Psalm 30:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy:

NIV: To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:

NASB: To You, Lord, I called, And to the Lord I pleaded for compassion:

CSB: Lord, I called to you; I sought favor from my Lord:

NLT: I cried out to you, O Lord. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,

KJV: I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.

NKJV: I cried out to You, O Lord; And to the Lord I made supplication:

David cries out to the Lord for mercy. This may have been the way he begged for God's mercy after making a sinful choice as king (1 Chronicles 21:7–17). While David was by no means sinless, he was keenly aware of his limitations. He acknowledged his need to be forgiven. This helps define the biblical concept of "mercy:" withholding what every sinner deserves. Grace, on the other hand, is when God provides something good which sinners do not deserve.

Every sinner—meaning every person (Romans 3:10, 23)—deserves divine judgment. Romans 6:23 assures us, "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." If God were to mete out what every sinner deserves, hell would be everyone's destiny. Yet, in mercy, God withholds from believers what everyone deserves, and graciously imparts them with salvation which no one deserves (Titus 3:5). Jesus bore the punishment of sin on the cross and rose to life victorious; all who put their faith in Him are saved and given eternal life (Ephesians 2:1–10). Those who refuse God's gracious offer of salvation remain condemned (John 3:16–18, 36).

Jesus told a story about two men who entered the temple to pray (Luke 18:9–14). One was a tax collector; the other was a Pharisee. The Pharisee was consumed with a false sense of self-righteousness. His "thanks" to God was just a form of self-praise. God saw through the Pharisee's hypocrisy. There was no awareness of sin, so God did not forgive him. The tax collector, on the other hand prayed, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner," and God justified him. David was wise to plead for mercy.

Psalm 30:6–10 contains David's appeal for God's mercy. These words may have been his prayer when appealing to God for forgiveness over a sinful choice he made as king (1 Chronicles 21:7–17). He calls on the Lord, his helper, to be merciful to him. David frames his request as one who wants to live so he can continue to worship God.

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.