Mazmur 30:2-4

30:2 O Lord my God,

I cried out to you and you healed me. ¹ 

30:3 O Lord, you pulled me ²  up from Sheol;

you rescued me from among those descending into the grave. ³ 

30:4 Sing to the Lord, you faithful followers ⁴  of his;

give thanks to his holy name. ⁵ 

[30:2]  ¹ sn You healed me. Apparently the psalmist was plagued by a serious illness that threatened his life. See Ps 41.

[30:3]  ² tn Or “my life.”

[30:3]  ³ tn Heb “you kept me alive from those descending into the pit.” The Hebrew noun בוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib); the marginal reading (Qere) has, “you kept me alive so that I did not go down into the pit.”

[30:4]  ⁴ tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[30:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The noun זֵכֵר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 6:5; 97:12.The Lord’s “name” is “holy” in the sense that it is a reminder of his uniqueness and greatness.