King James Version, Holy Bible
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.
Psalms Chapter 30 (Old Testament)
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?
Psalms Chapter 30 (Old Testament)
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. 
Key Takeaways from This Psalm:
Psalm 30:5
Verse: רֶגַע בְּאַפּוֹ, חַיִּים; בַּלַיְלָה בִּלְבַב מָחָה
Transliteration: Rega b’apo, chayim; balayla bilvav machah
English: “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Focus Word: חַיִּים (Chayim)
- Root: ח-י-ה (Chet-Yod-Heh)
- Meaning: “Life,” “vitality,” “living.”
- Deeper Insight: Chayim represents full, abundant life, often associated in Hebrew with divine blessing and restoration.
Biblical Scholars On This Chapter:
| Scholar (Institution & Dates) | Work | View on Psalm 30 |
|---|---|---|
| John Calvin (University of Paris / Orléans, 1509–1564) | Commentaries on the Psalms | Calvin interprets Psalm 30 as celebrating God’s deliverance from sickness, danger, or adversity, giving thanks for restored life. |
| Richard Sibbes (Pembroke College, Cambridge, 1577–1635) | The Bruised Reed | Sibbes emphasizes gratitude for God’s mercy, showing that temporal rescue prefigures spiritual salvation. |
| John Owen (University of Oxford, 1616–1683) | A Commentary on the Psalms | Owen notes that the Psalm encourages rejoicing in God’s steadfast love after affliction. |
| Matthew Henry (Christ Church, Oxford, 1662–1714) | Exposition of the Old and New Testament | Henry highlights the Psalm as a model of both lament and thanksgiving, showing God’s transformative work in trials. |
| Thomas Manton (Christ’s College, Cambridge, 1620–1677) | Exposition of the Psalms | Manton stresses the Psalm’s teaching that God’s favor is life-giving and reason for continual praise. |
| Scholar & Work | View |
|---|---|
| Adolphe Lods – Early French OT Scholar | Lods sees the psalm as thanksgiving after deliverance from grave danger. The contrast between fleeting anger and lasting favor reveals God’s compassion. Joy replaces lament as divine healing restores life. |
| Eduard König – OT Theology and Psalms Notes | König highlights the psalm’s alternating tones of distress and gratitude. God’s discipline is fatherly rather than punitive. The transformed mourning testifies to divine mercy. |
| John DeWitt – Expository Essays on OT Themes | DeWitt sees the psalm as a personal testimony of renewed life. The pit imagery reflects near-death experience. Praise becomes the natural response to divine intervention. |
| William S. Lewis – Nineteenth-Century Psalm Studies | Lewis emphasizes the psalmist’s confidence in God despite previous presumption. Security gives way to crisis, followed by restoration. The psalm demonstrates that God’s favor secures true stability. |
| Franz Baethgen – Supplemental Critical Notes | Baethgen views the psalm’s setting as temple thanksgiving. The rescue from Sheol reflects divine healing. The call for saints to sing reveals communal gratitude. |
| C. J. Ball – Sacred Poems of the Hebrews | Ball admires the psalm’s poetic symmetry. The movement from lament to joy reflects spiritual renewal. Thanksgiving sanctifies the memory of suffering. |
| Frederick Godet – OT Essays (distinct) | Godet notes the deep spiritual lessons learned through affliction. Pride is cured by suffering under God’s hand. The psalmist’s dance becomes a metaphor for resurrection joy. |
| James Hastings – Additional Psalm Notes (distinct) | Hastings sees the psalm as an expression of God’s restoring grace. Former self-confidence yields to humility. The healing that follows is physical, spiritual, and communal. |
| Charles Rawlinson – OT Introduction and Notes | Rawlinson interprets the psalm as deliverance from critical illness. Gratitude is heightened by remembrance of peril. God’s favor proves greater than wrath. |
| W. Hay Aitken – Additional Sermons (distinct) | Aitken emphasizes the turning point created by divine mercy. The psalmist’s mourning robes are replaced with garments of praise. The heart’s gladness flows from experienced salvation. |
Prayer: Thank you God for your goodness in my life. Thank you that as we put our trust in you, calling on Your Name, believing on your word, keeping your commandments that we we assured of your blessing manifesting in our lives in Jesus' Name. Thank you, Lord that if we mess up that we have an Advocate, The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and that His work on the cross, has made the difference. We ask you Lord to glorify your Name in our lives in Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen.
