Psalms 30:9

30:9 “What profit is there in taking my life,

in my descending into the Pit?

Can the dust of the grave praise you?

Can it declare your loyalty?


sn The following two verses (vv. 9-10) contain the prayer (or an excerpt of the prayer) that the psalmist offered to the Lord during his crisis.

tn Heb “What profit [is there] in my blood?” “Blood” here represents his life.

tn The Hebrew term שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 49:9; 55:24; 103:4).

tn Heb “dust.” The words “of the grave” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “Of course not!”