1 {A Song of degrees.} Out of the depths do I call upon thee, Jehovah.
Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy cataracts; all thy breakers and thy billows are gone over me.
{A Song of degrees.} Unto thee do I lift up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.
and he said: I cried by reason of my distress unto Jehovah, and he answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol cried I: thou heardest my voice. For thou didst cast me into the depth, into the heart of the seas, And the flood was round about me: All thy breakers and thy billows are gone over me. And I said, I am cast out from before thine eyes, Yet will I look again toward thy holy temple.
They have cut off my life in a pit, and cast a stone upon me. Waters streamed over my head; I said, I am cut off. I called upon thy name, Jehovah, out of the lowest pit.
{A Song of degrees.} Blessed is every one that feareth Jehovah, that walketh in his ways.
{A Song of degrees. Of Solomon.} Unless Jehovah build the house, in vain do its builders labour in it; unless Jehovah keep the city, the keeper watcheth in vain:
{A Song of degrees.} They that confide in Jehovah are as mount Zion, which cannot be moved; it abideth for ever.
{A Song of degrees. Of David.} If it had not been Jehovah who was for us -- oh let Israel say --
The bands of death encompassed me, and torrents of Belial made me afraid. The bands of Sheol surrounded me, the cords of death encountered me. In my distress I called upon Jehovah, and I cried out to my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, into his ears.
{A Song of degrees. Of David.} I rejoiced when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of Jehovah.
{A Song of degrees.} I lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: whence shall my help come?
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the deeps. Thy fury lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted [me] with all thy waves. Selah.
Thou, who hast shewn us many and sore troubles, wilt revive us again, and wilt bring us up again from the depths of the earth;
{To the chief Musician. Upon Shoshannim. [A Psalm] of David.} Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto [my] soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I am come into the depths of waters, and the flood overfloweth me.
And he brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock; he hath established my goings:
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 130
Commentary on Psalms 130 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 130
Ps 130:1-8. The penitent sinner's hope is in God's mercy only.
1, 2. depths—for great distress (Ps 40:2; 69:3).
3. shouldest mark—or, "take strict account" (Job 10:14; 14:16), implying a confession of the existence of sin.
who shall stand—(Ps 1:6). Standing is opposed to the guilty sinking down in fear and self-condemnation (Mal 3:2; Re 6:15, 16). The question implies a negative, which is thus more strongly stated.
4. Pardon produces filial fear and love. Judgment without the hope of pardon creates fear and dislike. The sense of forgiveness, so far from producing licentiousness, produces holiness (Jer 33:9; Eze 16:62, 63; 1Pe 2:16). "There is forgiveness with thee, not that thou mayest be presumed upon, but feared."
5, 6. wait for the Lord—in expectation (Ps 27:14).
watch for, &c.—in earnestness and anxiety.
7, 8. Let Israel, &c.—that is, All are invited to seek and share divine forgiveness.
from all his iniquities—or, "punishments of them" (Ps 40:12, &c.).