Mazmur 130:1--131:3

Psalm 130 ¹ 

A song of ascents. ² 

130:1 From the deep water ³  I cry out to you, O Lord.

130:2 O Lord, listen to me! ⁴ 

Pay attention to ⁵  my plea for mercy!

130:3 If you, O Lord, were to keep track of ⁶  sins,

O Lord, who could stand before you? ⁷ 

130:4 But ⁸  you are willing to forgive, ⁹ 

so that you might ¹⁰  be honored. ¹¹ 

130:5 I rely on ¹²  the Lord,

I rely on him with my whole being; ¹³ 

I wait for his assuring word. ¹⁴ 

130:6 I yearn for the Lord, ¹⁵ 

more than watchmen do for the morning,

yes, more than watchmen do for the morning. ¹⁶ 

130:7 O Israel, hope in the Lord,

for the Lord exhibits loyal love, ¹⁷ 

and is more than willing to deliver. ¹⁸ 

130:8 He will deliver ¹⁹  Israel

from all the consequences of their sins. ²⁰ 

Psalm 131 ²¹ 

A song of ascents, ²²  by David.

131:1 O Lord, my heart is not proud,

nor do I have a haughty look. ²³ 

I do not have great aspirations,

or concern myself with things that are beyond me. ²⁴ 

131:2 Indeed ²⁵  I am composed and quiet, ²⁶ 

like a young child carried by its mother; ²⁷ 

I am content like the young child I carry. ²⁸ 

131:3 O Israel, hope in the Lord

now and forevermore!

[130:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 130. The psalmist, confident of the Lord’s forgiveness, cries out to the Lord for help in the midst of his suffering and urges Israel to do the same.

[130:1]  ² sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[130:1]  ³ tn Heb “depths,” that is, deep waters (see Ps 69:2, 14; Isa 51:10), a metaphor for the life-threatening danger faced by the psalmist.

[130:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “my voice.”

[130:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “may your ears be attentive to the voice of.”

[130:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “observe.”

[130:3]  ⁷ tn The words “before you” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The psalmist must be referring to standing before God’s judgment seat. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one.”

[130:4]  ⁸ tn Or “surely.”

[130:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “for with you [there is] forgiveness.”

[130:4]  ¹⁰ tn Or “consequently you are.”

[130:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “feared.”

[130:5]  ¹² tn Or “wait for.”

[130:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “my soul waits.”

[130:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “his word.”

[130:6]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “my soul for the master.”

[130:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “more than watchmen for the morning, watchmen for the morning.” The words “yes, more” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[130:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “for with the Lord [is] loyal love.”

[130:7]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and abundantly with him [is] redemption.”

[130:8]  ¹⁹ tn Or “redeem.”

[130:8]  ²⁰ tn The Hebrew noun עָוֹן (’avon) can refer to sin, the guilt sin produces, or the consequences of sin. Only here is the noun collocated with the verb פָּדָה (padah, “to redeem; to deliver”). The psalmist may refer to forgiveness per se (v. 4), but the emphasis in this context is likely on deliverance from the national consequences of sin. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 192.

[131:1]  ²¹ sn Psalm 131. The psalmist affirms his humble dependence on the Lord and urges Israel to place its trust in God.

[131:1]  ²² sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[131:1]  ²³ tn Heb “and my eyes are not lifted up.”

[131:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “I do not walk in great things, and in things too marvelous for me.”

[131:2]  ²⁵ tn Or “but.”

[131:2]  ²⁶ tn Heb “I make level and make quiet my soul.”

[131:2]  ²⁷ tn Heb “like a weaned [one] upon his mother.”

[131:2]  ²⁸ tn Heb “like the weaned [one] upon me, my soul.”