Psalm 130 (129):2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Those who realize they are in the abyss will cry out, groan, and sigh until they are lifted from their plight and brought to Him who reigns over all abysses... Those who dwell very deep in the abyss often do not even utter a cry for help. Scripture reminds us, “When the wicked has reached the depths of wickedness, he despises” Proverbs 18:3. Consider, dear brothers, what a profound abyss it is where God is scorned. When every individual recognizes their burden from daily sins and feels overwhelmed by the weights of iniquity, if they are advised to “Pray to God,” they laugh in disbelief. They think, “If wrongs were detestable to God, would I still exist?” If God had taken interest in worldly matters, should I not have only survived but thrived after my many offenses? This mindset reflects those entrenched in the abyss, prospering in their wrongdoing; for a deceptive joy is, in itself, a grave misfortune... O Lord, hear my plea. Please give heed to the sound of my lament Psalm 129:2. From where does he cry out? From the depths. Who is calling? The sinner. And with what expectation does he weep? Because He who came to absolve sins offers hope even to the sinner lost in despair. Following these words, “If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” Psalm 129:3, the psalmist reveals from what depths he cries out. He shouts under the crushing weight and waves of his own wrongdoings... He does not assert, “I cannot endure this,” but “Who can endure it?” For he perceives that human existence is beset on all sides by sin, that every conscience is burdened by its own thoughts, and that a truly pure heart trusting in its own righteousness is virtually unattainable.

But why is there hope? Because there is atonement with You Psalm 129:4. And what is atonement but a sacrifice? And what is sacrifice but one made for our sakes? The shedding of innocent blood has erased all the sins of the guilty; such a high price paid is what has redeemed all captives from the grip of the oppressor. Therefore, You possess atonement. Had You chosen not to show mercy, if You were only to act as Judge and not extend your compassion, You would have noticed all our wrongs and sought them out. Who could withstand such scrutiny? Who could stand before You and plead innocence? Who could oppose Your judgment? Thus, hope rests solely in this: for the sake of Your law, I have given birth to You, O Lord. What law? The one that renders humanity guilty. The holy, just, and good law Romans 7:12 was given to the Jews, but in doing so, it exposed their guilt. No law exists that can grant life Galatians 3:21; rather, it reveals sin to the sinner. For the sinner has lost sight of himself and does not recognize his state; the law was given so that he might see his true condition. The law condemns him, yet it is the Lawgiver who offers liberation, for the Lawgiver embodies the Supreme Authority.... Therefore, there exists a law of God's mercy, a law of God's atonement. One is a law of fear, the other a law of love. The law of love provides forgiveness, erases the past, and warns about the future; it does not abandon its companion on the path but journeys alongside the one it guides. However, it is imperative to negotiate with the adversary while you remain within his domain Matthew 5:25. For the Word of God stands as your adversary until you reach an agreement with Him. You find agreement when you begin to delight in obeying the commandments of the Word of God. Then the adversary transforms into a friend; and once your journey concludes, you will find no one left to bring you before the Judge. For this reason, I have waited upon You, O Lord, for You have graciously established the law of mercy, to forgive me all my transgressions, and to guide me toward future righteousness, lest I fall into offense.... For the sake of this law, I place my trust in You, Lord. I have waited for You to come and rescue me from every want; even in my need, You have not abandoned Your law of mercy... My soul has waited for Your word...

Therefore, we can trust boldly in the promise of Him who cannot lead us astray. My soul has placed its confidence in the Lord from the morning watch until night. Psalm 129:5. This morning watch signifies the end of darkness. Therefore, we must grasp this notion so that we do not presume we should only place our trust in the Lord for a single day. What do these words signify, beloved? They indicate that the Lord, through whom our sins are pardoned, rose from the dead at the morning watch that we might expect what occurred in Him to also transpire in us. For our sins are already forgiven, yet we have not yet been resurrected; if we have not been raised, then what has happened in our Head has not yet been realized within us. What has transpired in our Head? The flesh of that Head has resurrected; has the Spirit of that Head perished? That which died in Him has returned to life. He rose on the third day; and it is as if the Lord speaks to us: What you have witnessed in Me, hope to see in yourselves; that is, since I have risen from the dead, you too shall rise again.

Yet some express skepticism: Behold, the Lord has risen; should I also hope for my resurrection? Indeed, that is precisely the point: for the Lord has risen in that which He has taken from you. He would not have risen unless He had first died, nor could He have died had He not assumed flesh. What did the Lord seek from you? The flesh. Who was He who came to us? The Word of God, existing before all creation, through whom all things came into being. To gain something from you, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He received from you that which He could present on your behalf; just as a priest receives your offerings as a means of seeking God’s mercy for your sins. It has already been accomplished; it has been done in this manner. Our Priest has taken from us what He can present for us: He accepted flesh, and in that very flesh, He became a sacrifice, He was offered up. In the Passion, He was sacrificed; in the Resurrection, He restored what was slain and presented it as His offspring to God, declaring to you, All that you offer is now consecrated, for such offspring from you have been presented to God; thus, it is to be hoped that what has taken place in Me shall also happen in you as it has with your offspring.

Since He rose with the morning watch, our souls begin to hope from this moment forward, even until night; for all our mortal death is akin to a sleep...

And he reaffirms this, “From the morning watch, let Israel hope in the Lord.” Let Israel not仅 hope, but indeed hope from the morning watch. Do I condemn the world's hope when it is placed in the Lord? No; yet there exists a different hope belonging to Israel. Let Israel not aspire to wealth as its ultimate good, nor to physical health, nor to material abundance: they must endure trials here, should calamities strike because of their commitment to truth...

For the Lord shows compassion, and His redemption is profound Psalm 129:7. Marvelous! This could not have been articulated more effectively elsewhere, particularly in the phrase, "From the morning watch." Why? Because the Lord has risen from the morning watch; and the body ought to long for what has been promised in the Head. But lest a doubt arises: the Head may rise, as He bore no sins; and with no sin in Him, how should we respond? Shall we aspire to such a resurrection as that of the Lord when burdened with our transgressions? Yet observe what follows: “And He shall redeem Israel from all their sins.” Psalm 129:8. Thus, although weighed down by sin, God's mercy remains with him. For this reason, He moved ahead without sin to extinguish the wrongs of those who follow Him. Do not place your hope in yourselves, but place your hope in the morning watchman...

He speaks as if he has achieved something remarkable: "O Lord, hear my voice!" Theodoret observes that when he mentions "The ears are attentive," he alludes to the dual action of hearing and seeing; for our eyes possess one form of vision, and our ears are endowed with one manner of hearing. Yet God hears with unparalleled power and sees with all His might; He perceives both sight and sound with the same divine authority. For it is stated that the ears are attentive (seeing) as though God's capacity for hearing and seeing is unified.

The first verse conveys the sentiment: "Out of the depths I cry unto thee, O Lord: O Lord, hear my voice." In opening his plea, the prophet seeks attention from God prior to presenting his request. His initial expression evokes the imagery of a man at the lowest point of despair, who, if he does not call out with fervent urgency, is unlikely to be noticed by those positioned in comfort above. This analogy aptly illustrates the situation, for even though God is omnipresent in essence and power, humanity remains estranged from Him due to sin. While God is eternally righteous and exalted, humankind often finds itself in sinfulness and destitution, akin to Jonah, who was submerged not only in the ocean's depths but also within the great fish due to his rebellion against God. Nevertheless, even from such a profound abyss, his heartfelt cries reached God, highlighting the power of earnest prayer to transcend all barriers. Therefore, the truly repentant soul, immersed in sorrow, or as another psalm describes, entangled in despair and tumultuous emotions (Psalm 39:3), must earnestly cry out from the profoundest recesses of his spirit, confessing his utter need with sincerity. For one who remains oblivious to the depth of his predicament demonstrates an indifference that only leads him further away from deliverance, as pointed out by the wise saying: "When the wicked comes into the depths of evil, he does not care" (Proverbs 18:3).

Following this, the next supplication: "Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications," conveys the idea that merely raising one's voice is insufficient for being heard; it is crucial that the one being called upon is attentive, as it is common for those approached to be preoccupied with their own thoughts, rendering the pleas of others unnoticed. Although God is fully aware and perceives all, when He does not respond to our requests, it can seem as if He is not listening, as if His focus lies elsewhere. Consequently, David, desiring to be acknowledged and not merely relying on the volume of his voice, implores God to bestow His attention upon his prayers, seeking the fulfillment of his petitions.

The imagery of deep waters is employed here, as it frequently is, to symbolize significant adversity, which implies not only the calamity brought on by sin but also the external tribulation stemming from these sins, representing both internal and external need. Nevertheless, this is not the entirety of the truth (this implication is evident in v. 3); for the Lord is a God who cleanses sins (Thou hast purification) and has provided His people with the law, establishing a covenant that assures He will not completely cast away His people—even in their sinfulness—but will correct them with merciful discipline. In light of this covenant, for Your sake - ενεκεν του ονοματος σου, likely derived from ενεκεν του νόμου σου, as also translated in the Vulgate: propter legem tuam. In the past, the Jewish people believed they could not be forsaken by God as long as the temple, their symbol of hope, stood in Jerusalem. However, when the temple was destroyed, the law became their only remaining advantage over the nations, leading them to place their hopes firmly in their possession of the law.

Israel, therefore, boldly and patiently places its trust in the Lord, seeking the help it so desperately needs; particularly since He has assured through the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.)—Your word in v. 4 represents a promise—that He would show mercy to His people once again after their correction. The people, despite their current troubled condition, should not lose heart, nor should they stop hoping in the Lord from the morning watch till night (v. 5); for He is compassionate and has abundant means to deliver us (He has much deliverance). Certainly, He will absolve Israel of their guilt along with their suffering (v. 6).

The faithful endure for Christ’s name and in hopeful anticipation of promised future blessings. The soul that places its trust in the Lord’s word deserves utmost commendation for its endurance, demonstrated through faithfulness, labor, fasting, renunciation of worldly possessions and relationships, striving for spiritual detachment, persistent prayer, and the fulfillment of God's will.

The ancients referred to the segments of the night as watches. Soldiers in the army divided the night into four watches, each lasting three hours, with the final segment before dawn known as the morning watch. Thus, the phrase "from the morning watch to the night" signifies the entire day, during which one must rely on the Lord. Inspired by the Spirit, St. David exhorts that from the morning watch—beginning in youth and throughout one’s life—individuals should seek salvation and place their trust in the Lord at all times. By encompassing both the morning watch and the night, the prophet illustrates the continuous cycle of day, leaving no moment unmarked by trust in the Lord. The grace of the Lord refers to the incarnation of Christ, which brought forth abundant salvation to humanity. In this context, Israel signifies those who believe in Christ, who find redemption through His blood.