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Psalm 130 Bible study: Out of the depths
Psalm 130's word for depths comes five times in the Hebrew Bible, and only here without water or sea (130:1). Its kept a record of (130:3) and its watchmen (130:6) are one Hebrew verb, and its forgiveness (130:4) is a noun the Hebrew Bible has only three times. It ends, "He will redeem Israel from all their sins" (130:8).
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“If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, therefore you are feared.”
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“Psalm 131:3, like Psalm 130:7, says, "Israel, hope in the LORD."”
Is that in Psalm 130, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
Out of the depths
The psalm's title is "A Song of Ascents" (130:1), the eleventh of the fifteen (Psalm 120:1 to 134:1) (tap Ascents). Psalm 120's notes set out what the lexicons say about the title, and these notes add nothing to it. After the title the psalmist speaks to the LORD: "Out of the depths I have cried to you, LORD" (130:1) (tap depths, cried). "Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my petitions" (130:2) (tap attentive, petitions). The Hebrew Bible has this word for depths five times. In the other four it is the depths of water or of the sea, as in "I have come into deep waters" (Psalm 69:2) and "the depths of the sea" (Isaiah 51:10). Here it stands alone. The psalm doesn't say what the depths are, and the title doesn't name the psalmist.
Where it leads to Jesus
From their sins
Psalms 130:8leads toMatthew 1:21
"He will redeem Israel from all their sins" (Psalm 130:8). In Matthew, an angel of the Lord tells Joseph in a dream (Matthew 1:20), "You shall name him Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Matthew doesn't name the psalm, and the WEB has redeem in the psalm and save in Matthew. Some Christians read the angel's words as the psalm's hope kept in Jesus. Others set the two verses side by side for what they share, without reading Matthew as speaking of the psalm: the psalm says the LORD will redeem Israel, and the angel speaks of the child Mary will bear. These notes don't choose.
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Psalm 130
That was a taste
The rest of Psalm 130 is waiting in Favor
- Lord, who could stand?
- More than watchmen for the morning
- Israel, hope in the LORD
- Redeem Israel, in two psalms
- Hope, in Psalm 119 and Psalm 131
- A watchman and the morning
- 5 questions as you read
- 13 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Psalm 130 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
סְלִיחָהselichahsay se-lee-KHAH
Brown-Driver-Briggs: "forgiveness". Strong's: "pardon", and "from 5545", the verb salach, "to forgive". "But there is forgiveness with you, therefore you are feared" (130:4). The Hebrew Bible has the noun only three times. The other two are in the plural: "But you are a God ready to pardon" (Nehemiah 9:17), and "To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness" (Daniel 9:9). In the WEB's Old Testament, forgiveness comes only in Psalm 130:4 and Daniel 9:9.
For your group
Psalm 130 Bible study questions
- 1"Out of the depths I have cried to you, LORD" (130:1). When have you prayed from a low place, and what did you say?
- 2"If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you" (130:3-4). What difference does it make to you that the psalm says forgiveness is with the LORD?
- 3"My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning" (130:6). What are you waiting for right now, and what helps you wait?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Psalm 130 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
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The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home