28911951 psalm-130-commentary

PSALM 130 COMME
TARY
Written and edited by Glenn Pease
PREFACE
The object of this commentary is to bring together the comments of a number of
authors in one place to make the study of this Psalm easier for the Bible student.
Sometimes I do not have the author's name, and if it is known and told to me, I will
give credit where it is due. If there is any author who does not wish his wisdom to be
included in this study, I will remove it when that author expresses his wish to have it
removed. My e-mail is glenn_p86@yahoo.com
I
TRODUCTIO

1. “Whether the Prophet in this Psalm prays in his own name in particular, or
represents the whole Church, it is manifest, that finding himself overwhelmed with
adversities, he supplicates deliverance with passionate ardor. And while
acknowledging that he is justly chastised by the hand of God, he encourages himself
and all genuine believers to cherish good hope, since God is the everlasting deliverer
of his people, and has always in readiness the means of effecting their rescue from
death.” author unknown
2. Barnes, “This psalm also is entitled “A Song of Degrees.” See the notes at
Introduction to Psa_120:1-7. The author and the occasion on which it was composed
are unknown, as is also the reason why it was included in this group of psalms.The
language of the psalm seems to be that of an individual; but most interpreters
suppose that it is an individual speaking in the name of the nation, and representing
its calamities and its penitence. Some have imagined that the person represented as
speaking in Psa_130:7-8, is a different individual from the one speaking in the other
part of the psalm, but there seems to be no ground for this opinion. It is commonly
supposed that the psalm had reference to the state of the Jews in the Babylonian
captivity, but there is no necessity for limiting it to that period, if indeed it has any
reference to the people of Israel. There were many occasions in their history when
the language of the psalm would not be less appropriate than at that time. But there
is no necessity at all for supposing that it refers to the nation as such. It may be the
language of an individual, mourning over his sins, and pleading for mercy,
expressing deep conviction of sin, and humble trust in God as the only hope for a
convinced, condemned, and penitent sinner. As such, it would represent what has
occurred in thousands of cases when sinners have been brought to conviction of sin,

and have cried for mercy. Understood in this manner, it is one of the most
instructive and touching of the psalms. I know of no reason why it may not be so
regarded.”
3. Spurgeon, “A Song of Degrees. It would be hard to see any upward step from the
preceding to the present Psalm, and therefore it is possible that the steps or ascents
are in the song itself: certainly it does rise rapidly out of the depths of anguish to the
heights of assurance. It follows well upon 129: when we have overcome the trials
which arise from man we are the better prepared to meet those sharper sorrows
which arise out of our matters towards God. He who has borne the scourges of the
wicked is trained in all patience to wait the dealings of the Holy Lord. We name this
the DE PROFU
DIS PSALM: "Out of the depths" is the leading word of it: out of
those depths we cry, wait, watch, and hope. In this Psalm we hear of the pearl of
redemption, Psalms 130:7- 8: perhaps the sweet singer would never have found that
precious thing had he not been cast into the depths. "Pearls lie deep."
Division. The first two verses (Psalms 130:1-2) reveal an intense desire; and the next
two are a humble confession of repentance and faith, Psalms 130:3-4. In Psalms
130:5-6 waiting watchfulness is declared and resolved upon; and in Psalms 130:7-8
joyful expectation, both for himself and all Israel, finds expression.”
4. The Psalm is the eleventh in the order of the gradual Psalms, and treats of the
eleventh step in the spiritual ascent, viz., penitential prayer. --H. T. Armfield.
5. Of the Psalms which are called Penitential this is the chiefest. But, as it is the most
excellent, so it has been perverted to the most disgraceful abuse in the Popedom:
e.g., that it should be mumbled in the lowest voice by slow bellies, in the sepulchral
vigils for their liberation of souls from purgatory: as if David were here treating of
the dead, when he has not even spoken a word about them; but says that he himself,
a living man, was calling upon God; and exhorts the Israelites, living men also, to do
the same. But leaving the buffooneries of the Papists we will rather consider the true
meaning and use of the Psalm. It contains the most ardent prayer of a man
grievously distressed by a sense of the Divine anger against sin: by earnest turning
to God and penitence, he is seeking the forgiveness of his iniquities. --Solomon
Gesner.
6. The Holy Ghost layeth out here two opposite passions most plainly -- fear, in
respect of evil deserving sins, and hope, in regard of undeserved mercies.
--Alexander Roberts. 1610.
7. The passionate earnestness of the Psalm is enhanced by the repetition eight times
in it of the Divine
ame. --The Speaker's Commentary, 1873.
8. This Psalm, perhaps more than any other, is marked by its mountains: depth;
prayer; conviction; light; hope; waiting; watching; longing; confidence; assurance;
universal happiness and joy ... Just as the barometer marks the rising of the
weather, so does this Psalm, sentence by sentence, record the progress of the soul.
And you may test yourself by it, as by a rule or measure, and ask yourself at each

line, "Have I reached to this? Have I reached to this?" and so take your spiritual
gauge. --James Vaughan, in "Steps to Heaven", 1878.
9. Whosoever he was that wrote this Psalm, he maketh mention and rehearsal of
that prayer that he made to his God in the time of his great danger, and this he doth
to the fifth verse; then finding in experience a comfortable answer, and how good a
thing it was to pray to God, and to wait on him, he professes, that, as before, he had
awaited on him, so still in time coming he would await on him, and this he doeth to
the seventh verse. In the third and last part, he turneth him to Israel, to the church,
and exhorteth them to await on God, as he had done, promising them mercy and
redemption from all their iniquities if they would await on him. --Robert Rollock,
1555-1599.
10. Octavius Winslow (1808-1878) “Psalm 130 is perhaps the best known of all the
Penitential Psalms. It contains the ardent prayer of a man who is distressed by a
sense of God’s anger against sin: by an earnest, penitent turning to God, he longs
for the forgiveness of his iniquities. But this Psalm, perhaps more than any other, is
also marked by a steady upward progression: depth; prayer; conviction; light;
hope; waiting; watching; longing; confidence; assurance; universal happiness and
joy. Just as the barometer marks the rising of the weather, so each sentence of this
Psalm records the progress of the soul.”
1. Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
1. Spurgeon, “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. This is the
Psalmist's statement and plea: he had never ceased to pray even when brought into
the lowest state. The depths usually silence all they engulf, but they could not close
the mouth of this servant of the Lord; on the contrary, it was in the abyss itself that
he cried unto Jehovah. Beneath the floods prayer lived and struggled; yea, above the
roar of the billows rose the cry of faith. It little matters where we are if we can pray;
but prayer is never more real and acceptable than when it rises out of the worst
places. Deep places beget deep devotion. Depths of earnestness are stirred by depths
of tribulation. Diamonds sparkle most amid the darkness. Prayer de profundis gives
to God gloria in excelsis. The more distressed we are, the more excellent is the faith
which trusts bravely in the Lord, and therefore appeals to him, and to him alone.
Good men may be in the depths of temporal and spiritual trouble; but good men in
such cases look only to their God, and they stir themselves up to be more instant and
earnest in prayer than at other times. The depth of their distress moves the depths
of their being; and from the bottom of their hearts an exceeding great and bitter cry
rises unto the one living and true God. David had often been in the deep, and as
often had he pleaded with Jehovah, his God, in whose hand are all deep places. He
prayed, and remembered that he had prayed, and pleaded that he had prayed;
hoping ere long to receive an answer. It would be dreadful to look back on trouble

and feel forced to own that we did not cry unto the Lord in it; but it is most
comforting to know that whatever we did not do, or could not do, yet we did pray,
even in our worst times. He that prays in the depth will not sink out of his depth. He
that cries out of the depths shall soon sing in the heights.”
1B. Spurgeon goes on, “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Is there not
a depth of sin, and a depth of misery by reason Of sin, and a depth of sorrow by
reason of misery? In all which, both David was, and I, God help me, am deeply
plunged; and are not these depths enough out of which to cry? And yet, perhaps,
none of these depths is that which David means; but there are depths of danger -- a
danger of body and a danger of soul, and out of these it seems that David cried; for
the danger of his body was so deep that it had brought him to death's door, and the
danger of his soul so deep that it had almost brought him to the gates of despair;
and had he not just cause then to say, "Out of the depths have cried to thee, O
God"? And yet there is a depth besides these that must help to lift us out of these --
a depth of devotion, without which depth our crying out of other depths will never
be heard. For devotion is a fire that puts a heat into out' crying, and carries it up
into coelum empyroeum -- the heaven of fire, where God himself is. And now join all
these depths together -- the depth of sin, of misery, of sorrow, the depth of danger,
and the depth of devotion, -- and then tell me if David had not, if I have not, as just
cause as ever Jonah had to say, "Out of the depths have I cried to thee, O God."
Indeed, to cry out of the depths hath many considerable circumstances to move God
to hear: it acknowledgeth his infinite power when no distance can hinder his
assistance; it presents our own faith when no extremity can weaken our hope; it
magnifies God's goodness when he, the Most High, regards the most low; it
expresses our own earnestness, seeing crying out of depths must needs be a deep
cry; and if each of these singly, and by itself, be motive sufficient to move God to
hear, how strong must the motive needs be when they are all united? and united
they are all in crying out of the depths; and therefore now that I cry to thee out of
the depths, be moved, O God, in thy great mercy to "hear my voice."
1C. J. Hunter, “ Out of the depths have come the finest poetry, the finest music, the
finest speech of the world. " The Bible owes its place in literature," said Emerson, "
not to miracles, but to the fact that it comes from a profounder depth of life than
any other book." Out of the depths have come the most inspired and inspiring of
the psalms of faith, both ancient and modern. Out of the depths men have brought
blessings which are rarely found in green pastures and by still waters. We never
know how much God is the one great need of the soul till we go down to the
depths.”
1D. The poet Fenner expressed the experience:
Up from the deeps, God, I cry to Thee,
Hear my soul's prayer, hear Thou her litany,
Thou who sayest, " Come, wanderer, home to Me."

Up from the deeps of sorrow, wherein lie
Dark secrets veiled from earth's unpitying eye,
My prayers, like star-crowned angels, Godward fly.

ot from life's shallows where the waters sleep,
A dull, low marsh where stagnant waters sleep,
But ocean- voiced, deep calling unto deep.
2. Calvin, “It is to be noticed that the Prophet speaks of himself as sending forth his
voice, as it were from out of a deep gulf,1 feeling himself overwhelmed with
calamities. As the miseries to which there is no prospect of a termination commonly
bring despair in their train, nothing is more difficult than for persons, when
involved in grievous and deep sorrow, to stir up their minds to the exercise of
prayer. And it is wonderful, considering that whilst we enjoy peace and prosperity
we are cold in prayer, (because then our hearts are in a state of infatuated security,
how in adversities, which ought to quicken us, we are still more stupefied. But the
Prophet derives confidence in coming to the time one of grace from the very
troubles, cares, dangers and sorrow into which he was plunged. He expresses his
perplexity and the earnestness of his desire both by the word cry, and by the
repetition continued in the second verse. So much the more detestable then is the
barbarous ignorance of the Papist's, in shamefully profaning this Psalm by
wresting; it to a purpose wholly foreign to its genuine application. To what intent do
they mumble it over for the dead, if it; is not that, in consequence of Satan having
bewitched them, they may by their profanity extinguish a doctrine of singular
utility? From the time that this Psalm was, by, a forced interpretation, applied to
the souls of the dead, it is very generally believed to be of no use whatever to the
living, and thus the world has lost an inestimable treasure.”
3. Clarke, “of the depths - captives in Babylon represent their condition like those
who are in a prison - an abyss or deep ditch, ready to be swallowed up.”
4. Gill, “Out of deep waters, out of the depths of the sea; not literally, as Jonah, who
really was there, and from thence cried unto the Lord, Jon_2:2; but figuratively;
meaning that he had been in the depths of sin, or brought into a low estate by it, as
all men are: they are brought into debt by it, and so to a prison, the prison of the
law, to be under its sentence of curse and condemnation; to a ditch, a horrible pit, a
pit wherein is no water, and out of which men cannot extricate themselves; to a
dunghill, to the most extrem poverty and beggary; to a dungeon, a state of
thraldom, bondage, and captivity; into an hopeless and helpless condition. The
depths the psalmist was now in were a deep sense of sin, under which he lay, and
which brought him low; as every man is low in his own eyes, when he has a
thorough sense of sin; then he sees himself unworthy of any favour from God,
deserving of his wrath and displeasure; as a polluted guilty creature, loathsome and
abominable; as wretched and undone in himself; as the chief of sinners, more
brutish than any man, and as a beast before the Lord: but then, though the psalmist
was in the depths of distress for sin, yet not in the depths of despair; he cried to
God, he hoped in him, and believed there was pardon with him: or he might be in

the depths of afflictions; which are sometimes, because of the greatness of them,
compared to deep waters; to the deep waters of the sea, which threaten to overflow
and overwhelm, but shall not; see Psa_42:7; and in such circumstances the psalmist
cried to God for help and deliverance; not to man, whose help is vain; but to God,
who is able to save, and is a present help in time of need. Theodoret understands
this of the psalmist's crying to God from the bottom of his heart, in the sincerity of
his soul; and so his cry is opposed to feigned and hypocritical prayers.”
5. Spurgeon adds this comment: “, dear friends, that the Psalm begins with this
remarkable expression, “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord,” and I
call your special attention to that utterance of the psalmist because there are many
who are afraid to pray when they are in the depths of soul-despair. It is
comparatively easy to think you are praying when you have a fine notion of your
own excellence. At such a time, you can stand up in the temple, with the boasting
Pharisee, and pour out, as glibly as possible, expressions which you call prayer, but
which God will never accept. But the very best prayer in all the world is that which
comes from a broken heart and a contrite spirit,-when, away in the corner there,
beside the conscience-stricken publican, we smite upon our breast, and cry, “God be
merciful to me a sinner.” Do not, I beg you, think that your prayer will not succeed
because you are in the depths. There is no place for praying like that; if ever a man
is more sure to succeed with God at one time than at another, it is when he is in his
greatest straits. You know those men, who are wisely generous, when they are about
to distribute their alms, like to give to the most necessitous cases. The plea with
them is the greatness of need, the urgency of distress; and it is just so with God and
yours selves. It is not your goodness that will ensure an answer to your prayer; it is
the greatness of your need. Even if you have sunk very low in your own esteem, till
not a ray of hope seems left to you, and you are shut up in the blackest darkness of
despair, now is the very time for you to pray, even as the psalmist said, “Out of the
depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.”
o prayers are more true, more real, and,
consequently, more acceptable, and no prayers are so likely to be quickly answered,
as those that come up from the very depths of soul-distress. I begin my discourse
with this observation, because I want to cheer some of you who at present hardly
dare to pray. Yet you are the very people who may pray; you who think that the
Lord will never hear you are the people whom he is certain to hear and answer.
When you are cleaned right out, when even the last rusty counterfeit farthing has
been emptied out of your pocket, and you stand before your God as a wretched,
starving, and bankrupt beggar, your abject poverty and dire need will commend
you to his mercy and love.
ow,-if never before,-now that you have come to your
worst, dart up to heaven your prayer; and the Lord, who heard Jonah when he was
in the whale’s belly, and Manasseh when he was in captivity in Babylon, will hear
you, and send you a speedy answer of peace to your supplication.”
6. “It is cause enough for God not to hear some because they do not cry -- cause
enough not to hear some that cry because not out of the depths; but when crying
and out of the depths are joined together, it was never known that God refused to
hear; and therefore now that I cry to thee out of the depths, be pleased, O God, in

thy great mercy to hear my voice. --Sir Richard Baker, in "Meditations and
Disquisitions upon the Three last Psalmes of David", 1639.
7. Out of the depths. By the deep places (as all the ancients consent) is meant the
deep places of afflictions, and the deep places of the heart troubled for sin.
Afflictions are compared to deep waters. Psalms 18:16: "He drew me out of many
waters." "Save me, O God, for the waters are come in unto my soul." And surely
God's children are often cast into very desperate cases, and plunged into deep
miseries, to the end that they may send out of a contrite and feeling heart such
prayers as may mount aloft and pierce the heavens. When we are in prosperity our
prayers come from our lips; and therefore the Lord is forced to cast us down, that
our prayers may come from our hearts, and that our senses may be wakened from
the security in which they are lying. Albeit the throne of God be most high, yet he
delighteth to hear the petition of hearts that are most low, that are most cast down
by the sight of sin. There is no affliction, neither any place so low (yea, if as low as
the belly of the whale wherein Jonah lay) which can separate us from the love of the
Lord, or stay our prayers from coming before him. Those that are farthest cast
down are not farthest from God, but are nearest unto him. God is near to a contrite
heart, and it is the proper seat where his Spirit dwelleth: Isaiah 66:2. And thus God
dealeth with us, as men do with such houses that they are minded to build
sumptuously and on high; for then they dig deep grounds for the foundation. Thus
God purposing to make a fair show of Daniel, and the three children in Babel; of
Joseph in Egypt; of David in Israel; he first threw them into the deep waters of
affliction. Daniel is cast into the den of lions; the three children are thrown into the
fiery furnace; Joseph is imprisoned; David exiled. Yet all those he exalted and made
glorious temples to himself. Mark hereby the dulness of our nature, that is such,
that God is forced to use sharp remedies to awaken us. Jonah lay sleeping in the
ship, when the tempest of God's wrath was pursuing him: God therefore threw him
irate the belly of the whale, and the bottom of the deep, that from those deep places
he might cry to him. When, therefore, we are troubled by heavy sickness, or
poverty, or oppressed by the tyranny of men, let us make profit and use thereof,
considering that God hath cast his best children into such dangers for their profit;
and that it is better to be in deep dangers praying, than on the high mountains of
vanity playing. --Archibald Symson, in "A Sacred Septenarie", 1638.
8. Out of the depths. "Depths!" oh! into what "depths" men can sink! How far from
happiness, glory, and goodness men can fall. There is the depth of poverty. A man
can become utterly stripped of all earthly possessions and worldly friends!
Sometimes we come upon a man, still living, but in such abject circumstances, that it
strikes us as a marvel that a human being can sink lower than the beasts of the field.
Then there is the depth of sorrow. Billow after billow breaks over the man, friend
after friend departs, lover and friend are put into darkness. All the fountains of his
nature are broken up. He is like a water logged ship, from the top waves plunging
down as if into the bottom of the sea. So often in such depths, sometimes like Jonah
in the whale's belly, the monster carrying him down, down, down, into darkness.

There are depths after depths of mental darkness, when the soul becomes more and
more sorrowful, down to that very depth which is just this side of despair. Earth
hollow, heaven empty, the air heavy, every form a deformity, all sounds discord, the
past a gloom, the present a puzzle, the future a horror. One more step down, and the
man will stand in the chamber of despair, the floor of which is blistering hot, while
the air is biting cold as the polar atmosphere. To what depths the spirit of a man
may fall!
But the most horrible depth into which a man's soul can descend is sin. Sometimes
we begin on gradual slopes, and slide so swiftly that we soon reach great depths;
depths in which there are horrors that are neither in poverty, nor sorrow, nor
mental depression. It is sin, it is an outrage against God and ourselves. We feel that
there is no bottom. Each opening depth reveals a greater deep. This is really tile
bottomless pit, with everlasting accumulations of speed, and perpetual lacerations as
we descend. Oh, depths below depths! Oh, falls from light to gloom, from gloom to
darkness! Oh, the hell of sin! What can we do? We can simply cry, CRY, CRY! But,
let us cry to God. Useless, injurious are other cries. They are mere expressions of
impotency, or protests against imaginary fate. But the cry of the spirit to the Most
High is a manful cry. Out of the depths of all poverty, all sorrow, all mental
depression, all sin, cry unto God! --From "The Study and the Pulpit", 1877.
9. Out of the depths have I cried.
Up from the deeps, O God, I cry to thee!
Hear my soul's prayer, hear thou her litany,
O thou who sayest, "Come, wanderer, home to me."
Up from the deeps of sorrow, wherein lie
Dark secrets veil'd from earth's unpitying eye,
My prayers, like star crown'd angels, Godward fly.
From the calm bosom when in quiet hour
God's Holy Spirit reigns with largest power,
Then shall each thought in prayer's white blossom flower.

ot from life's shallows, where the waters sleep,
A dull, low marsh where stagnant vapours creep,
But ocean voiced, deep calling unto deep.
As he of old, King David, call'd to thee,
As cries the heart of poor humanity,
"Clamavi, Domine, exaudi me!" --C. S. Fenner.
10. It has been well said that the verse puts before us six conditions of true prayer: it is
lowly, "out of the deep"; fervent, "have I called"; direct to God himself, "unto
thee"; reverent, "O LORD"; awed, "LORD", a solemn title, is again used; one's
very own, "hear my voice." --
eale and Littledale.
11. Have I cried. There are many kinds and degrees of prayer in the world; from the
coldest form to the most intense agony. Every one prays; but very few "cry." But of

those who do "cry to God", the majority would say, -- "I owe it to the depths. I
learnt it there. I often prayed before; but never -- till I was carried down very deep
-- did I cry." "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord." It is well worth
while to go down into any "depth" to be taught to "cry." It is not too much to say
that we do not know what prayer may be till we have "cried." And we seldom rise
till we have gone very deep. "I die! I perish! I am lost! Help, Lord! Help me! Save
me now! Do it now, Lord, or I am lost. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord,
hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God!" In mid day, if you are
taken from the bright and sunny scenes of light, and go down into the bottom of a
pit you may see the stars, which were invisible to you in the upper air. And how
many could say that things they knew not in life's noon, they have found in life's
midnight, and that they owe their glimpses of glory, and their best avenues of
thought, and the importunacy of prayer, and the victories of faith, to seasons when
they walked in very dark places. "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O
Lord." --James Vaughan.
12. Ken Gehrels gives us a picture of a nation of people facing endless types of stress
and crisis that calls for calling out of the depths to God. He wrote, “In 1975, poodles
were the most popular purebred dog in America, with 139,750 registered. There
were only 952 registered Rottweilers, a fierce breed often used as a guard dog. By
1994, the poodle population had been cut in half to 61,775, while Rottweilers had
increased 100 times to 102,596. Do you think that tells you something about where
people are at?
Or get this ―Membership in American Counseling Association has gone from
45,000 in 1967 to over 200,000 in the mid 90's. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O
Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.....”
When you’re caught in storm season, there’s nothing you can do, but call out and
reach up ---- to God. Often rude and sometimes crude comedian Richard Pryor was
critically burned in an accident in 1980. Interviewed later by Johnny Carson, he
insisted that when he was seriously ill, there wasn’t much that gave him help - many
of his life props had been kicked out from under him. He is quoted as saying: "All
that I could think of was to call on God. I didn't call the Bank of America once."
Peter Graystone, Ready Salted (Scripture Union, 1998),
13. Henry on verses 1-4, “In these verses we are taught,
I. Whatever condition we are in, though ever so deplorable, to continue calling
upon God, Psa_130:1. The best men may sometimes be in the depths,in great trouble
and affliction, and utterly at a loss what to do, in the depths of distress and almost in
the depths of despair, the spirit low and dark, sinking and drooping, cast down and
disquieted. But, in the greatest depths, it is our privilege that we may cry unto God
and be heard. A prayer may reach the heights of heaven, though not out of the
depths of hell, yet out of the depths of the greatest trouble we can be in in this world,

Jeremiah's out of the dungeon, Daniel's out of the den, and Jonah's out of the fish's
belly. It is our duty and interest to cry unto God, for that is the likeliest way both to
prevent our sinking lower and to recover us out of the horrible pit and miry
clay,Psa_40:1, Psa_40:2.
II. While we continue calling upon God to assure ourselves of an answer of peace
from him; for this is that which David in faith prays for (Psa_130:2): Lord, hear my
voice,my complaint and prayer, and let thy ears be attentiveto the voice both of my
afflictions and of my supplications.
III. We are taught to humble ourselves before the justice of God as guilty in his
sight, and unable to answer him for one of a thousand of our offences (Psa_130:3):
If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord! who shall stand?His calling God
Lordtwice, in so few words, Jahand Adonai,is very emphatic, and intimates a very
awful sense of God's glorious majesty and a dread of his wrath. Let us learn here, 1.
To acknowledge our iniquities, that we cannot justify ourselves before God, or plead

ot guilty. There is that which is remarkable in our iniquities and is liable to be
animadverted upon. 2. To own the power and justice of God, which are such that, if
he were extreme to mark what we do amiss, there would be no hopes of coming off.
His eye can discover enough in the best man to ground a condemnation upon; and,
if he proceed against us, we have no way to help ourselves, we cannot stand, but
shall certainly be cast. If God deal with us in strict justice, we are undone; if he
make remarks upon our iniquities, he will find them to be many and great, greatly
aggravated and very provoking; and then, if he should proceed accordingly, he
would shut us out from all hope of his favour and shut us up under his wrath; and
what could we do to help ourselves? We could not make our escape, nor resist not
bear up under his avenging hand. 3. Let us admire God's patience and forbearance;
we should be undone if he were to mark iniquities, and he knows it, and therefore
bears with us. It is of his mercy that we are not consumedby his wrath.
IV. We are taught to cast ourselves upon the pardoning mercy of God, and to
comfort ourselves with that when we see ourselves obnoxious to his justice,
Psa_130:4. Here is, 1. God's grace discovered, and pleaded with him, by a penitent
sinner: But there is forgiveness with thee.It is our unspeakable comfort, in all our
approaches to God, that there is forgiveness with him, for that is what we need. He
has put himself into a capacity to pardon sin; he has declared himself gracious and
merciful, and ready to forgive, Exo_34:6, Exo_34:7. He has promised to forgive the
sins of those that do repent.
ever any that dealt with him found him implacable,
but easy to be entreated, and swift to show mercy. With us there is iniquity, and
therefore it is well for us that with him there is forgiveness. There is a propitiation
with thee,so some read it. Jesus Christ is the great propitiation, the ransom which
God has found; he is ever with him, as advocate for us, and through him we hope to
obtain forgiveness. 2. Our duty designed in that discovery, and inferred from it:
“There is forgiveness with thee,not that thou mayest be made bold with and
presumed upon, but that thou mayest be feared- in general, that thou mayest be
worshiped and served by the children of men, who, being sinners, could have no
dealings with God, if he were not a Master that could pass by a great many faults.”
But this encourages us to come into his service that we shall not be turned off for
every misdemeanor; no, nor for any, if we truly repent. This does in a special

manner invite those who have sinned to repent, and return to the fear of God, that
he is gracious and merciful, and will receive them upon their repentance, Joe_2:13;
Mat_3:2. And, particularly, we are to have a holy awe and reverence of God's
pardoning mercy (Hos_3:5, They shall fear the Lord, and his goodness); and thenwe
may expect the benefit of the forgiveness that is with God when we make it the
object of our holy fear.”
14. “Literally, the Psalmist felt like he was in the "deep waters." We might say
today, "Man, this is the pits!"
otice the Hebrew parallelism in the first two verses.
"Lord, hear my voice ... Let your ears be attentive to my cry." Despair makes us feel
distant from God just when we need him most. When despair sets in, we have three
choices: (1) We can SEEK TO DULL THE PAI
. Many do this through drugs and
alcohol, parties, a busy social life, hobbies, travel, vacationing, just anything to keep
the good times going so they don't have to think about the pain. In the end, this
becomes a dead end. (2) We can SURRE
DER TO THE PAI
- and sink into
depression, and shut ourselves off from any help we could have either directly from
God or indirectly from others he sends into our lives. (3) We can CRY OUT TO
GOD - obviously, the best option. Please note that there is no attempt here to bribe
God or to make a vow.
o, "I promise if you get me out of this, I'll never miss
church again!" etc. There is only a desire to be restored. This is what pleases God.
As David said in Psalm 51, it is a "broken and contrite heart," and nothing else. You
cannot coerce God into anything. You can only accept his hand of rescue as a free
gift of grace.” author unknown
2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
1. Barnes, “Lord, hear my voice - This is the prayer; this is what he cried. It is the
language of earnest pleading. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my
supplications - Do not turn away from me; do not disregard my cry.
1B. Spurgeon, “
ote, also, how intensely the psalmist pleads. In the second verse of
the Psalm, he says, “Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of
my supplications.” So, when you pray out of the depths, mind that you plead with
all your might. Cold prayers ask God to refuse our requests; but the red-hot petition
of a soul on fire with agony after grace is certain to be heard. If thou hast hitherto
knocked in vain at mercy’s door, knock again, only knock more loudly than before;

and if one blow of the hammer of prayer has not sufficed to make that portal open,
knock, and knock, and knock again, determined that, if thou dost perish, thou wilt
perish praying and pleading; but thou shalt not perish if thou wilt but ask, and seek,
and knock with that importunity which will take no denial. he who has this holy
resolve strongly wrought within him by the blessed Spirit of God shall soon come
into the morning light of gracious acceptance, and his heart shall be glad because
the Lord has granted his petition.”
2. Gill, “His prayer, which was vocal: God is a God hearing prayer; sometimes his
people think he does not hear them; but he always does, and in his own time
answers; for to hear prayer with him is to answer it; which he does likewise in his
own way as well as time; and not always in the way and at the time his people would
have him; let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications; his prayers
put up in an humble suppliant manner, for grace and mercy; not pleading merit and
righteousness: these he desires God would hearken to and hear, listen unto, bow and
incline his ears, as he is sometimes said to do; which is a wonderful instance of his
condescension.
3. Spurgeon, “Lord, hear my voice. It is all we ask; but nothing less will content us.
If the Lord will but hear us we will leave it to his superior wisdom to decide whether
he will answer us or no. It is better for our prayer to be heard than answered. If the
Lord were to make an absolute promise to answer all our requests it might be
rather a curse than a blessing, for it would be casting the responsibility of our lives
upon ourselves, and we should be placed in a very anxious position: but now the
Lord hears our desires, and that is enough; we only wish him to grant them if his
infinite wisdom sees that it would be for our good and for his glory.
ote that the
Psalmist spoke audibly in prayer: this is not at all needful, but it is exceedingly
helpful; for the use of the voice assists the thoughts. Still, there is a voice in silent
supplication, a voice in our weeping, a voice in that sorrow which cannot find a
tongue: that voice the Lord will hear if its cry is meant for his ear. Let thine ears be
attentive to the voice of my supplication. The Psalmist's cry is a beggar's petition; he
begs the great King and Lord to lend an ear to it. He has supplicated many times,
but always with one voice, or for one purpose; and he begs to be noticed in the one
matter which he has pressed with so much importunity. He would have the King
hearken, consider, remember, and weigh his request. He is confused, and his prayer
may therefore be broken, and difficult to understand; he begs therefore that his
Lord will give the more earnest and compassionate heed to the voice of his many
and painful pleadings. When we have already prayed over our troubles it is well to
pray over our prayers. If we can find no more words, let us entreat the Lord to hear
those petitions which we have already presented. If we have faithfully obeyed the
precept by praying without ceasing, we may be confident that the Lord will
faithfully fulfil the promise by helping us without fall. Though the Psalmist was
under a painful sense of sin, and so was in the depth, his faith pleaded in the teeth of
conscious unworthiness; for well he knew that the Lord's keeping his promise
depends upon his own character and not upon that of his erring creatures.

4. Lord, hear my voice, etc. Every prayer should have its reverent invocation, as
every temple its porch. The two greatest prayers in the Old Testament -- Solomon's
prayer and Daniel's prayer -- both have it very emphatically. And it is a very
distinct part of our own perfect model: "Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed
be thy name." On our part it is deferential, and puts the mind into its proper form;
while it places the great God, whom it addresses, where he ought to be, -- in the awe
of his glory; in the magnitude of his power; in the infinitude of his wisdom and love.

ever think little of that part of your prayer: never omit, never hurry over the
opening address. Do not go into his presence without a pause, or some devout
ascription. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my
supplications. True, he is always listening and waiting for his children's "cry", -- far
more prepared to answer, than we are to ask. And the very fact that we are praying
is a proof of his attention, -- for who but he put it into our hearts to make that
prayer?
evertheless, it becomes us, and honours him, to establish, at the outset, the
right relationship between a creature and his Creator; between a child and his
Father: "Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my
supplication." - -James Vaughan.
5. Lord, hear my voice, etc. The expressions are metaphorical, and borrowed from
the carriage of a parent to a child, and upon the matter his suit is this, -- Lord,
notice me when I pray, as a parent will notice his distressed child's cry when he is
like to ruin. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications; that goes a
little further; that as a parent knowing a child to be in hazard, he will listen and
hearken attentively if he can hear him cry, and notice and ponder that cry, and
what he cries for; so he pleaded with God, that he would be waiting on and
attentive, to see and hear if a cry should come from him, and that he would
affectionately ponder and notice it when he hears it.” -- George Hutcheson, 1678.
3. If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
1. We all know that we sin in secret by our lusts and envy, and nobody knows of the
inner thoughts we have that are not pleasing to God. On top of this there are the
many sins of omission where we do not do what we know is the right thing to do.
The point is, we are all far more sinful than anyone can possibly know, but God
does know all about our inner life and thoughts. If God looked at us only in terms of
what he knows of our inner and secret life and thought, we would be outcasts from
his kingdom. Fortunately for us, God does not deal with us on that basis as if he
had a record of all our sins, and he then goes by that list to determine how he will
relate to us. He is our heavenly Father, and he will be ever open to our seeking his
forgiveness. He will love it when the Prodigals come home. He will love us no less for
our sinful nature, for he knows our weaknesses. However, he also knows our

potential for obedience and faithfulness to his will, and he deals with us based on the
atonement of his Son for our sins, and our potential to resist and overcome the
temptations to act on all of the inner impulses to violate his will. He loves us in spite
of our fallen nature, for had he not such love for us, there would be no hope of
salvation. All our hope is based on the fact that God does not deal with us according
to any list of sins, but according to his grace and love, which was expressed most
completely in the sacrifice of his Son for the forgiveness of sin.
2. Calvin, “Here the Prophet acknowledges that although grievously afflicted he had
justly deserved such punishment, as had been inflicted upon him. As by his own
example he gives a rule which the whole Church ought to observe, let no man
presume to intrude himself into the presence of God, but in the way of humbly
deprecating his wrath; and especially when God exercises severity in his dealings
towards us, let us know that we are required to make the same confession which is
here uttered. Whoever either flatters himself or buries his sins by inattention to
them, deserves to pine away in his miseries; at least he is unworthy of obtaining
from God the smallest alleviation. Whenever God then exhibits the tokens of his
wrath, let even the man who seems to others to be the holies of all his fellows,
descend to make this confession, that should God determine to deal with us
according to the strict demands of his law, and to summon us before his tribunal,
not one of the whole human race would be able to stand. We grant that it is one man
only who here prays, but he at once pronounces sentence upon the whole human
race. "All the children of Adam," he substantially says, "from the first to the last,
are lost and condemned, should God require them to render up an account of their
life." It is therefore necessary that even the holiest of men should pass under this
condemnation, that they may betake themselves to the mercy of God as their only
refuge. The Prophet does not however mean to extenuate his own fault by thus
involving others with himself, as we see hypocrites do, who when they dare not
altogether justify themselves, resort to this subterfuge, "Am I the first or the only
man who has offended?" and thus, mingling themselves with a multitude of others,
they think themselves half absolved from their guilt. But the Prophet, instead of
seeking to shelter himself under such a subterfuge, rather confesses, after having
thoroughly examined himself, that if of the whole human race not even one can
escape eternal perdition, this instead of lessening rather increased his obnoxiousness
to punishment. Whoever, as if he had said, shall come into the presence of God,
whatever may be his eminence for sanctity, he must succumb and stand
confounded,3 what then will be the case as to me, who am not one of the best? The
right application of this doctrine is, for every man to examine in good earnest his
own life by the perfection which is enjoined upon us in the law. In this way he will
be forced to confess that all men without exception have deserved everlasting
damnation; and each will acknowledge in respect to himself that he is a thousand
times undone. Farther, this passage teaches us that, since no man can stand by his
own works, all such as are accounted righteous before God, are righteous in
consequence of the pardon and remission of their sins. In no other manner can any
man be righteous in the sight of God. Very differently do the Papists think. They
indeed confess that the deficiencies of our works are supplied by the lenity which

God exercises towards us; but at the same time they dream of a partial
righteousness, on the ground of which men may stand before God. In entertaining
such an idea they go very far astray from the sense of the Prophet, as will appear
more plainly from the sequel.”
3. Barnes, “thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities - If thou shouldst observe, note,
attend to, regard all the evil that I have done. The Hebrew word means properly to
keep, to watch, to guard. The word, as used here, refers to that kind of vigilance or
watchfulness which one is expected to manifest who is on guard; who keeps watch in
a city or camp by night. The idea is, If God should thus look with a scrutinizing eye;
if he should try to see all that he could see; if he should suffer nothing to escape his
observation; if he should deal with us exactly as we are; if he should overlook
nothing, forgive nothing, we could have no hope.
Who shall stand? - Who shall stand upright? Who could stand before thee? Who
could hope to be acquitted? This implies
(1) that the petitioner was conscious of guilt, or knew that he was a sinner;
(2) that he felt there was a depth of depravity in his heart which God could see, but
which he did not - as every man must be certain that there is in his own soul;
(3) that God had the power of bringing that to light if he chose to do it, so that the
guilty man would be entirely overwhelmed;
(4) that he who urged the prayer rested his only hope on the fact that God would not
mark iniquity; would not develop what was in him; would not judge him by what he
saw in his heart; but would deal with him otherwise, and show him mercy and
compassion.
Every man must feel that if God should “mark iniquity” as it is - if he should judge
us as we are - we could have no hope. It is only on the ground that we may be
forgiven, that we eau hope to come before him.”
4. Clarke, “If thou - shouldest mark iniquities - thou shouldst set down every
deviation in thought, word, and deed from thy holy law; and if thou shouldst call us
into judgment for all our infidelities, both of heart and life; O Lord, who could
stand? Who could stand such a trial, and who could stand acquitted in the
judgment? This is a most solemn saying; and if we had not the doctrine that is in the
next verse, who could be saved?
5. Gill, “Or "observe" (f) them.
ot but that God does observe the sins of men: he
sees all the evil actions of bad men done in the dark, which cannot hide them from
him; and all the iniquities of good men, so as to correct and chastise for them, but
not with his eye of vindictive justice. Or "keep" (g) them; should he keep a watchful
eye over them, make strict inspection into them, enter into a critical examination of
them, and of all their aggravated circumstances; should he keep them in mind and
memory, retain them in the book of his remembrance; should he lay them up, and
keep them sealed among his stores, in order to be brought to light, and brought out
as charges another day, and to the condemnation of men; should he set them before
him in the light of his countenance, and not cast them behind his back and into the

depths of the sea; should he visit for them in a way of wrath, or enter into judgment
on account of them, with men in their own persons; demanding satisfaction for them
at their own hands, without any regard to the sacrifice and satisfaction of his Son;
all a man's righteousness, repentance, humiliation and tears, would stand him in no
stead, would not answer for him, or atone for his sins; still his iniquities would
remain marked before God; the consequence of which would be eternal damnation,
Jer_2:22;
O Lord, who shall stand?
ot one; since all are sinners. The Arabic version adds,
"before thee"; in his presence; in the house and courts of God, there to minister
before him; to pray and praise, to preach and hear: or at his bar hereafter, with any
boldness and confidence; so as to litigate the point with him in his court of
judicature, before angels and men, and so as to carry the cause; the wicked shall not
stand in judgment, Psa_1:5. Or who can stand before his vindictive justice, or bear
his wrath and vengeance?
o one can. See
ah_1:6, Mal_3:2.”
6. Spurgeon, “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand. If
JAH, the all seeing, should in strict justice call every man to account for every want
of conformity to righteousness, where would any one of us be? Truly, he does record
all our transgressions; but as yet he does not act upon the record, but lays it aside
till another day. If men were to be judged upon no system but that of works, who
among us could answer for himself at the Lord's bar, and hope to stand clear and
accepted? This verse shows that the Psalmist was Under a sense of sin, and felt it
imperative upon him not only to cry as a suppliant but to confess as a sinner. Here
he owns that he cannot stand before the great King in his own righteousness, and he
is so struck with a sense of the holiness of God, and the rectitude of the law that he is
convinced that no man of mortal race can answer for himself before a Judge so
perfect, concerning a law so divine. Well does he cry, "O Lord, who shall stand?"

one can do so: there is none that doeth good; no, not one. Iniquities are matters
which are not according to equity: what a multitude we have of these! Jehovah, who
sees all, and is also our Adonai, or Lord, will assuredly bring us into judgment
concerning those thoughts, and words, and works which are not in exact conformity
to his law. Were it not for the Lord Jesus, could we hope to stand? Dare we meet
him in the dread day of account on the footing of law and equity? What a mercy it is
that we need not do so, for the next verse sets forth another way of acceptance to
which we flee.”
7. “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, etc. But doth not the Lord mark
iniquity? Doth not he take notice of every sin acted by any of the children of men,
especially by his own children? Why, then, doth the Psalmist put it upon an if? "If
thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquity." 'Tis true, the Lord marks all iniquity to
know it, but he doth not mark any iniquity in his children to condemn them for it:
so the meaning of the Psalm is, that if the Lord should mark sin with a strict and
severe eye, as a judge, to charge it upon the person sinning, no man could bear it.

The word rendered to mark notes, first, to watch, or to observe with strictest
diligence, and is therefore in the noun rendered a watch tower, upon which a man is
placed to take observation of all things that are done, and of all persons that pass
by, or approach and come near. A watchman placed upon a high tower is bound
industriously and critically to observe all passengers and passages, all that his eye
can reach. So saith the text, -- If thou shouldest mark as a watchman, and eye with
rigour everything that passeth from us, "who shall stand?" that is, make good his
cause in the day of his judgment and trial before thee.
Secondly, the word signifieth to keep in mind, to lay up, to have, as it were, a store
and stock, a memorial or record, of such and such things by us. In that sense it is
said (Ge 37:11), "Joseph's brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying":
he marked what Joseph spake about his dreams, he laid it up, and did not let it pass
away as a dream, or as a vision of the night. Thus, by "If the Lord should mark
iniquity", we understand -- if he should treasure up our sins in his memory, and
keep them by him, "who were able to stand when accounted with?" The Lord, in a
way of grace, seeth as if he saw, not, and winks at us oftentimes when we do amiss.”
-- Joseph Caryl.
8. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication, but let not thine eyes be
intentive to the stains of my sin; for If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O
Lord, who shall stand? or who shall be able to abide it? Did not the angels fall when
thou markest their follies? Can flesh, which is but dust, be clean before thee, when
the stars, which are of a far purer substance, are not? Can anything be clean in thy
sight which is not as clean as thy sight? and can any cleanness be equal to thine!
Alas! O Lord, we are neither angels nor stars, and how then can we stand when
those fell? how can we be clean when these be impure? If thou shouldest mark what
is done amiss, there would be marking work enough for thee as long as the world
lasts; for what action of man is free from stain of sin, or from defect of
righteousness? Therefore, mark not anything in me, O God, that I have done, but
mark that only in me which thou hast done thyself. Mark in me thine own image;
and then thou mayest look upon me, and yet say still, as once thou saidst, Et erant
omnia valde bona "And all things were very good". --Sir Richard Baker.
9. We are introduced at once into all the solemnities of a criminal court. The judge is
seated on the bench: the culprit is standing at the bar, charged with a capital
offence, the witnesses are giving their evidence against him. The judge is listening
attentively to everything which is said; and in order to assist his memory, he takes
notes of the more important parts. If the Lord were to try us after this fashion, what
would be the result? Suppose him seated on his throne of inflexible righteousness,
taking notes, with a pen in his hand, of the transgressions which are proven against
us.
othing is omitted. Every sin is marked down with its peculiar aggravations.
There is no possibility of escape from the deserved condemnation. The evidence
against us is clear, and copious, and overwhelming. A thousandth part of it is
sufficient to determine our doom. The Judge has no alternative but to pronounce
the awful sentence. We must die a felon's death. If thou, LORD, shouldest mark
iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? --M. M'Michael.

10. “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark. If thou shouldest inquire and scrutinize, and
then shouldest retain and impute: (for the Hebrew word imports both:) if thou
shouldest inquire, thou wouldst find something of iniquity in the most righteous of
mankind; and when thou hast found it, if thou shouldest retain it, and call him to an
account for it, he could by no means free himself of the charge, or expiate the crime.
Inquiring, thou wouldst easily find iniquity; but the sinner by the most diligent
inquiry will not be able to discover a ransom, and therefore will be unable to stand,
will have no place on which to rest his foot, but will fall by the irresistible judgments
of thy law, and the sentence of thy justice.” --Robert Leighton.
11. “Iniquities. The literal meaning of the word "iniquity" is "a thing which is not
equal", or "not fair." Whatever breaks a command of God is "not equal." It does
not match with what man is, nor with what God is. It does not keep the high level of
the law. It is altogether out of proportion to all that God has done. It destroys the
harmony of creation. It does not rise even to the height of conscience. Still more, it
mars and makes a flaw in the divine government. Therefore sin is an unequal thing,
fitting nothing, disarranging everything. And it is not fair. It is not fair to that God
upon whose empire it is a trespass. It is not fair to your fellow creatures, to whom it
may be a very great injury. It is not fair to yourself, for your happiness lies in
obedience. Therefore we call sin "iniquity." Or, as the Prayer Book Version
expresses the same idea, "a thing amiss", missing its proper mark. "If thou
shouldest be extreme to mark what is done amiss." --James Vaughan.
12. “O Lord, who shall stand? As soon as God manifests signs of anger, even those
who appear to be the most holy adopt this language. If God should determine to
deal with them according to justice, and call them to his tribunal, not one would be
able to stand; but would be compelled to fly for refuge to the mercy of God. See the
confessions of Moses, Job, David,
ehemiah, Isaiah, Daniel, Paul, and others of the
apostles. Hear Christ teaching his disciples to cry to the Father who is in heaven,
"Forgive us our trespasses!" If before God the Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles,
although possessing unusual holiness, nevertheless fell down, and as suppliants
prayed for forgiveness, what shall be done with those who add sin to sin?” --D. H.
Mollerus.
13. “These two verses contain the sum of all the Scriptures. In the third is the form of
repentance, and in the fourth the mercies of the Lord. These are the two mountains,
Gerizim and Ebal, mentioned in Deuteronomy 27:12-13. These are the pillars in
Solomon's temple ( 1 Kings 7:21 ), called Jachin and Boaz. We must, with Paul,
persuade ourselves that we are come from Mount Sinai to Mount Zion, where mercy
is, although some sour grapes must be eaten by the way. Jeremy tasted in his vision
first a bitter fig out of one basket, then a sweet fig out of the other. In the days of
Moses the waters were first bitter, then sweetened by the sweet wood. And Elisha
cast in salt into the pottage of the sons of the prophets, then it became wholesome.”
--Archibald Symson.
14. “As I was thus in musing and in my studies, considering how to love the LORD,
and to express my love to him, that saying came in upon me: If thou, LORD,
shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with

thee, that thou mayest be feared. These were good words to me, especially the latter
part thereof; to wit, that there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared;
that is, as then I understood it, that he might be loved and had in reverence; for it
was thus made out to me, that the great God did set so high an esteem upon the love
of his poor creatures, that rather than he would go without their love he would
pardon their transgressions.” --John Bunyan.
4. But with you there 444... BBBuuuttt wwwiiittthhh yyyooouuu ttthhheeerrreee iiiissss ffffoooorrrrggggiiiivvvveeeennnneeeessssssss;;;;
therefore you are feared.
1. Calvin, “This verse leads us farther. Though all men confess with the mouth that
there is no human being in the world whom God may not justly adjudge to
everlasting death, should it so please him, yet how few are persuaded of the truth
which the Prophet now adds, that the grace of which they stand in need shall not
be denied them? They either sleep in their sins through stupidity, or fluctuate
amidst a variety of doubts, and, at length, are overwhelmed with despair. This
maxim, "that no man is free from sin," is, as I have said, received among all men
without dispute, and yet the majority shut their eyes to their own faults, and
settle securely in hiding places to which, in their ignorance, they have betaken
themselves, if they are not forcibly roused out of them, and then, when pursued
close by the judgments of God, they are overwhelmed with alarm, or so greatly
tormented as to fall into despair. The consequence of this want of hope in men,
that God will be favorable to them, is an indifference about coming into the
Divine presence to supplicate for pardon. When a man is awakened with a lively
sense of the judgment of God, lie cannot fail to be humbled with shame and fear.
Such self-dissatisfaction would not however suffice, unless at the same time there
were added faith, whose office it is to raise up the hearts which were cast down
with fear, and to encourage them to pray for forgiveness. David then acted as he
ought to have done when, in order to his attaining genuine repentance, he first
summons himself before God's judgment seat; but, to preserve his confidence
from failing under the overpowering influence of fear, he presently adds the
hope which there was of obtaining pardon. It is, indeed, a matter which comes
under our daily observation, that those who proceed not beyond the step of
thinking themselves deserving of endless death, rush, like frenzied men, with
great impetuosity against God. The better, therefore, to confirm himself and
others, the Prophet declares that God's mercy cannot be separated or torn away
from himself. "As soon as I think upon thee," he says in amount, "thy clemency
also presents itself to my mind, so that I have no doubt that thou wilt be merciful
to me, it being impossible for thee to divest thyself of thy own nature: the very
fact that thou art God is to me a sure guarantee that thou wilt be merciful."

2. Barnes, “there is forgiveness with thee - Septuagint renders this ἱλασμός hilasmos,
propitiation, reconciliation; the Latin Vulgate “propitiatio,” propitiation. The
Hebrew word means “pardon.” The idea is, that sin may be forgiven; or, that God is
a Being who does pardon sin, and that this is the only ground of hope. When we
come before God, the ground of our hope is not that we can justify ourselves; not
that we can prove we have not sinned; not that we can explain our sins away; not
that we can offer an apology for them; it is only in a frank and full confession, and
in a hope that God will forgive them. He who does not come in this manner can have
no hope of acceptance with God.
That thou mayest be feared - That thou mayest be reverenced; or, that men may
be brought to serve and worship thee - may be brought to a proper reverence for
thy name. The idea is, not that pardon produces fear or terror - for the very reverse
is true - but that God, by forgiving the sinner, brings him to reverence him, to
worship him, to serve him: that is, the sinner is truly reconciled to God, and
becomes a sincere worshiper. The offendcr is so pardoned that he is disposed to
worship and honor God, for God has revealed himself as one who forgives sin, in
order that the sinner may be encouraged to come to him, and be his true worshiper.
3. Clarke, “But there is forgiveness with thee - canst forgive; mercy belongs to thee,
as well as judgment. The doctrine here is the doctrine of St. John: “If any man sin,
we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole
world.” “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken!” Jesus
has died for our sins; therefore God can be just, and yet the justifier of him who
believeth in Jesus.
4. Gill, “And with God only; not with angels, nor any of the sons of men; and which
flows from his grace and mercy, through the blood of his Son. It appears to be with
him by his promise of it in covenant; by appointing his Son to shed his blood for it,
and exalting him as a Saviour to give it; by proclaiming it in the Gospel; and by the
numerous instances of it, both under the Old and under the
ew Testament. Or,
there is "a propitiation with thee"; as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions
render it: God had found out Christ to be the propitiatory sacrifice for sin, and the
ransom of his people; and set him forth in his purposes and decrees for that end;
and which was made known by the sacrifices of the law, typical of it; and in the
fulness of time he sent him to be the propitiation for it, and he is become so; and has
made reconciliation for sin, and reconciled his people to God by the sufferings of
death; and reconciled all the divine perfections of justice and holiness, grace and
mercy, together, in the salvation of men; and is now an advocate the Father for
them, pleading the propitiatory sacrifice of himself before him;
that thou mayest be feared; were it not for pardon, and the hope of it, men would be
desperate; and, having no hope, would resolve upon taking their swing of sin, and be

entirely negligent of the worship and service of God: was there no forgiveness of sin,
there would be no more fear of God among men than there is among devils, for
whom there is no forgiveness; there might be dread and trembling, as among them,
but no godly fear: yea, if God was strictly to mark iniquity, and not pardon it, there
would be none to fear him, all must be condemned and cut off by him; but, in order
to secure and preserve his fear among men, he has taken the step he has to pardon
sin through the propitiatory sacrifice of his Son; and a discovery, and an application
of his grace, teaches men to fear to offend him; influences them to serve him
acceptably with reverence and godly fear, and engages them to fear him and his
goodness, and him for his goodness's sake, Tit_2:11, Hos_3:5.”
5. Spurgeon,”But there is forgiveness with thee. Blessed but. Free, full, sovereign pardon is
in the hand of the great King: it is his prerogative to forgive, and he delights to exercise it.
Because his nature is mercy, and because he has provided a sacrifice for sin, therefore
forgiveness is with him for all that come to him confessing their sins. The power of pardon
is permanently resident with God: he has forgiveness ready to his hand at this instant.
"That thou mayest be feared." This is the fruitful root of piety.
one fear the Lord like
those who have experienced his forgiving love. Gratitude for pardon produces far more fear
and reverence of God than all the dread which is inspired by punishment. If the Lord were
to execute justice upon all, there would be none left to fear him; if all were under
apprehension of his deserved wrath, despair would harden them against fearing him: it is
grace which leads the way to a holy regard of God, and a fear of grieving him.”
6. “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. One would think
that punishment should procure fear, and forgiveness love; but nemo majus diligit,
quam qui maxime veretur offendere -- no man more truly loves God than he that is
most fearful to offend him. "Thy mercy reacheth to the heavens, and thy
faithfulness to the clouds" -- that is, above all sublimities. God is glorious in all his
works, but most glorious in his works of mercy; and this may be one reason why St.
Paul calls the gospel of Christ a "glorious gospel": 1 Timothy 1:11 . Solomon tells us,
"It lathe glory of a man to pass by an offence." Herein is God most glorious, in that
he passeth by all the offences of his children. Lord, who can know thee and not love
thee, know thee and not fear thee? We fear thee for thy justice, and love thee for thy
mercy; yea, fear thee for thy mercy, and love thee for thy justice; for thou art
infinitely good in both.” --Thomas Adams.
7. “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. But is this not a
mistaking in David to say, There is mercy with God, that he may be feared; all as
one to say, There is severity with him, that he may be loved for if we cannot love one
for being severe, how should we fear him for being merciful I Should it not,
therefore, have been rather said, There is justice with thee, that thou mayest be
feared? seeing it is justice that strikes a terror and keeps in awe; mercy breeds a
boldness, and boldness cannot stand with fear, and therefore not fear with mercy.
But is there not, I may say, an active fear, not to offend God, as well as a passive
fear for having offended him? and with God's mercy may well stand the active fear,
though not so well, perhaps, the passive fear which is incident properly to his

justice.
There is a common error in the world, to think we may be the bolder to sin because
God is merciful; but, O my soul, take heed of this error, for God's mercy is to no
such purpose; it is not to make us bold, but to make us fear: the greater his mercy
is, the greater ought our fear to be, for there is mercy with him that he may be
feared. Unless we fear, he may choose whether he will be merciful or no; or rather,
we maybe sure he will not be merciful, seeing he hath mercy for none but for them
that fear him; and there is great reason for this, for to whom should mercy show
itself but to them that need it? and if we think we need it we will certainly fear. Oh,
therefore, most gracious God, make me to fear thee; for as thou wilt not be merciful
to me unless I fear thee, so I cannot fear thee unless thou first be merciful unto me.”
--Sir Richard Baker.
8. “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. Even Saul himself
will lift up his voice and weep when he seeth a clear testimony of the love and
undeserved kindness of David. Hast thou never beheld a condemned prisoner
dissolved in tears upon the unexpected and unmerited receipt of a pardon, who all
the time before was as hard as a flint? The hammer of the law may break the icy
heart of man with terrors and horrors, and yet it may remain ice still, unchanged;
but when the fire of love kindly thaws its ice, it is changed and dissolved into water
-- it is no longer ice, but of another nature. --George Swinnock.
9. “But there is forgiveness with thee, etc. His judgments and his wrath may make us
astonished and stupefied; but, if there be no more they will never make us to come
to God. Then if this be not sufficient, what more is requisite? Even a sight of the
Lord's mercy, for that is most forcible to allure, as the prophet saith here, and as the
church of God says (Song of Solomon 1:3), "Because of the savour of thy good
ointments, therefore the virgins love thee." This only is forcible to allure the sinner:
for all the judgments of God, and curses of the law, will never allure him. What was
the chief thing that moved the prodigal son to return home to his father? Was it
chiefly the distress, the disgrace and poverty where with he was burdened, or the
famine that almost caused him to starve?
o, but the chief thing was this, he
remembered that he had a loving father. That maketh him to resolve with an
humble confession to go home Luke 15:1-32 Even so is it with the sinner; it is not
terrors and threatenings that chiefly will move him to come to God, but the
consideration of his manifold and great mercies. --Robert Rollock.
10. “That thou mayest be feared. This forgiveness, this smile of God, binds the soul to
God with a beautiful fear. Fear to lose one glance of love. Fear to lose one work of
kindness. Fear to be carried away from the heaven of his presence by an insidious
current of worldliness. Fear of slumber. Fear of error. Fear of not enough pleasing
him. Our duty, then, is to drink deep of God's forgiving love. To be filled with it is to
be filled with purity, fervency, and faith. Our sins have to hide their diminished
heads, and slink away through crevices, when forgiveness -- when Christ -- enters
the soul.” --George Bowen, in "Daily Meditations", 1873.
11. Verses 4-5,7-8. David puts his soul out of all fear of God's taking this course

reckoning strictly with poor penitent souls, by laying down this comfortable
conclusion, as an indubitable truth: "But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou
mayest be feared." That is, there is forgiveness in thy nature, thou carriest a
pardoning heart in thy bosom; yea, there is forgiveness in thy promise; thy merciful
heart doth not only incline thee to thoughts of forgiving; but thy faithful promise
binds thee to draw forth the same unto all that humbly and seasonably lay claim
thereunto.
ow, this foundation laid, see what superstructure this holy man raiseth
(Psalms 130:5): "I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I
hope." As if he had said, Lord, I take thee at thy word, and am resolved by thy
grace to wait at the door of thy promise, never to stir thence till I have my promised
dole (forgiveness of my sins) sent out unto me. And this is so sweet a morsel, that he
is loath to eat it alone, and therefore he sends down the dish, even to the lower end
of the table, that every godly person may taste with him of it (Psalms 130:7-8): "Let
Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is
plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities." As if he
had said, That which is a ground of hope to me, notwithstanding the clamor of my
sins, affords as solid and firm a bottom to any true Israelite or sincere soul in the
world, did he but rightly understand himself, and the mind of God in his promise.
Yea, I have as strong a faith for such as for my own soul, and I durst pawn the
eternity of my happiness upon this principle, -- that God should redeem every
sincere Israelite from all his iniquities.” -- William Gurnall.
12. Spurgeon adds, “How significant is that word “but” in our text! It is as if you
heard justice clamoring, “Let the sinner die,” and the fiends in hell howling, “Cast
him down into the fires,” and conscience shrieking, “Let him perish,” and nature
itself groaning beneath his weight, the earth weary with carrying him, the sun tired
with shining upon the traitor, the very air sick with finding breath for one who only
spends it in disobedience to God. The man is about to be destroyed, to be swallowed
up quick, when suddenly there comes this thrice blessed “but,” which stops the
reckless course of ruin, puts its strong hand, bearing a golden shield, between the
sinner and destruction, and pronounces these words, “But there is forgiveness with
God, that he may be feared.”
Suppose the question had been left open, — forgiveness or no forgiveness? We know
that we have offended God; but suppose it had been left a moot point for us to find
out; if possible, whether there was any forgiveness, Where could we find it? We
might turn to the works of God in nature, and say, “Well, he is good, who loads the
trees with fruit, and bids the fields yield so plenteous a harvest;” but when we
remember how his lightnings sometimes strike the oak, and how his hurricanes
swallow up whole navies in the deep, we shall be ready to say that he is terrible as
well as tender; and we might be puzzled to know whether he would or would not
forgive sin, more especially as we see all creatures die, and no exception made to
that rule. If we knew that death was a punishment for sin, we should be led to fear
that the was no forgiveness to be had from the hand of God; but when we turn to
this open page, which God has so graciously written for our instruction, we are left
in doubt no longer, for hereto we have it positively declared, “There is forgiveness

with thee, that thou mayest be feared,” Exclusively in the Bible is this revelation
made; but the words of my text are not exclusive. The page is but one among a
thousand echoes from the throne of God which proclaim his willingness to save
sinners.”
“Round the altar priests confess
If their robes are white as snow,
‘Twas the Savior’s righteousness,
And his blood that made them so.
“Who were these? on earth they dwelt;
Sinners once of Adam’s race;
Guilt, and fear, and suffering felt;
But were saved by sovereign grace.”
13. The circumstances in which Dr. John Owen's Exposition of Psalm 130 originated
are peculiarly interesting. Dr. Owen himself, in a statement made to Mr. Richard
Davis, who ultimately became pastor of a church in Rowel,
orthamptonshire,
explains the occasion which led him to a very careful examination of the fourth
verse in the Psalm. Mr. Davis, being under religious impressions, had sought a
conference with Owen. In the course of the conversation, Dr. Owen put the question,
"Young man, pray in what manner do you think to go to God?" "Through the
Mediator, sir", answered Mr. Davis. "That is easily said", replied the doctor, "but I
assure you it is another thing to go to God through the Mediator than many who
make use of the expression are aware of. I myself preached Christ", he continued,
"some years, when I had but very little, if any, experimental acquaintance with
access to God through Christ; until the Lord was pleased to visit me with sore
affliction, whereby I was brought to the mouth of the grave, and under which my
soul was oppressed with horror and darkness; but God graciously relieved my spirit
by a powerful application of Psalms 130:4, But there is forgiveness with thee, that
thou mayest be feared, from whence I received special instruction, peace and
comfort, in drawing near to God through the Mediator, and preached thereupon
immediately after my recovery." --William H. Goold, editor of Owen's Collected
Works, 1851.
14. Great Texts, “This was one of the favourite psalms of Luther one he
paraphrased and had set to music ; in it, he said he saw the gate
of heaven opening wide to him. His paraphrase of it became one
of the favourite hymns of the German Keformers. And the song
returned into Luther s own heart. During the Augsburg Diet,
when he was at the Castle of Coburg, and had to suffer much
from inward and outward trials, he fell into a swoon. On awak
ing from it, he said, " Come and let us, in defiance of the devil,
sing the Psalm, Lord, from the depths to thee I cry. Let us
sing it in full chorus and extol and praise God." Being asked
on one occasion which were the best Psalms, he replied, "The
Pauline Psalms" (Psalmi Paulini), and being pressed to say

which they were, he answered: "The 32nd, the 51st, the 130th,
and the 143rd. For they teach us that the forgiveness of sins is
vouchsafed to them that believe without the law and without
works ; therefore are they Pauline Psalms ; and when David
sings, With thee is forgiveness, that thou mayest be feared/ so
Paul likewise saith, God hath concluded all under sin that
he may have mercy on all. Therefore none can boast of his
own righteousness, but the words, That thou mayest be feared,
thrust away all self-merit, teach us to take off our hat before God
and confess, gratia est, non meritum, remissio non satisfactio it is
all forgiveness, and no merit. "
5. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
1. Calvin, “After having testified in general that God is ready to show mercy to poor
sinners who betake themselves to him, the Psalmist concludes that he is thereby
encouraged to entertain good hope. The past tense in the verbs wait and trust is put
for the present. I have waited for I wait; I have hoped for I hope. The repetition
occurring in the first part of the verse is emphatic; and the word soul gives
additional emphasis, implying, as it does, that the Prophet trusted in God even with
the deepest affections of his heart. From this we also gather that he was not only
patient and constant in the sight. of men, but that even in the inward feelings of his
heart he had maintained quietness and patience before God; which is a very evident
proof of faith. Many, no doubt, are restrained by vain glory from openly
murmuring against God or betraying their distrust, but there is hardly one in ten
who, when removed from the inspection of his fellow-men, and in his own heart,
waits for God with a quiet mind. The Psalmist adds, in the concluding clause, that
what supported his patience was the confidence which he reposed in the divine
promises. Were these promises taken away, the grace of God would necessarily
vanish from our sight, and thus our hearts would fail and be overwhelmed with
despair. Besides, he teaches us, that our being contented with the word of God alone
affords a genuine proof of our hope. When a man, embracing the word, becomes
assured of having his welfare attended to by God, this assurance will be the mother
of waiting or patience. Although the Prophet here speaks to himself for the purpose
of confirming his faith, yet there is no doubt that he suggests to all the children of
God like matter of confidence in reference to themselves. In the first place he sets
before them the word, that they may depend entirely upon it; and next he warns
them that faith is vain and ineffectual unless it frame us to patience.”

2. Barnes, “wait for the Lord - is, in this state of distress and trouble - from these
“depths” of woe, and sorrow, and conviction of sin. This implies two things:
(1) that he had no other dependence;
(2) that his soul was actually in a waiting posture, or that he actually looked to the
Lord for his interposition.
My soul doth wait - I wait, with all my soul and heart.
And in his word do I hope - In his promise. I believe that he will fulfill that promise,
and that I shall find a gracious answer to my prayers. Under conviction for sin,
under deep sorrow and distress of any kind, this is the only hope of man. If God
does not interpose, there is no deliverer; that he will interpose we may feel assured,
if we come to him with a humble, a believing, and a penitent heart.”
3. Clarke, “I wait for the Lord - word קוה kavah, which we translate to wait,
properly signifies the extension of a cord from one point to another. This is a fine
metaphor: God is one point, the human heart is the other; and the extended cord
between both is the earnest believing desire of the soul. This desire, strongly
extended from the heart to God, in every mean of grace, and when there is none, is
the active, energetic waiting which God requires, and which will be successful.
4. Gill, “For his gracious presence and the light of his countenance, being in
darkness, as well as in the deep; for his salvation and deliverance out of the depths
of distress; for an answer of prayer, having cried unto him for application of
pardoning grace he had some view and hopes of; and for the performance of
promises the Lord had made to him; and for eternal glory and happiness: all which
are to be patiently and quietly waited for, God having his set time to do them; and
may be confidently expected, since he is gracious and merciful, wise and powerful,
faithful and immutable. David might also be waiting for the coming of Christ, as all
the Old Testament saints did; through whom all the above are enjoyed;
my soul doth wait; which shows that this was not mere bodily service or waiting
upon God and for him in an external way; but expresses the intenseness of his mind,
the earnest desires of his heart after God, his affection for him, and the exercise of
all other graces on him; his whole soul, and all the powers of it, were engaged in this
work;
and in his word do I hope: both in his essential Word the Messiah, who was the
Hope of Israel as well as the Saviour of them; the object, ground, and foundation of
hope, of all blessings, of grace and of glory: and in his word of promise concerning
the coming of Christ, and salvation by him; concerning the pardon of sin through
him, and eternal life by him; as well as in many other special and particular
promises made to David, concerning himself, his family, and his kingdom. Arama
and Kimchi interpret it of the promise of deliverance from captivity made to the
Jews.”

5. Henry, “Here, I. The psalmist engages himself to trust in God and to wait for
him, Psa_130:5, Psa_130:6. Observe, 1. His dependence upon God, expressed in a
climax, it being a a song of degrees, or ascents: “I wait for the Lord; from him I
expect relief and comfort, believing it will come, longing till it does come, but
patiently bearing the delay of it, and resolving to look for it from no other hand. My
soul doth wait; I wait for him in sincerity, and not in profession only. I am an
expectant, and it is for the Lord that my soul waits, for the gifts of his grace and the
operations of his power.” 2. The ground of that dependence: In his word do I hope.
We must hope for that only which he has promised in his word, and not for the
creatures of our own fancy and imagination; we must hope for it because he has
promised it, and not from any opinion of our own merit. 3. The degree of that
dependence - “more than those that watch for the morning, who are, (1.) Well-assured
that the morning will come; and so am I that God will return in mercy to
me, according to his promise; for God's covenant is more firm than the ordinances
of day and night, for they shall come to an end, but that is everlasting.” (2.) Very
desirous that it would come. Sentinels that keep guard upon the walls, those that
watch with sick people, and travelers that are abroad upon their journey, long
before day wish to see the dawning of the day; but more earnestly does this good
man long for the tokens of God's favor and the visits of his grace, and more readily
will he be aware of his first appearances than they are of day. Dr. Hammond reads
it thus, My soul hastens to the Lord, from the guards in the morning, the guards in the
morning, and gives this sense of it, “To thee I daily betake myself, early in the
morning, addressing my prayers, and my very soul, before thee, at the time that the
priests offer their morning sacrifice.”
6. Keil, “Therefore the sinner need not, therefore too the poet will not, despair. Hein
Jahve (acc. obj.as in Psa_25:5, Psa_25:21; Psa_40:2), his soul hopes; hoping
inwaiting upon God is the mood of his inmost and of his whole being. He waits upon
God's word, the word of His salvation (Psa_119:81), which, ifpenetrates into the soul
and cleaves there, calms all unrest, and by theconsolation of forgiveness transforms
and enlightens for itin it and outside of it. His soul is לאדני , i.e., stedfastly and
directed towards Him; as Chr. A. Crusius when on his death-bed, with hands and
eyes uplifted to heaven, joyfully exclaimed: “My soulfull of the mercy of Jesus
Christ. My whole soul is towards God.” Theaning of לאדני becomes at once clear in
itself from Psa_143:6, and ismoreover, without supplying שׁמרת (Hitzig), according
to the לבּקר . Towards the Lord he is expectantly turned, like those who in the night-time
wait for the morning. The repetition of the expression “those who for the
morning” (cf. Isa_21:11) gives the impression of protracted,waiting. The wrath, in
the sphere of which the poet now finds, is a nightly darkness, out of which he wishes
to be removed intosunny realm of love (Mal_4:2); not he alone, however, but at
thetime all Israel, whose need is the same, and for whom thereforewaiting is likewise
the way to salvation.”
7. Spurgeon, “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait. Expecting him to come to me
in love, I quietly wait for his appearing; I wait upon him in service, and for him in
faith. For God I wait and for him only: if he will manifest himself I shall have

nothing more to wait for; but until he shall appear for my help I must wait on,
hoping even in the depths. This waiting of mine is no mere formal act, my very soul
is in it, -- "my soul doth wait." I wait and I wait -- mark the repetition! "My soul
waits", and then again, "My soul waits"; to make sure work of the waiting. It is well
to deal with the Lord intensely. Such repetitions are the reverse of vain repetitions.
If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed
are all they that wait for him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial
to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing
when it comes. The Lord's people have always been a waiting people: they waited
for the First Advent, and now they wait for the Second. They waited for a sense of
pardon, and now they wait for perfect sanctification. They waited in the depths, and
they are not now wearied with waiting in a happier condition. They have cried and
they do wait; probably their past prayer sustains their present patience.
And in his word do I hope. This is the source, strength, and sweetness of waiting.
Those who do not hope cannot wait; but if we hope for that we see not, then do we
with patience wait for it. God's word is a true word, but at times it tarries; if ours is
true faith it will wait the Lord's time. A word from the Lord is as bread to the soul
of the believer; and, refreshed thereby, it holds out through the night of sorrow
expecting the dawn of deliverance and delight. Waiting, we study the word, believe
the word, hope in the word, and live on the word; and all because it is "his word," --
the word of him who never speaks in vain. Jehovah's word is a firm ground for a
waiting soul to rest upon.”
8. “I wait for the LORD, etc. We pronounce this a most blessed posture of the
believer. It runs counter to everything that is natural, and, therefore, it is all the
more a supernatural grace of the gracious soul. In the first place it is the posture of
faith. Here is the gracious soul hanging in faith upon God in Christ Jesus; upon the
veracity of God to fulfil his promise, upon the power of God to help him in
difficulty, upon the wisdom of God to counsel him in perplexity, upon the love of
God to shield him in danger, upon the omniscience of God to guide him with his eye,
and upon the omnipresence of God to cheer him with his presence, at all times and
in all places, his sun and shield. Oh, have faith in God.
It is also a prayerful posture. The soul waiting for God, is the soul waiting upon
God. The Lord often shuts us up to this waiting for his interposition on our behalf,
that he may keep us waiting and watching at the foot of his cross, in earnest,
believing, importunate prayer. Oh, it is the waiting for the Lord that keeps the soul
waiting upon the Lord!
It is also the posture of a patient waiting for the Lord. There is not a more God
honoring grace of the Christian character than patience -- a patient waiting on and
for the Lord. It is that Christian grace, the fruit of the Spirit, which will enable you
to bear with dignity, calmness, and submission the afflictive dealings of your
Heavenly Father, the rebuke of the world, and the wounding of the saints.
It is the posture of rest. A soul waiting for the Lord is a soul resting in the Lord.
Waiting and resting! Wearied with traversing in vain the wide circle of human

expedients; coming to the end of all your own wisdom, strength, and resources; your
uneasy, jaded spirit is brought into this resting posture of waiting on, and waiting
for, the Lord; and thus folds its drooping wings upon the very bosom of God. Oh,
how real and instant is the rest found in Jesus! Reposing in him, however profound
the depth of the soul, however dark the clouds that drape it, or surging the waters
that overwhelm it, all is sunshine and serenity within. --Condensed from "Soul
Depths and Soul Heights", by Octavius Winslow, 1874.
9. “I wait for the LORD. Waiting is a great part of life's discipline, and therefore
God often exercises the grace of waiting. Waiting has four purposes. It practises the
patience of faith. It gives time for preparation for the coming gift. It makes the
blessing the sweeter when it arrives. And it shows the sovereignty of God, -- to give
just when and just as he pleases. It may be difficult to define exactly what the
Psalmist had in his mind when he said, "I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and
in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for
the morning." It may have been the Messiah, whose coming was a thing close at
hand to the mind of the ancient Jews, just as the Second Advent is to us.
It may have been some special interposition of Divine Providence. But more
probably, looking at the place which it occupies, and at the whole tenor of the
Psalm, and its line of thought, "The Lord" he waited for so intently was that full
sense of safety, peace, and love which God's felt presence gives, and which is, indeed,
nothing else but the coming of the Lord most sensibly and palpably into an anxious
and longing heart.
The picture of the waiting man is a striking one. It is as of one on the ridge of a
journey, looking onward on his way, standing on tiptoe, and therefore needing
something to lean on, and to support him. "I wait for the Lord", -- spiritually, with
my deepest thoughts -- in the very centre of my being -- "I wait for the Lord, my
soul doth wait." And I rest, I stay myself on what thou, O Lord, hast said. "My soul
doth wait, and in his word do I hope."
In all your waitings remember two things: Let it not be so much the event which you
wait for, as the Lord of the event; the Lord in the event. And take care that you have
a promise underneath you, -- "In his word do I hope", -- else "waiting" will be too
much for you, and after all it may be in vain. --James Vaughan.
10. “I wait ... I hope. Waiting and hoping ever attend the same thing.
o man will
wait at all for that which he hath no hope of, and he who hath hope will wait always.
He gives not over waiting, till he gives over hoping. The object of hope is some
future good, but the act of hoping is at present good, and that is present pay to bear
our charges in waiting. The word implies both a patient waiting and a hopeful
trusting. So Christ expounds it (Mt 12:21), rendering that of the prophet (Isaiah
42:1-4), "The isles shall wait for his law", thus, "In his name shall the Gentiles
trust." --Joseph Caryl.
11. “In these two verses he doth four times make mention of his hope, and attendance
upon God and his word, to let us see how sure a hold we should take on God, and

with how many temptations our faith is assaulted, when we can see no reason
thereof.
othing will bear us up but hope. Spero meliora. What encourages
husbandmen and mariners against the surges and waves of the sea, and evil
weather, but hope of better times? What comforteth a sick man in time of sickness,
but hope of health? or a poor man in his distress, but hope of riches? or a prisoner,
but hope of liberty? or a banished man, but hope to come home? All these hopes
may fail, as oftentimes wanting a warrant. Albeit a physician may encourage a sick
man by his fair words, yet he cannot give him an assurance of his recovery, for his
health depends on God: friends and courtiers may promise poor men relief, but all
men are liars; only God is faithful who hath promised. Therefore let us fix our faith
on God, and our hope in God; for he will stand by his promise.
o man hath hoped
in him in vain, neither was ever any disappointed of his hope. --Archibald Symson.
12. Faith doth ultimately centre in the Deity. God himself in his glorious nature, is the
ultimate object where unto our faith is resolved. The promise, simply considered, is
not the object of trust, but God in the promise; and from the consideration of that
we ascend to the Deity, and cast our anchor there. "Hope in the word" is the first
act, but succeeded by hoping in the Lord: "In his word do I hope": that is not all;
but, "Let Israel hope in the Lord." That is the ultimate object of faith, wherein the
essence of our happiness consists, and that is God. God himself is the true and full
portion of the soul. --Stephen Charnock, 1628-1680.
13. William G. Heslop, “is a hymn of faith, hope, and love. The key word is the word
hope.
(1) "In his word do I hope."
(2) "Let Israel hope."
Three times in eight verses the poet is found waiting.
(1) "I wait for the LORD."
(2) "My soul doth wait."
(3) "My soul waiteth for the Lord."
As an anchor thrown to the bottom of the sea holds the ship fast amid storms and
tempests; so the Christian's hope penetrates the waves of this troublesome world,
and reaches the eternal shore, holding fast his soul amid the waves of sin.
Let the winds blow, and billows roll.
Hope is the anchor of the soul.
But can I by so slight a tie,
An unseen Hope, on GOD rely?
Steadfast and sure, it cannot fail,
It enters deep within the evil,
It fastens on a land unknown,
And moors me to my Father's throne.
- Charles Wesley
14. is hope? The beauteous sun,
Which colors all it shines upon!

The beacon of life's dreary sea;
The star of immortality!
Fountain of feeling, young and warm,
A day-beam bursting through the storm!
A tone of melody, whose birth
Is, oh! too sweet, too pure, for earth!
A blossom of that radiant tree
Whose fruit the angels only see!
A beauty and a charm, whose power
Is seen, enjoy'd, confess'd, each hour!
A portion of that world to come.
When earth and ocean meet-the last
O'erwhelming doom. Charles Swain
15. John Schmidt gives us this great illustration of waiting in hope. “In January
1995, Debbie and I were in the middle of one of the worst earthquakes of the 20th
century. We were in Kobe at the time. During that period of time 6,000 people died,
80,000 buildings were destroyed and 300,000 people were homeless. It was a
hopeless time. These pictures were taken around our neighborhood, not far from
our house. This church was one where I worked with the pastor of that church. The
church was not like this destroyed and the pastor of that church within a year or so
after this picture was taken had died from heart complications from all the stress of
all the rebuilding and everything else that was happening in the city. Houses were in
the middle of the streets. This is areas where we would walk through and houses
had been moved out. Whole streets were closed. 80,000 buildings had been
destroyed. As the time went, some of the houses were cleared away and by this time
a few months after the earthquake a lot of the houses had been cleared off. The
debris was gone. There were open lots where there used to be houses. It was a
depressing sight. And weeds and trash and all were accumulating where there used
to be dwellings for people that we knew. But there was one house that we would pass
where there was a garden that used to be inside of a wall, but the house was gone
now and the wall was gone now, but that garden week after week, month after
month didn't get weedy. All the plants were well cared for. It was watered. And we
saw why it was like that because one day Debbie went by and saw the couple that
owned the property. They were sitting there. They had brought a lunch and had
brought their gardening tools and they were working in their garden, what used to
be their home.
ow it would be months, maybe years before all the insurance stuff
came through. When all the paperwork was done, when they could get a loan and
find a contractor. All of that was out there somewhere, far in the future and right
now they had to wait because there were thousands upon thousands of people trying
to get their homes built. But while they waited they tended their garden. They made
it beautiful in hope that one day that house was going to be back, that wall would be
back and inside of that new home, that new future, there would be this beautiful
garden that they had planted in the past.

28911951 psalm-130-commentary

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28911951 psalm-130-commentary