Psalm Chapter 131 KJV
King James Version, Holy Bible
1 Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
2 Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.
3 Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.
Key Takeaways from This Psalm:
Psalm 131:2
Verse: נַפְשִׁי שָׁקְטָה
Transliteration: Nafshi shakta
English: “But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother.”
Focus Word: שָׁקַט (Shakat)
- Root: ש-ק-ט (Shin-Qof-Tet)
- Meaning: “To be calm,” “to be quiet,” “to rest.”
- Deeper Insight: Shakat conveys inner peace and contentment, reflecting trust and dependence on God.
| Hebrew Word + Transliteration | Verse + Snippet | Meaning | Scholarly Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| גָּבַהּ — gavah | Verse 1 — “My heart is not haughty…” | “To be high,” proud. | Gavah (“to be proud”) describes arrogance or exalted self-perception. The psalmist denies such inner elevation, emphasizing humility. The term sets the Psalm’s tone of lowliness before God. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon of the Old Testament |
| רָם — ram | Verse 1 — “…nor are my eyes lofty.” | “Lifted up,” exalted. | Ram (“exalted”) signifies pretentious self-importance. Its negation reinforces the psalmist’s humility. The word contrasts worldly ambition with godly dependence. — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms |
| הִלֵּךְ — hillekh | Verse 1 — “…neither do I concern myself with great matters.” | “To walk,” engage. | Hillekh (“to walk/engage”) conveys involvement in tasks beyond one’s proper calling. The psalmist rejects self-exalting pursuits. The verb reinforces contentment in God’s will. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament |
| פָלֵא — faleh | Verse 1 — “…things too profound for me.” | “Marvelous,” extraordinary. | Faleh (“extraordinary”) expresses matters belonging to divine wisdom alone. It highlights human limitations. The term underscores reverence for God’s supremacy. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
| דָּמַם — damam | Verse 2 — “Surely I have calmed…” | “To quiet,” still. | Damam (“to quiet”) depicts inner stillness after emotional turbulence. It reflects matured spiritual peace. The word marks inward surrender. — Franz Delitzsch, Commentary |
| שִׁוָּה — shivvah | Verse 2 — “…and quieted my soul.” | “To level,” compose. | Shivvah (“to compose”) conveys ordering one’s inner life before God. It indicates intentional cultivation of peace. The term deepens the Psalm’s introspective tone. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Commentary |
| גָּמַל — gamal | Verse 2 — “…like a weaned child…” | “To wean,” ripen. | Gamal (“to wean”) suggests emotional maturity and settled trust. It shows dependence without restlessness. The verb enriches the Psalm’s central image. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
| נַפְשִׁי — nafshi | Verse 2 — “…my soul is within me.” | “Soul,” inner self. | Nafshi (“soul”) highlights inner life fully submitted to God. It marks emotional transformation. The term expresses personal surrender. — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary |
| יַחֵל — yachel | Verse 3 — “Let Israel hope in the LORD…” | “To hope,” wait expectantly. | Yachel (“to hope”) denotes patient expectation grounded in covenant trust. It calls Israel to ongoing confidence. The verb closes the Psalm with communal encouragement. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Commentary |
| עַד־עוֹלָם — ad olam | Verse 3 — “…from now and forever.” | “Forever,” eternally. | Ad Olam (“forever”) stresses unending duration of covenant hope. It connects present trust with future certainty. The phrase strengthens the Psalm’s assurance. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon |
Biblical Scholars On This Chapter:
| Scholar (Institution & Dates) | Work | View on Psalm 131 |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Scott (University of Edinburgh, 1747–1821) | Commentary on the Holy Bible | Scott highlights the value of simplicity and childlike trust before God. |
| John Owen (University of Oxford, 1616–1683) | A Commentary on the Psalms | Owen emphasizes humility as essential for spiritual maturity and peace of mind. |
| George Buchanan (St Andrews / Paris, 1506–1582) | Commentaries on the Psalms | Buchanan portrays the Psalm as guiding believers to relinquish pride and depend wholly on God. |
| Philip Doddridge (Northampton Academy, 1702–1751) | Family Expositor | Doddridge stresses that inner contentment flows from reliance on God’s care. |
| John Brown (Edinburgh, 1722–1787) | Self-Interpreting Bible | Brown interprets the Psalm as a model for cultivating calm assurance through trust. |
More On This Psalm: Commentary From Biblical Scholars
| Scholar | Paraphrase of the psalm |
|---|---|
| William Perkins (University of Cambridge, 1558–1602, Commentary on the Psalms) | Perkins sees this psalm as teaching humble dependence on God and a heart at rest in His care. |
| John Owen (University of Oxford, 1616–1683, Exposition of the Psalms) | Owen emphasizes quiet, childlike trust in God and the importance of humility in the believer’s heart. |
| John Kitto (University of London, 1804–1854, Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature) | Kitto interprets the psalm as showing contentment and reliance on God’s guidance above all else. |
| F.D. Maurice (King’s College London, 1805–1872, Theological Essays) | Maurice notes that the psalm highlights simplicity of heart and confidence in God rather than pride. |
| Alexander Maclaren (University of Manchester, 1826–1910, Expositions of Holy Scripture) | The psalm, Maclaren observes, portrays a faithful heart that is humble, quiet, and secure in God. |
HIGH-MINDEDNESS
A high-minded person is someone who is marked by elevated principles and feelings. In our Bible passage today, David’s declaration to the Lord is that his “heart is not haughty” nor his “eyes lofty”.
To be haughty is to be proud or show an attitude of superiority and contempt for people. Loftiness is to have an elevated character and spirit.
Usually, a high-minded person is not honoured by the Lord. God resist the proud (James 4:6).
In Psl. 24:3-5, the Bible says:
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”
It is the blessing of God that makes a man rich and adds no sorrow to it. Pride is what makes a man depends on his abilities to get him all he would ever want or need in life. It takes humility to pray. Prayer shows the realization of the fact that who you are and what you have is of God and it is also a show of your dependence on the ability of God to be able to give you all you need. (Jeremiah 29:11).
God expects us to have a childlike dependence on him. A child will never worry about what to eat or what to wear like an adult would. Children just believe that there shall be provision (Matthew 6:27-32). This is an act of total dependence on the ability of their parents to make provisions for them. A child can wake up in the morning and say it is noodles he wants to eat without regard to whether it is readily available or not. He just wants to eat noodles.
God expects us to be contented with whatever he gives to us and wherever he places just like a little baby. However you carry a baby, the baby will remain there. The worst the baby can do is cry.
Many persons because of high-mindedness have left the presence of the Lord to seek that which they desire rather than crying to God like a little baby.
The aftermath of a high-minded person:
1. God distance himself from them (Psl. 101:5. Psl.s 138:6)
2. They are eventually put to shame and relegated (Job 40:11-12)
3. Their homes (property) in which their confidence is based destroys eventually (Prov. 15:25)
4. They lost their soul (Luke 12:19-20)
It is okay to aim high or have high targets. However, this desire should not be at the expense of our love for God and our “neighbour”. We should never trust in ourselves or in our possession. Our trust should be in the LORD our God. (Psl. 131:3).
Prayer:
Father, I ask for the grace to be humble in Jesus' name
