Psalm 30:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

NIV: LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.

NASB: Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me.

CSB: Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me.

NLT: O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.

KJV: O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

NKJV: O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.

God punished David for taking an improper census (1 Chronicles 21:7–30). God graciously allowed David to avoid greater punishment—defeat by his enemies—and to instead suffer a plague on Israel (1 Chronicles 21:7–14). At one point during the pestilence, David cried out for God's mercy, and the Lord stopped the disease (1 Chronicles 21:15–17). The context of this psalm seems to be what happened shortly after the plague was lifted: David's dedication (Psalm 30:1) of the future temple site (1 Chronicles 22:1; 2 Chronicles 3:1).

Neither David's sin, nor God's discipline, separated David from the Lord's love. A believer may wander from fellowship with the Lord, but he still belongs to the Lord. He is like the sheep that wandered from the fold. It still belonged to the shepherd, who searched for it, found it, carried it on his shoulders, rejoiced, and returned it to the fold (Luke 15:4–6).

God's ability to heal is also celebrated here. Paul explains to the Corinthians why some members of the church were ill and dying. He attributes the sickness and death to a specific sin, which was partaking of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner. That does not mean all sickness is caused by sin (John 9:1–3), but it does mean God can use illness as one of His forms of discipline. A believer may sin willfully and suffer consequences, but if he repents and calls upon the Lord for healing, the Lord may remove the sickness and forgive the sin. James 5:13–16 discusses this type of situation and directs the sick person to call for the elders of the church. He will be healed upon confessing his sins and receiving 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.