Psalm 30

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

30:1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
30:2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
30:3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
30:4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
30:6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
30:7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
30:8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.
30:9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
30:10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.
30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.



Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Everything King James Bible:Psalms

Since thou hast not, O Lord, left me to lie
A scorn to foes in my o'erwhelmèd right,
but has exalted up my head on high,
Of thee my song shall be, and of thy might.

When I cried for thy all-relieving aid,
thou didst restore to joy my sad distress;
When at the grave my soul for entrance stayed,
From grave thou didst return my heaviness.

O sing, therefore, due praises to the Lord;
You blessed saints, do you his praises sing.
Do you the holiness with thanks record,
Which doth belong to this our heavenly King.

For he no long time doth his ire prolong,
His frowning wrath within a while is dead,
When then, as if he'd dome me wretch a wrong,
In 's smiling brow glad life is picturèd.

This did my whining life endure awhile,
Whilst th'earth was buried with an evening's shade;
But when the morning's light began to smile,
My joy did come, and all my woe did fade.

And when things flowèd to my full content,
And blind prosperity on me attended,
'Now shall these joys', quoth I, 'which God hath sent,
Now shall these lasting joys be never ended.'

'For thou, dear Lord, ev'n thou of tender love,
And of that goodness which doth dwell in thee,
As with a mountain which can never move
Stand fast about the moving state of me.'

Therewith he turned his milder face aside,
And all with turnèd thoughts bestead was I;
And every thought a world of woes implied,
Which strainèd forth from me this doleful cry:

'Ah, Lord! if to the ground down sunk I were,
What price is in my blood to profit thee?
If thou disrobe me of th'earth's attire I wear,
Can thy great praises then be sung by me?'

'O can the mute and the untonguèd dust,
Which in th'eternal house of death doth dwell,
Consum'd with worms and ever-eating rust, --
O can the dust of thy great glories tell?'

'O hear me then, O Lord! O Lord, me hear,
And send some mercies, Lord, some mercies send;
O let thy saving health betimes appear,
And give my woes unto a happy end.'

'But thou hast turned about my mourning song;
New tunes of joy have drownèd up my sadness,
And for the sack which shrouded me so long,
Thou has clothed my soul with never-wearing gladness.'

-- Michael Coswarth (1590)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to: Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 30

Overview:
Praise to God for deliverance. (1-5) Others encouraged By his
Example. (6-12)

1-5. The great things the Lord has done for us, both By his
Providence and By his Grace, bind us in gratitude to do all we
can to advance his kingdom among men, though the most we can do
is but little. God's saints in Heaven sing to him; why should
not those On Earth do the same? Not one of all God's perfections
carries in it more terror to the wicked, or more comfort to the
godly, than his Holiness. It is a good sign that we are in some
Measure partakers of his Holiness, if we can heartily rejoice at
the remembrance of it. Our happiness is bound up in the Divine
favour; if we have that, we have enough, whatever else we want;
but as long as God's Anger continues, So long the saints'
weeping continues.

6-12 When things are Well with us, we are very apt to think
that they will always be So. When we see our mistake, it becomes
us to think with shame upon our Carnal security as our folly. If
God hide his Face, a good Man is troubled, though No other
calamity befall him. But if God, in Wisdom and Justice, turn from
us, it will be the greatest folly if we turn from him. No; let
us learn to pray in the dark. The sanctified Spirit, which
returns to God, shall praise him, shall be still praising him;
but the services of God's House cannot be performed By the Dust;
it cannot praise him; there is none of that device or working in
the Grave, for it is the land of silence. We ask aright for
Life, when we do So that we may live to praise him. In due time
God delivered the psalmist out of his troubles. Our tongue is
our Glory, and never more So than when employed in praising God.
He would persevere to the End in praise, hoping that he should
shortly be where this would be the Everlasting work. But let all
beware of Carnal security. Neither outward prosperity, nor
inward peace, here, are sure and lasting. The Lord, in his
favour, has fixed the believer's safety firm as the Deep-rooted
mountains, but he must expect to meet with temptations and
Afflictions. When we grow careless, we fall into Sin, the Lord
hides his Face, our comforts droop, and troubles assail us.