A song of ascents. 2
130:1 From the deep water 3 I cry out to you, O Lord.
69:2 I sink into the deep mire
where there is no solid ground; 4
I am in 5 deep water,
and the current overpowers me.
69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!
Deliver me 6 from those who hate me,
from the deep water!
1 sn Psalm 130. The psalmist, confident of the Lord’s forgiveness, cries out to the Lord for help in the midst of his suffering and urges Israel to do the same.
2 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
3 tn Heb “depths,” that is, deep waters (see Ps 69:2, 14; Isa 51:10), a metaphor for the life-threatening danger faced by the psalmist.
4 tn Heb “and there is no place to stand.”
5 tn Heb “have entered.”
7 tn Heb “let me be delivered.”