Psalms 130 KJV
Out of the Depths
About This Psalm
Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD. If you kept a record of sins, who could stand? Waiting for redemption.
1ut of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
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Did You Know?
Psalm 130's shift from individual cry to Israel's corporate redemption in verses 7-8 mirrors post-exilic covenant renewal themes, where personal forgiveness enables national restoration from exile.
The 'depths' evoke not mere trouble but the chaotic tehom of Genesis 1, framing sin as reversion to pre-creation disorder overcome only by Yahweh's redemptive word.
Its placement among the Songs of Ascents reframes pilgrimage as beginning in penitential descent, subverting expectations of joyful ascent with prerequisite acknowledgment of iniquity.
The watchman simile draws on temple night-guard practices where dawn signaled both literal relief and ritual renewal, symbolizing eschatological vigilance tied to priestly liturgy.
Verse 4's paradox that forgiveness produces fear inverts typical wisdom logic, echoing Exodus 34:6-7 where mercy precedes and grounds covenantal reverence rather than judgment.
Commentary & Study Notes
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871) ยท Public Domain
Classic verse-by-verse commentary on Psalms 130 from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (1871). Covers: The Penitent Sinner's Hope Is In God's Mercy Only.
The Penitent Sinner's Hope Is In God's Mercy Only v1-8
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.).