Psalm 131

Psalm 131 is the twelfth of the fifteen Songs of Ascents collected in Psalms 120–134. Its superscription identifies it as a psalm of David. The preceding psalm, Psalm 130, opens as a lament crying "out of the depths" and closes with "Let Israel hope in the LORD" (Psalm 130:7); Psalm 131 ends with the same call. The following psalm, Psalm 132, celebrates David, the ark of the covenant, and Zion.

Outline

• Verse 1 The psalmist declares that his heart is not proud and his eyes are not lofty. He does not pursue great matters or things too wonderful for him.
• Verse 2 He compares his soul, which he has calmed and quieted, to a "weaned child" held in its mother's arms.
• Verse 3 The personal confession broadens into an exhortation to the community, calling Israel to hope in the LORD from this time forth and forever.

Key Verses

• Psalm 131:1 "LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty" — humility is expressed in heart, eyes, and conduct alike.
• Psalm 131:2 "As a child that is weaned of his mother" — regarded as one of the most characteristic images of trust and peace in the Psalms.
• Psalm 131:3 "Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever" — the individual's confession is extended into the hope of all Israel.

People and Places

• David: The second king of Israel, named as the author in the psalm's superscription.
• Israel: The community of God's people to whom the exhortation in verse 3 is addressed.

Points for Reflection

• Superscription and authorship: Traditionally the psalm is read as a psalm of David, as the superscription states. Some scholars of the Psalms, noting that the superscriptions may have been added later, evaluate the question of authorship independently.
• The meaning of the "weaned child": A nursing infant fusses to be fed, but a weaned child is content at its mother's side without asking for anything. Many commentators draw attention to this difference and interpret the image as depicting a trust that goes beyond prayer aimed at obtaining something. Some scholars take the image as grounds for identifying the psalmist as a mother, though the text does not state this directly.
• Humility versus resignation: The statement in verse 1 about not exercising oneself in great matters is read not as passivity or resignation but as an attitude that does not presume to fathom the whole of God's purposes. For this reason it is often read alongside Romans 11:33–36.
• Connections with the New Testament: The psalm is frequently read alongside Jesus' call to humble oneself as a little child (Matthew 18:3–4), his words "for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29–30), and Paul's testimony that he had learned to be content in whatever state he was in (Philippians 4:11–13).