Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Psalms 131

Psalm 131: a quieted soul like a weaned child

General context

The speaker tells the Lord that his heart is not haughty and his eyes are not lofty, and that he does not exercise himself in great matters or in things too high for him. He says he has behaved and quieted himself like a child weaned of its mother, and that his soul is even as a weaned child. The psalm ends with a call to Israel to hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.

Cited passages: Psalms 131:1, Psalms 131:2, Psalms 131:3

Psalms 131 (KJV)

¹Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.

²Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

³Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.

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Historical context

The source prints no heading for this psalm; verse 1 begins with "Lord, my heart is not haughty", so no title, author or occasion is given and none is asserted. The speaker is a single "I" who is not named and who describes only his own inner state; no enemy, event or place is mentioned. The "great matters" and "things too high" are not specified. The weaned child is a comparison for the speaker's soul, and the text does not say what the speaker was quieted from. Verse 3 addresses Israel with the same words that open Psalm 130:7, "Let Israel hope in the Lord". No Selah occurs.

Cited passages: Psalms 131:1, Psalms 131:2, Psalms 131:3, Psalms 130:7

Literary context

Three verses, each with a different movement. Verse 1 is a set of denials: not haughty, not lofty, not exercised in great matters. Verse 2 is a single affirmation, introduced by "Surely", and it states the weaned-child comparison twice, first as a likeness for the speaker's behaviour and then as a likeness for his soul. Verse 3 leaves the first person altogether and addresses Israel, so a psalm about one quieted soul ends with a word to the whole people. The heart and eyes of verse 1, neither of them raised high, prepare for the child at rest in verse 2. Nothing is asked for; the psalm is a description followed by an exhortation.

Cited passages: Psalms 131:1, Psalms 131:2, Psalms 131:3

Key moments

Not haughty, not lofty (Psalms 131:1). The speaker tells the Lord his heart is not haughty and his eyes not lofty.
A weaned child (Psalms 131:2). The speaker says he has quieted himself like a weaned child.
Let Israel hope (Psalms 131:3). Israel is called to hope in the Lord from now on and for ever.

For reflection

The speaker says he has quieted himself and compares his soul to a weaned child. What might the psalm mean by placing this picture between a list of things the speaker does not reach for and a call to a whole people to hope?