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
"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
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 ChristianOld 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.
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.
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
I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
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.
Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.
What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
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 HaMiqdashHebrew: בית המקדשSolomon's Temple. It is Solomon and his lineage, not the building, which in later sources are called the House of David.
חינוךChinuch, 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.
Verse 12 is found in the version of Veyiten Lecha recited at Maariv of Motzei Shabbat in the Eastern Ashkenazic rite;[7] it is among the verses omitted in the Western Ashkenazic rite.[8]
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.[10]
In the Catholic Church, Psalm 30 is appointed to be read at Lauds (Morning Prayer) on Thursday in the first week of the month.
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
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
^Henry, Matthew (2005) [1708–10]. Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible. Alban Books. ISBN1-56563-778-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.
