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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Psalms 130

Psalm 130: a cry out of the depths and waiting for the Lord more than watchmen for morning

General context

The speaker says he has cried to the Lord out of the depths and asks the Lord to hear his voice and let his ears be attentive to his supplications. He asks who could stand if the Lord marked iniquities, and answers that there is forgiveness with the Lord, that he may be feared. He says he waits for the Lord, his soul waits, and he hopes in his word. His soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, and he repeats the phrase. The psalm then turns to Israel, telling Israel to hope in the Lord because with the Lord there is mercy and plenteous redemption, and it ends by saying that he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Cited passages: Psalms 130:1, Psalms 130:2, Psalms 130:3, Psalms 130:4, Psalms 130:5, Psalms 130:6, Psalms 130:7, Psalms 130:8

Psalms 130 (KJV)

1Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.

2Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

3If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

4But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

5I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

6My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

7Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

8And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

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Historical context

The source prints no heading for this psalm; verse 1 begins with "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee", so no title, author or occasion is given and none is asserted. The speaker is a single "I" who is not named; "the depths" is a figure and the psalm does not say what trouble it stands for. The speaker names iniquities as the matter between himself and the Lord but confesses no specific act, and verse 8 speaks of Israel's iniquities rather than the speaker's alone. Verses 1-6 are addressed to the Lord or spoken about him in the first person; verses 7-8 address Israel. Those who watch for the morning are mentioned as a comparison only, and the text does not say who they are. No Selah occurs.

Cited passages: Psalms 130:1, Psalms 130:3, Psalms 130:8, Psalms 130:7, Psalms 130:6

Literary context

The psalm moves in four pairs of verses: a cry and a plea to be heard, a question and its answer, a statement of waiting and its intensification, and a call to Israel with a closing promise. The question in verse 3, "who shall stand?", is answered not with a name but with "But there is forgiveness with thee". Waiting is said three times across verses 5-6, and the comparison to watchmen waiting for morning is spoken twice in one verse, with "I say" marking the repetition. The word "hope" links the speaker's "in his word do I hope" to the command "Let Israel hope in the Lord". The psalm begins in the depths and ends with redemption "from all his iniquities", so the iniquities that made standing impossible in verse 3 are the last thing named. No answer from the Lord is recorded; the assurance comes as the speaker's own statement about what is with the Lord.

Cited passages: Psalms 130:2, Psalms 130:3, Psalms 130:4, Psalms 130:5, Psalms 130:6, Psalms 130:7, Psalms 130:8

Key moments

  1. Cry from the depths (Psalms 130:1). The speaker says he has cried to the Lord out of the depths.
  2. Who shall stand? (Psalms 130:3). The speaker asks who could stand if the Lord marked iniquities.
  3. Forgiveness with thee (Psalms 130:4). The answer is that there is forgiveness with the Lord, that he may be feared.
  4. Waiting more than watchmen (Psalms 130:6). The speaker's soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning.
  5. Let Israel hope (Psalms 130:7). Israel is told to hope in the Lord because with him is mercy and plenteous redemption.
  6. Redeemed from all iniquities (Psalms 130:8). The psalm closes with the promise that he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

For reflection

The speaker says forgiveness is with the Lord so that the Lord may be feared. How does the psalm connect being forgiven with fearing, and why might it place that link before the long description of waiting?

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