The Bible — World English Bible

Psalm 30

In brief

Psalm 30 is a song of David for the dedication of the house. David thanks God for lifting him up after a time of anguish. He tells of his overconfident sense of security, then the moment when God hid his face and he was troubled. He then cried out, and God turned his mourning into dancing and his sorrow into joy. The psalm holds one of the most quoted lines in the Bible about tears that do not last: weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

The chapter in 4 parts

  1. v. 1-3I exalt you, for you have lifted me up
  2. v. 4-5Sing praise, for his anger lasts a moment and his favor a lifetime
  3. v. 6-10False security, then the cry to God
  4. v. 11-12You turned my mourning into dancing, I will give thanks to you forever

1I will extol you, Yahweh, for you have raised me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me.

2Yahweh my God, I cried to you, and you have healed me.

3Yahweh, you have brought up my soul from Sheol. You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4Sing praise to Yahweh, you saints of his. Give thanks to his holy name.

5For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

6As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”

7You, Yahweh, when you favored me, made my mountain stand strong; but when you hid your face, I was troubled.

8I cried to you, Yahweh. I made supplication to the Lord:

9“What profit is there in my destruction, if I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise you? Shall it declare your truth?

10Hear, Yahweh, and have mercy on me. Yahweh, be my helper.”

11You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness,

12to the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent. Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Key verses

Verse 2
Yahweh my God, I cried to you, and you have healed me.

David cried out and God healed him, or raised him up. The Hebrew word covers both healing and restoration, and the psalm does not specify the exact nature of the trial.

Verse 5
For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

The tears are real but they come to an end, while God's favor lasts a lifetime. The verse does not promise a specific morning, it affirms that the night does not have the last word.

Verse 6-7
As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” You, Yahweh, when you favored me, made my mountain stand strong; but when you hid your face, I was troubled.

David admits to overconfident assurance: “I shall never be moved.” When God hides his face, he understands that his stability came from God's grace, not from himself.

Verse 11-12
You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent. Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

God turns mourning into dancing and removes the sackcloth. The goal is that the heart sings and does not stay silent: the joy received is made to be praised.

Test your knowledge

All Bible quizzes →

Pray about this

What the sermons say

Going Through the Storms of Life: Seven Truths to KnowAgu Irukwu quotes verse 5 to say that the storm passes and that it shapes us: the tears of the evening are not the last word, like the light afflictions of 2 Corinthians 4:17.Read the summary →A Joy That Prepares Your Heart Before the Storm HitsMomentum's message quotes verses 11 to 13: worship beyond your circumstances, so as not to stay silent in church when trials dictate your emotions.Read the summary →20 Bible Verses About JoyThis selection of 20 verses quotes verse 5 as the testimony of a cycle David went through: the night of tears passes, and God's morning comes.Read the summary →20 Bible Verses for Walking Through GriefIn this list of verses for grief, verse 5 describes nights of weeping followed by mornings regained, and reminds us that God's favor lasts a lifetime.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about Psalm 30

What does “Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning” mean?

Verse 5 says that suffering is temporary, while God's favor is lasting. It does not deny tears and does not set a precise deadline. It invites us to hold on through the night, knowing that God does not abandon us, even when joy takes a long time to return.

Who wrote Psalm 30 and for what occasion?

The title attributes it to David and speaks of a song for the dedication of the house. Commentators hesitate between the dedication of David's palace, that of the temple site (1 Chronicles 21 and 22) or its later use at the dedication of the temple. The text does not decide.

How do you pray Psalm 30 after a trial?

Reread verses 1 to 3, naming what God has lifted you out of. Then remember the times you felt alone (verses 6 and 7). Pray verses 11 and 12 to give thanks for the joy that is returning, and decide to praise God aloud, because the psalm says the heart sings so as not to stay silent.

Articles quoting Psalm 30

← All chapters

World English Bible translation — public domain.