Psalm 30

This article is about Psalm 30 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 30 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 31.

Psalm 30 is the 30th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and in the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 29. In Latin, it is known as "Exaltabo te Domine".^[1] It is a psalm of thanksgiving, traditionally ascribed to David upon the building of his own royal palace.

Psalm 30
"I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up"
Text from Psalm 30:5, "Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning", illustrated on a window in St Giles, Codicote, Hertfordshire, UK
Other name	Psalm 29 "Exaltabo te Domine"
Text	by David
Language	Hebrew (original)

Psalm 30
← Psalm 29 Psalm 31 →
Book	Book of Psalms
Hebrew Bible part	Ketuvim
Order in the Hebrew part	1
Category	Sifrei Emet
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	19

The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has inspired hymns based on it, and has been set to music.

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text^[2][3] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse	Hebrew	English translation (JPS 1917)
1	מִזְמ֡וֹר שִׁיר־חֲנֻכַּ֖ת הַבַּ֣יִת לְדָוִֽד׃‎	A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House; of David.
2	אֲרוֹמִמְךָ֣ יְ֭הֹוָה כִּ֣י דִלִּיתָ֑נִי וְלֹֽא־שִׂמַּ֖חְתָּ אֹיְבַ֣י לִֽי׃‎	I will extol thee, O LORD, for Thou hast raised me up, and hast not suffered mine enemies to rejoice over me.
3	יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָ֑י שִׁוַּ֥עְתִּי אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ וַתִּרְפָּאֵֽנִי׃‎	O LORD my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou didst heal me;
4	יְֽהֹוָ֗ה הֶעֱלִ֣יתָ מִן־שְׁא֣וֹל נַפְשִׁ֑י חִ֝יִּיתַ֗נִי (מיורדי) [מִיׇּֽרְדִי־]בֽוֹר׃‎	O LORD, Thou broughtest up my soul from the nether-world; Thou didst kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
5	זַמְּר֣וּ לַיהֹוָ֣ה חֲסִידָ֑יו וְ֝הוֹד֗וּ לְזֵ֣כֶר קׇדְשֽׁוֹ׃‎	Sing praise unto the LORD, O ye His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name.
6	כִּ֤י רֶ֨גַע ׀ בְּאַפּוֹ֮ חַיִּ֢ים בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ בָּ֭עֶרֶב יָלִ֥ין בֶּ֗כִי וְלַבֹּ֥קֶר רִנָּֽה׃‎	For His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for a life-time; weeping may tarry for the night, but joy cometh in the morning.
7	וַ֭אֲנִי אָמַ֣רְתִּי בְשַׁלְוִ֑י בַּל־אֶמּ֥וֹט לְעוֹלָֽם׃‎	Now I had said in my security: 'I shall never be moved.'
8	יְֽהֹוָ֗ה בִּרְצוֹנְךָ֮ הֶעֱמַ֢דְתָּה לְֽהַרְרִ֫י־עֹ֥ז הִסְתַּ֥רְתָּ פָנֶ֗יךָ הָיִ֥יתִי נִבְהָֽל׃‎	Thou hadst established, O LORD, in Thy favour my mountain as a stronghold— Thou didst hide Thy face; I was affrighted.
9	אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֶקְרָ֑א וְאֶל־אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃‎	Unto Thee, O LORD, did I call, And unto the LORD I made supplication:
10	מַה־בֶּ֥צַע בְּדָמִי֮ בְּרִדְתִּ֢י אֶ֫ל־שָׁ֥חַת הֲיוֹדְךָ֥ עָפָ֑ר הֲיַגִּ֥יד אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃‎	'What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise Thee? shall it declare Thy truth?
11	שְׁמַע־יְהֹוָ֥ה וְחׇנֵּ֑נִי יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה הֱֽיֵה־עֹזֵ֥ר לִֽי׃‎	Hear, O LORD, and be gracious unto me; LORD, be Thou my helper.
12	הָפַ֣כְתָּ מִסְפְּדִי֮ לְמָח֢וֹל לִ֥֫י פִּתַּ֥חְתָּ שַׂקִּ֑י וַֽתְּאַזְּרֵ֥נִי שִׂמְחָֽה׃‎	Thou didst turn for me my mourning into dancing; Thou didst loose my sackcloth, and gird me with gladness;
13	לְמַ֤עַן ׀ יְזַמֶּרְךָ֣ כָ֭בוֹד וְלֹ֣א יִדֹּ֑ם יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י לְעוֹלָ֥ם אוֹדֶֽךָּ׃‎	So that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent; O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever.

King James Version

1. I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
2. O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
3. O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
4. Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
5. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
6. And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
7. LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
8. I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.
9. What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
10. Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.
11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
12. To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

Theme

Psalm 30 is called Hebrew: מזמר שיר חנכת הבית, Mizmor Shir Ḥănukkāt HaBayit, "A Psalm, a song for the Dedication of a House" Greek numbering: Psalm 29). It is a psalm of thanksgiving, traditionally ascribed to David upon the building of his own royal palace.^[4] David dedicated his life work to be completed by his son, who built the "Hallowed House", Beit HaMiqdash Hebrew: בית המקדש Solomon's Temple. It is Solomon and his lineage, not the building, which in later sources are called the House of David.

חינוך Chinuch, from the same root as Hanukkah, is the name for Jewish education, emphasizing ethical training and discipline.^{[citation needed]}

Liturgical use in Judaism

• This psalm is a part of daily prayer in some rites. It was originally recited in Pesukei dezimra, a section of the Shacharit prayer, in the Sephardic rite, in which they omit the first verse. From there, it seems to have made its way in the 17th century to Nusach Sefard, in which they added the first verse, and from there it was adopted in the Eastern Ashkenazic rite. It is not recited in the Western Ashkenazic rite, the Italian rite or the Yemenite rite. The purpose of this was to dedicate the morning temple service.^[5]
• Psalm 30 is also considered the psalm for the day of Hanukkah,^[6] and some communities recite it in addition to, or instead of, the regular Psalm of the day.
  • There are many traditional and contemporary melodies for this psalm that are sung or recited especially during Hanukkah.
  • Psalm 30 in Vizhnitz melody, by Invitation to Piyut
  • Psalm 30 by R. Avner Yemini and congregation
• Verse 12 is found in the prayers recited following Motzei Shabbat Maariv.^[7]
• Verse 13 is part of Uva Letzion.^[8]

Christian uses

Augustine saw the psalm David wrote of the founding of the house as pointing to the resurrection of Christ and the foundation of God's house, the church.^[9]

In the Catholic Church, Psalm 30 is appointed to be read at Lauds (Morning Prayer) on Thursday in the first week of the month.

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the sixth day of the month.^[10]

Verse 5 is used in the Jesus Culture song "Your Love Never Fails".^[11][12]

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of a metric paraphrase of Psalm 30 in German, "Ich preis dich, Herr, zu aller Stund", SWV 127, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628.

References

1. Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 29 (30) Archived 7 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
2. "Psalms – Chapter 30". Mechon Mamre.
3. "Psalms 30 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
4. Henry, Matthew (2005) [1708–10]. Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible. Alban Books. ISBN 1-56563-778-X. It was the laudable practice of the pious Jews, and, though not expressly appointed, yet allowed and accepted, when they had built a new house, to dedicate it to God, Deut. xx. 5. David did so when his house was built, and he took possession of it (2 Sam. v. 11); for royal palaces do as much need God's protection, and are as much bound to be at his service, as ordinary houses.
5. See The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 54-55
6. The Artscroll Tehillim page 329
7. The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 607
8. The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 157
9. Augustine on Psalm 30, vs 1
10. Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 215-216
11. "Your Love Never Fails – Jesus Culture". Worship Together. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
12. The Real meaning of Psalm 30:5

External links

• Pieces with text from Psalm 30: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Psalm 30: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Psalm 30 in Hebrew and English – Mechon-mamre
• Psalm 30 – Remembering the Greatness of God at a Great Event text and detailed commentary, enduringword.com
• A psalm. A song for the dedication of the Temple.* Of David. / I praise you, LORD, for you raised me up text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Psalm 30:1 introduction and text, biblestudytools.com
• Psalm 30 / Refrain: You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead. Church of England
• Psalm 30 at biblegateway.com
• Hymns for Psalm 30 hymnary.org
• Hebrew text, translation, transliteration for verses 9 and 11 on The Zemirot Database