Psalm 30:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.

NIV: Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.

NASB: Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, And praise the mention of His holiness.

CSB: Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name.

NLT: Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name.

KJV: Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

NKJV: Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

Celebrating God's forgiveness and mercy, David addresses the righteous people of Israel. He calls on them to sing praises to the Lord and give thanks. He wants every believer to join him in praising and thanking God for healing and restoration. At least part of this praise is for God's merciful discipline of David. He did not let David suffer defeat by his enemies (1 Chronicles 21:7–14) and He cut short a terrible plague (1 Chronicles 21:15–17). David celebrates this mercy as he dedicates the future site of the temple (Psalm 30:1–3; 1 Chronicles 22:1; 2 Chronicles 3:1).

Believers should give thanks in all situations (1 Thessalonians 5:18), even when those circumstances are hard. Yet sometimes believers neglect to thank the Lord for answered prayer. When a stressful situation arises, a believer may pray for deliverance, and receive it, then forget to thank God for that happy conclusion. Jonah, for all his flaws, set a good example for believers in this regard. When he faced a desperate situation in the belly of a great fish, he determined to thank the Lord for delivering him. He prayed: "But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!" (Jonah 2:9). Gratitude should always follow answered prayer.

Psalm 30:1–5 opens by praising the Lord. David recalls God's forgiveness and healing, allowing him to live. He calls upon the righteous to praise and thank the Lord. David also reflects upon the brevity of the Lord's anger. Although the Lord disciplined and therefore David wept through the night, his joy soon returned when the discipline ended. For the believer, God's rebuke is temporary, but His love is eternal.

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.

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.

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.