Psalm 130

Commonplace –

“But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared” (Psalm 130:4).

Here we have the penitent heart. From the opening verse, “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord”, the psalmist is expressing remorse over sin. The psalmist consoles himself with the reminder that with God there is forgiveness. What a gift that thought is when one is in the depths of despair over sin! We have hope of reconciliation, and we find that hope in the Word. Knowing we have forgiveness, we can wait patiently on the Lord as one who watches for the break of day; He is as trustworthy as the rising of the sun. The psalmist then offers consolation to his readers, “with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption” (Psalm 130:6-7). He ends the psalm confidently believing that God will “redeem Israel from all his iniquities” (Psalm 130:8).

Matthew Henry notes,

“This psalm relates not to any temporal concern, either personal or public, but it is wholly taken up with the affairs of the soul. It is reckoned one of the seven penitential psalms, which have sometimes been made use of by penitents” (605).

We can console ourselves with Psalm 130, when our sin is heavy on our heart, knowing God is faithful and merciful

Works Cited

Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 130.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

© 2025 Angela Hormberg