Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Psalm 130 EXEGESIS: CONTEXT: In the first four verses, the psalmist addresses Yahweh. Quiet. 4 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), Ross, Allen P., A Commentary on the Psalms, 90-150, Vol. Proud member
It was hard to stay awake––hard to stay focused. Master, hear my cry for help!Listen hard! It was some of the most difficult duty that a soldier was required to pull. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning. 5-6 I pray to God—my life a prayer— and wait for what he’ll say and do.My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning. This is one of 15 psalms (120-134) that begin with this superscription. The soldier would spend hours trying to see things that were seldom there––but that posed terrible danger if they were. ), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000), Mounce, William D., (ed. that whoever believes in him should not perish, It looks like you’re already subscribed to Bible Gateway Plus! Listen to my cries for mercy. Try it free for 30 days. We would wither and die under the heat of his judgment. While pedut could mean deliverance from any adversity, it especially brings to mind the Exodus––redemption from slavery and movement toward the Promised Land. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc. Master, hear my cry for help! Three easy steps to start your free trial subscription to Bible Gateway Plus. ), which the WEB has updated. Sometimes it was terrifying. A Pilgrim Song Help, GOD—the bottom has fallen out of my life! O Israel, wait and watch for God - with God's arrival comes love, with God's arrival comes generous redemption. “If you, Yah (Hebrew: yah), kept a record of (Hebrew: samar) sins” (v. 3a). Let your ears be attentive (Hebrew: qassab) to the voice of my petitions” (v. 2). Dr. Owen himself, in a statement made to Mr. Richard Davis, who ultimately became pastor of a church in Rowel, Northamptonshire, explains the occasion which led him to a very careful examination of the fourth verse in the Psalm. Master, hear my cry for help! Published by permission. 14b (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973), Limburg, James, Westminster Bible Companion: Psalms (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000, Mays, James Luther, Interpretation: Psalms (Louisville: John Knox, 1994), McCann, J. Clinton, Jr., The New Interpreter’s Bible: The Book of Psalms, Vol. Dr. Randy L. Hyde. Try it free for 30 days. Copyright © 2020, Bible Study Tools. The ones most applicable here are to watch, keep, preserve, or pay close attention. Open your ears! If a person has strayed from the fold, God’s purpose is not to punish but to bring him back to the safety of the flock. Creating an account allows you to access more features and content such as: Reading the Bible is rewarding, and these plans make it easy! The circumstances in which Dr. John Owen's Exposition of Psalm 130 originated are peculiarly interesting. Open your ears! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! He first asks Yahweh to hear (sama) his voice, and then expresses his plea more vividly by asking Yahweh to “let (Yahweh’s) ears be attentive (qassab) to (the psalmist’s) petitions.”. “I wait (Hebrew: qawah) for Yahweh” (v. 5a). Learn more. 128 f Blessed is everyone who fears the L ord, who g walks in his ways! God’s word is TRUSTWORTHY. Though they be red like crimson, They have known despair, and can find strength in the psalmist’s plea for help––and his hope––and, at the end, his assurance. “With him is abundant redemption” (Hebrew pedut) (v. 7b). they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). That word adds a winsome feel––a yearning. Listen hard! We can appreciate the psalmist’s sentiment. Try it for 30 days FREE. 130 1-2 Help, God—the bottom has fallen out of my life! The church has made great use of the psalms, and included this psalm as one of its seven penitential psalms. Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord A Song of m Ascents. What are the benefits of creating an account? When the morning light appeared, the soldier could see. 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. When they sinned he punished them, but not to destroy them but to redeem them. “therefore you are feared” (Hebrew: yare) (v. 4b). The word yahal also means wait, but is often used in the psalms for waiting hopefully––waiting in faith (33:18; 38:15; 42:5).