Every verse here opens — tap a number for what that one means.
1I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
2O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
3O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
4Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
5For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
6And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
7LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
8I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.
9What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
10Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.
11Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
12To 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.
Commentary
Psalm 30, explained
What Psalm 30 is saying
Psalm 30 is a thanksgiving psalm celebrating recovery from a life-threatening illness, traditionally associated with the dedication of the temple (or David's palace). The psalm's theological center is the principle that 'weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning' (v. 5b). David confesses that prosperity had bred complacency—'I said in my prosperity, I shall never be shaken'—until God's hidden face shattered his false security.
The background behind it
The superscription 'A Psalm for the Dedication of the House' was applied to the Hanukkah celebration by Second Temple Judaism, making this psalm part of the Hanukkah liturgy. The original 'house' may refer to David's palace (2 Samuel 5:11) or the temple site (1 Chronicles 21–22).
Themes running underneath
The psalm traces a spiritual cycle: blessing leads to complacency, crisis leads to desperate prayer, restoration leads to deeper gratitude. The transformation of mourning into dancing and sackcloth into gladness employs the reversal motif central to biblical theology. God's anger is momentary; His favor lasts a lifetime.
Why it still matters
This psalm warns against the spiritual danger of uninterrupted success, which can produce the illusion of self-sufficiency. It reframes difficult seasons as invitations to rediscover dependence on God and deeper gratitude.
Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.