NOTES for Psa 30:1-12
1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. |
2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. |
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. |
4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. |
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. |
6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. |
7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. |
8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. |
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? |
10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper. |
11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; |
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. |
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Sometimes a phrase can be understood in different ways, while the various interpretations may be equally well founded. So it is here: the words about bringing the soul up from Sheol may be understood as a metaphor for delivering a person from the tragic circumstances that have overtaken him, but in the very same words one can also see a prophecy of the coming victory over death. The Lord is the giver of life, and He does not want to destroy His highest creation—man.
The lines of the psalm preserve an important insight: wrath is not the chief way in which the Lord reveals Himself to people; His wrath lasts only a moment, but His favor endures. The sorrow a person experiences will invariably give way to joy. However long the time of calamity may last, it cannot compare with the joy the Lord wishes to bestow upon us.
Characteristic is the confusion the psalmist experienced after the Lord hid His face from him, even though He continued to bestow His blessings upon people. But blessings alone are not enough for man; he wants to be united with the Lord Himself.
Yes, after the Fall, perfect union with the Lord became impossible. Yet by having the ability to praise Him, here on earth we already take part, at least to some degree, in restoring unity with Him.
Other notes
For
1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. |
2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. |
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. |
4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. |
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. |
6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. |
7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. |
8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. |
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? |
10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper. |
11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; |
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. |
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