, made of cedar, which he dedicated according to the law of Moses, with sacrifices and offerings, prayer and thanksgiving, \2Sa 5:11 7:2 De 20:5\; so Apollinarius calls it a new house David built; but since there is nothing in the whole psalm that agrees with the dedication, either of the temple, or of David's own private house, it seems better, with other interpreters, to understand it of the purging of David's house from the wickedness and incest of his son Absalom, upon his return to it, when the rebellion raised by him was extinguished; which might be reckoned a new dedication of it; see 2Sa 20:3; and to a deliverance from such troubles this psalm well agrees. Theodoret interprets it of the restoration of the human nature by Christ, through his resurrection from the dead. {i} Jarchi, Kimchi, & Abdendana.

Cross References

• 1. [2 Samuel 5:9]
• 2. Psalms 104:29; [Deuteronomy 31:17]
• 3. [2 Samuel 24:10]
• 4. Psalms 142:1
• 5. See Psalms 6:5
• 6. Psalms 27:7
• 7. Exodus 15:20; 2 Samuel 6:14; Jeremiah 31:4, 13; [Psalms 149:3; Psalms 150:4; Lamentations 5:15]
• 8. See Psalms 16:9

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew in my blood
• [b]. Or to corruption