Psalm 130

Psalm 130 is the eleventh of the fifteen Songs of Ascents that run from Psalm 120 through Psalm 134 in the book of Psalms. Its superscription names no author. Whereas the preceding Psalm 129 sings of the affliction Israel suffered at the hands of its enemies, Psalm 130 presents the psalmist standing before God, burdened by his own sin.

Structure

• Verses 1–2 The psalmist cries to the LORD "out of the depths" and asks Him to hear his supplication.
• Verses 3–4 He confesses that if the Lord were to mark every iniquity, no one could stand. Yet forgiveness is with the Lord, and this leads people to fear Him.
• Verses 5–6 The psalmist waits for the LORD and for His word. He says twice that he waits more earnestly than watchmen wait for the morning.
• Verses 7–8 The individual prayer turns into an exhortation to the community. The psalmist calls Israel to hope in the LORD, for with Him there is mercy and plenteous redemption (deliverance at a cost), and he closes by declaring that the LORD will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Key Verses

• Psalm 130:1 "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD." — The opening of the psalm, widely known by its first words in Latin, De profundis.
• Psalm 130:3–4 "If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." — The central confession of the psalm: forgiveness leads not to license but to reverent fear.
• Psalm 130:6 "My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning." — Frequently quoted as an image of waiting.

People and Places

• The psalmist — An unnamed person at prayer.
• Israel — The community of God's people, who receive the exhortation in verses 7–8.
• Watchmen — Those who keep guard over a city or the temple through the night, waiting for daybreak.

Points for Reflection

• Church tradition has grouped Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143 together as the "Penitential Psalms." The Catholic Church is known to have used this psalm in prayers for the departed.
• Martin Luther based his hymn "Out of the Depths I Cry to Thee" (Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir) on this psalm. Lutheran and Reformed interpreters often read verses 3–4 in connection with the doctrine of justification. The Puritan John Owen left a lengthy exposition of this psalm.
• John Wesley recorded in his journal that on the afternoon of May 24, 1738, the day of his Aldersgate experience, he heard an anthem based on this psalm at St. Paul's Cathedral.
• The explanation that pilgrims sang these songs as they climbed the temple steps comes from Jewish tradition. The superscription says only "Song of Ascents" (KJV: "A Song of degrees") and does not specify how the psalm was used.
• The words of verse 8, "he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities," are often read in connection with the language of Matthew 1:21 and Titus 2:14.
• An exhortation similar to verse 7, "Let Israel hope in the LORD," also appears at the end of Psalm 131.