Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 130 (MT) / Psalm 129 (LXX) is the eleventh Song of Ascents AND the sixth penitential psalm — the DE PROFUNDIS. Latin Vulgate: 'De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine.' Luther's hymn Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir (1524) and the opening of Oscar Wilde's apologetic De Profundis (1897) both draw from this psalm's opening cry. Traditional Christian funeral-liturgy deploys this psalm, making it the classic prayer-for-the-dead.
Notable Variants
130:1 'out of the depths / De profundis' as funeral and penitential classic; 130:3–4 'if you kept record of sins … but with you is forgiveness' imputation-theology; 130:5–6 'more than watchmen for the morning' waiting-image.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 130 = LXX Ps 129. 8 verses. Eleventh Song of Ascents. Sixth penitential psalm (the De Profundis).
A song of ascents. Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD.
'Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!' tracks MT. 'DE PROFUNDIS.' Latin Vulgate. One of the most-set verses in Western-sacred-music: settings by Palestrina, Lassus, Charpentier, Pärt, and countless others. Standard requiem and funeral-liturgy opening.
Lord, hear my voice; let your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleas for mercy.
'O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!' tracks MT.
If you kept a record of sins, Yah — Lord, who could stand?
'If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?' tracks MT. NONE-COULD-STAND universal-sinfulness theology. Revelation 6:17 ('who can stand?') echoes. The counterfactual ('IF you kept record …') implies God's grace DOESN'T keep a permanent-sin-record for the penitent.
But with you there is forgiveness, so that you may be revered.
'But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared' tracks MT. FORGIVENESS-PRODUCES-FEAR (paradoxically): divine-grace does not diminish reverence but increases it. Luke 7:47 (the forgiven-woman's lavish-love) extends the forgiveness-produces-devotion theology.
I wait for the LORD; my whole being waits, and in his word I hope.
'I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope' tracks MT. WAIT-FOR-THE-LORD. The 'wait' (qivah / hypemeina) recurrence intensifies the posture of expectant-receptivity.
My whole being waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for morning — more than watchmen wait for morning.
'My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning' tracks MT. MORE-THAN-WATCHMEN-FOR-MORNING. The doubled-repetition emphasizes intensity. Night-watchmen yearning for dawn is the archetype-of-longing. 2 Peter 1:19 ('until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts') extends Christologically.
Hope in the LORD, Israel, for with the LORD there is faithful love, and with him there is redemption in abundance.
'O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption' tracks MT. 'PLENTIFUL REDEMPTION' (polylytrōsis / pedut rabbah) — the abundance-of-redemption. Luke 1:68 Benedictus ('he has visited and redeemed his people') Christologically identifies the redemption with Christ's incarnation.
And he will redeem Israel from all its sins.
'And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities' tracks MT. REDEEM-FROM-ALL-INIQUITIES. Matthew 1:21 ('he will SAVE his people FROM THEIR SINS') applies this psalm's promise Christologically to Jesus' mission.