Psalms 30:9-10

Context

30:9 “What¹ profit is there in taking my life,²

in my descending into the Pit?³

Can the dust of the grave⁴ praise you?

Can it declare your loyalty?⁵

30:10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me!

O Lord, deliver me!”⁶

[30:9] ¹sn 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.

[30:9] ²tn Heb “What profit [is there] in my blood?” “Blood” here represents his life.

[30:9] ³tn The Hebrew term שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 49:9; 55:24; 103:4).

[30:9] ⁴tn Heb “dust.” The words “of the grave” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[30:9] ⁵tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “Of course not!”

[30:10] ⁶tn Heb “be a helper to me.”