Psalms 30

1 The psalm of [the] song, for the hallowing of the house of David. Lord, I shall enhance thee, for thou hast up-taken me; and thou delightedest not mine enemies on me. (The psalm of the song, for the dedication of the house of David. Lord, I shall exalt thee, for thou hast taken me up/for thou hast lifted me up; and thou hast not let my enemies have delight, or to gloat, over me.)

2 My Lord God, I cried to thee; and thou madest me whole.

3 Lord, thou leddest out my soul from hell; thou savedest me from them that go down into the pit. (Lord, thou hast led me up from Sheol, or the land of the dead; thou hast pulled me out from among those who go down into the pit.)

4 Ye saints of the Lord, sing to the Lord; and acknowledge ye to the mind of his holiness (and give ye thanks at the remembrance of his holiness).

5 For ire is in his indignation; and life is in his will (For there is anger in his indignation; but there is life in his favour). Weeping shall dwell at eventide; and gladness at the morrowtide.

6 Forsooth I said in my plenty; I shall not be moved [into] without end. (But I said in the midst of my plenty, or of my abundance, I shall never be shaken, or defeated.)

7 Lord, in thy will; thou hast given virtue to my fairness. Thou turnedest away thy face from me; and I am made troubled. (Lord, by thy favour, thou hast protected me; yea, like a mountain stronghold. But then thou hast turned thy face away from me; and I was greatly troubled.)

8 Lord, I shall cry to thee; and I shall pray to my God. (Lord, I cried to thee; yea, I prayed to my God.)

9 What profit is in my blood; while I go down into corruption? Whether dust shall acknowledge to thee; either it shall tell thy truth? (And I said, What profit is there in my death; if I go down into the pit? Shall the dust then praise thee? or can it tell about thy truth?)

10 The Lord heard, and had mercy on me; the Lord is made mine helper. (Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be thou my helper.)

11 Thou hast turned my wailing into joy to me; thou hast rent my sackcloth, and hast (en)compassed me with gladness. (And now, thou hast turned my wailing into joy for me; thou hast torn off my sackcloth, and surrounded me with gladness.)

12 That my glory sing to thee, and I be not compunct; my Lord God, I shall acknowledge to thee [into] without end. (So that my spirit may sing to thee, and I shall never be silent; my Lord God, I shall thank thee forever.)

Psalms 30 Commentary

Chapter 30

Praise to God for deliverance. (1-5) Others encouraged by his example. (6-12)

1-5. The great things the Lord has done for us, both by his providence and by his grace, bind us in gratitude to do all we can to advance his kingdom among men, though the most we can do is but little. God's saints in heaven sing to him; why should not those on earth do the same? Not one of all God's perfections carries in it more terror to the wicked, or more comfort to the godly, than his holiness. It is a good sign that we are in some measure partakers of his holiness, if we can heartily rejoice at the remembrance of it. Our happiness is bound up in the Divine favour; if we have that, we have enough, whatever else we want; but as long as God's anger continues, so long the saints' weeping continues.

Verses 6-12 When things are well with us, we are very apt to think that they will always be so. When we see our mistake, it becomes us to think with shame upon our carnal security as our folly. If God hide his face, a good man is troubled, though no other calamity befal him. But if God, in wisdom and justice, turn from us, it will be the greatest folly if we turn from him. No; let us learn to pray in the dark. The sanctified spirit, which returns to God, shall praise him, shall be still praising him; but the services of God's house cannot be performed by the dust; it cannot praise him; there is none of that device or working in the grave, for it is the land of silence. We ask aright for life, when we do so that we may live to praise him. In due time God delivered the psalmist out of his troubles. Our tongue is our glory, and never more so than when employed in praising God. He would persevere to the end in praise, hoping that he should shortly be where this would be the everlasting work. But let all beware of carnal security. Neither outward prosperity, nor inward peace, here, are sure and lasting. The Lord, in his favour, has fixed the believer's safety firm as the deep-rooted mountains, but he must expect to meet with temptations and afflictions. When we grow careless, we fall into sin, the Lord hides his face, our comforts droop, and troubles assail us.

Chapter Summary

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.