What does Psalm 30:12 mean?
ESV: that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
NIV: that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
NASB: That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
CSB: so that I can sing to you and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
NLT: that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!
KJV: 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.
NKJV: To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
Verse Commentary:
Restoration to fellowship with the Lord enabled David to do more than rejoice. He could also sing praise to God without reservation and without end.

Every restoration to fellowship with the Lord is an occasion to sing praise to the Lord and to thank Him. Perhaps David was looking forward to eternity when he wrote, "forever." For the believer, praise to the Lord doesn't end when his physical life ends; it continues in heaven on a grander, purer scale. Revelation 5:9–10 pictures God's people in heaven singing this song of praise: "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
Verse Context:
Psalm 30:11–12 follows David's prayers for mercy and healing. The Lord answered his prayer, so David rejoices and exchanges his attitude of grief for gladness. He determines to praise the Lord and to thank Him forever. The psalm ends as it began: with praise and thanksgiving.
Chapter Summary:
David praises God for His mercy and rescue. This psalm speaks of God pulling David from the brink of ruin, while also speaking of God's righteous judgment. This was likely composed in response to the plague which struck Israel when David took an improper census (1 Chronicles 21:7–14). For believers, the Lord's discipline is temporary, but His love is eternal. Because David has been rescued, he can continue to praise God and worship His name.
Chapter Context:
Psalm 30 is a song of praise for merciful deliverance. King David sinned by taking a census against God's wishes, resulting in God's discipline. The Lord could have let David fall to his enemies, but instead sent a plague on Israel (1 Chronicles 21:7–14). The pestilence was cut short as David begged for leniency (1 Chronicles 21:15–17). Shortly after this, David set aside the future site of the temple (1 Chronicles 22:1; 2 Chronicles 3:1). That dedication seems to be the setting for Psalm 30.
Book Summary:
The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.
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