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Psalms 131:2 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

2 Surely I have behaved H7737 and quieted H1826 myself, H5315 as a child that is weaned H1580 of his mother: H517 my soul H5315 is even as a weaned child. H1580

Cross Reference

Matthew 18:3-4 STRONG

And G2532 said, G2036 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 Except G3362 ye be converted, G4762 and G2532 become G1096 as G5613 little children, G3813 ye shall G1525 not G3364 enter G1525 into G1519 the kingdom G932 of heaven. G3772 Whosoever G3748 therefore G3767 shall humble G5013 himself G1438 as G5613 this G5124 little child, G3813 the same G3778 is G2076 greatest G3187 in G1722 the kingdom G932 of heaven. G3772

John 14:1-2 STRONG

Let G5015 not G3361 your G5216 heart G2588 be troubled: G5015 ye believe G4100 in G1519 God, G2316 believe G4100 also G2532 in G1519 me. G1691 In G1722 my G3450 Father's G3962 house G3614 are G1526 many G4183 mansions: G3438 if it were not G1490 so, I would have told G302 G2036 you. G5213 I go G4198 to prepare G2090 a place G5117 for you. G5213

1 Samuel 25:32-33 STRONG

And David H1732 said H559 to Abigail, H26 Blessed H1288 be the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 which sent H7971 thee this day H3117 to meet H7125 me: And blessed H1288 be thy advice, H2940 and blessed H1288 be thou, which hast kept H3607 me this day H3117 from coming H935 to shed blood, H1818 and from avenging H3467 myself with mine own hand. H3027

2 Samuel 15:25-26 STRONG

And the king H4428 said H559 unto Zadok, H6659 Carry back H7725 the ark H727 of God H430 into the city: H5892 if I shall find H4672 favour H2580 in the eyes H5869 of the LORD, H3068 he will bring me again, H7725 and shew H7200 me both it, and his habitation: H5116 But if he thus say, H559 I have no delight H2654 in thee; behold, here am I, let him do H6213 to me as seemeth H5869 good H2896 unto him.

2 Samuel 16:11-12 STRONG

And David H1732 said H559 to Abishai, H52 and to all his servants, H5650 Behold, my son, H1121 which came forth H3318 of my bowels, H4578 seeketh H1245 my life: H5315 how much more now may this Benjamite H1145 do it? let him alone, H3240 and let him curse; H7043 for the LORD H3068 hath bidden H559 him. It may be that the LORD H3068 will look H7200 on mine affliction, H5869 H6040 and that the LORD H3068 will requite H7725 me good H2896 for his cursing H7045 this day. H3117

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 131

Commentary on Psalms 131 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Verses 1-3

This little song is inscribed לדוד because it is like an echo of the answer (2 Samuel 6:21.) with which David repelled the mocking observation of Michal when he danced before the Ark in a linen ephod, and therefore not in kingly attire, but in the common raiment of the priests: I esteem myself still less than I now show it, and I appear base in mine own eyes. In general David is the model of the state of mind which the poet expresses here. He did not push himself forward, but suffered himself to be drawn forth out of seclusion. He did not take possession of the throne violently, but after Samuel has anointed him he willingly and patiently traverses the long, thorny, circuitous way of deep abasement, until he receives from God's hand that which God's promise had assured to him. The persecution by Saul lasted about ten years, and his kingship in Hebron, at first only incipient, seven years and a half. He left it entirely to God to remove Saul and Ishbosheth. He let Shimei curse. He left Jerusalem before Absalom. Submission to God's guidance, resignation to His dispensations, contentment with that which was allotted to him, are the distinguishing traits of his noble character, which the poet of this Psalm indirectly holds up to himself and to his contemporaries as a mirror, viz., to the Israel of the period after the Exile, which, in connection with small beginnings under difficult circumstances, had been taught humbly contented and calm waiting.

With לבּי לא־גבהּ the poet repudiates pride as being the state of his soul; with לא־רמוּ עיני ( lo - ramū' as in Proverbs 30:13, and before Ajin , e.g., also in Genesis 26:10; Isaiah 11:2, in accordance with which the erroneous placing of the accent in Baer's text is to be corrected), pride of countenance and bearing; and with ולא־הלּכתּי , pride of endeavour and mode of action. Pride has its seat in the heart, in the eyes especially it finds its expression, and great things are its sphere in which it diligently exercises itself. The opposite of “great things” (Jeremiah 23:3; Jeremiah 45:5) is not that which is little, mean, but that which is small; and the opposite of “things too wonderful for me” (Genesis 18:14) is not that which is trivial, but that which is attainable.

אם־לא does not open a conditional protasis, for where is the indication of the apodosis to be found? Nor does it signify “but,” a meaning it also has not in Genesis 24:38; Ezekiel 3:6. In these passages too, as in the passage before us, it is asseverating, being derived from the usual formula of an oath: verily I have, etc. שׁוּה signifies (Isaiah 28:25) to level the surface of a field by ploughing it up, and has an ethical sense here, like ישׂר with its opposites עקב and עפּל . The Poel סּומם is to be understood according to דּוּמיּה in Psalms 62:2, and דּוּמם in Lamentations 3:26. He has levelled or made smooth his soul, so that humility is its entire and uniform state; he has calmed it so that it is silent and at rest, and lets God speak and work in it and for it: it is like an even surface, and like the calm surface of a lake. Ewald and Hupfeld's rendering: “as a weaned child on its mother, so my soul, being weaned, lies on me,” is refuted by the consideration that it ought at least to be כּגמוּלה , but more correctly כּן גמולה ; but it is also besides opposed by the article which is swallowed up in כּגּמל , according to which it is to be rendered: like one weaned beside its mother (here כּגמול on account of the determinative collateral definition), like the weaned one (here כּגּמול because without any collateral definition: cf. with Hitzig, Deuteronomy 32:2, and the like; moreover, also, because referring back to the first גמול , cf. Habakkuk 3:8), is my soul beside me (Hitzig, Hengstenberg, and most expositors). As a weaned child - viz. not one that is only just begun to be weaned, but an actually weaned child ( גּמל , cognate גּמר eta , to bring to an end, more particularly to bring suckling to an end, to wean) - lies upon its mother without crying impatiently and craving for its mother's breast, but contented with the fact that it has its mother - like such a weaned child is his soul upon him, i.e., in relation to his Ego (which is conceived of in עלי as having the soul upon itself, cf. Psalms 42:7; Jeremiah 8:18; Psychology , S. 151f., tr. p. 180): his soul, which is by nature restless and craving, is stilled; it does not long after earthly enjoyment and earthly good that God should give these to it, but it is satisfied in the fellowship of God, it finds full satisfaction in Him, it is satisfied (satiated) in Him.

By the closing strain, Psalms 131:3, the individual language of the Psalm comes to have a reference to the congregation at large. Israel is to renounce all self-boasting and all self-activity, and to wait in lowliness and quietness upon its God from now and for evermore. For He resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.