Introduction to Psalm 30

Alsace, Haut-Rhin, Église Saint Jean Baptiste de Buhl
© Ralph Hammann - Wikimedia Commons

The third and final psalm I want to look at in this Lenten series on the repeated psalms of the Office is  the first six verses of Psalm 30.

Psalm 30 in the liturgy

Psalm 30 as a whole is particularly appropriate for Lent, and especially Passiontide because it is one of the 'suffering servant' psalms:

Psalm 30

In te, Dómine, sperávi non confúndar in ætérnum: * in iustítia tua líbera me.	In you, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in your justice.
Inclína ad me aurem tuam, * accélera ut éruas me.	Bow down your ear to me: make haste to deliver me.
Esto mihi in Deum protectórem, et in domum refúgii: * ut salvum me fácias.	Be unto me a God, a protector, and a house of refuge, to save me.
Quóniam fortitúdo mea, et refúgium meum es tu: * et propter nomen tuum dedúces me, et enútries me.	For you are my strength and my refuge; and for your name's sake you will lead me, and nourish me.
Edúces me de láqueo hoc, quem abscondérunt mihi: * quóniam tu es protéctor meus.	You will bring me out of this snare, which they have hidden for me: for you are my protector.
In manus tuas comméndo spíritum meum: * redemísti me, Dómine, Deus veritátis.	Into your hands I commend my spirit: you have redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth.
Odísti observántes vanitátes, * supervácue.	You have hated them that regard vanities, to no purpose.
Ego autem in Dómino sperávi: * exsultábo, et lætábor in misericórdia tua.	But I have hoped in the Lord: I will be glad and rejoice in your mercy.
Quóniam respexísti humilitátem meam, * salvásti de necessitátibus ánimam meam.	For you have regarded my humility, you have saved my soul out of distresses.
Nec conclusísti me in mánibus inimíci: * statuísti in loco spatióso pedes meos.	And you have not shut me up in the hands of the enemy: you have set my feet in a spacious place.
Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam tríbulor: † conturbátus est in ira óculus meus, * ánima mea, et venter meus:	Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am afflicted: my eye is troubled with wrath, my soul, and my belly:
Quóniam defécit in dolóre vita mea: * et anni mei in gemítibus.	For my life is wasted with grief: and my years in sighs.
Infirmáta est in paupertáte virtus mea: * et ossa mea conturbáta sunt.	My strength is weakened through poverty and my bones are disturbed.
Super omnes inimícos meos factus sum oppróbrium et vicínis meis valde: * et timor notis meis.	I have become a reproach among all my enemies, and very much to my neighbours; and a fear to my acquaintance.
Qui vidébant me, foras fugérunt a me: * oblivióni datus sum, tamquam mórtuus a corde.	They that saw me without fled from me. I am forgotten as one dead from the heart.
Factus sum tamquam vas pérditum: * quóniam audívi vituperatiónem multórum commorántium in circúitu.	I have become as a vessel that is destroyed. For I have heard the blame of many that dwell round about.
In eo dum convenírent simul advérsum me, * accípere ánimam meam consiliáti sunt.	While they assembled together against me, they consulted to take away my life.
Ego autem in te sperávi, Dómine: † dixi: Deus meus es tu: * in mánibus tuis sortes meæ.	But I have put my trust in you, O Lord: I said: You are my God. My lots are in your hands.
Eripe me de manu inimicórum meórum, * et a persequéntibus me.	Deliver me out of the hands of my enemies; and from them that persecute me.
Illústra fáciem tuam super servum tuum, † salvum me fac in misericórdia tua: * Dómine, non confúndar, quóniam invocávi te.	Make your face to shine upon your servant; save me in your mercy. Let me not be confounded, O Lord, for I have called upon you.
Erubéscant ímpii, et deducántur in inférnum: * muta fiant lábia dolósa.	Let the wicked be ashamed, and be brought down to hell.
Quæ loquúntur advérsus iustum iniquitátem: * in supérbia, et in abusióne.	Let deceitful lips be made dumb. Which speak iniquity against the just, with pride and abuse.
Quam magna multitúdo dulcédinis tuæ, Dómine, * quam abscondísti timéntibus te.	O how great is the multitude of your sweetness, O Lord, which you have hidden for them that fear you!
Perfecísti eis, qui sperant in te, * in conspéctu filiórum hóminum.	Which you have wrought for them that hope in you, in the sight of the sons of men.
Abscóndes eos in abscóndito faciéi tuæ * a conturbatióne hóminum.	You shall hide them in the secret of your face, from the disturbance of men.
Próteges eos in tabernáculo tuo * a contradictióne linguárum.	You shall protect them in your tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues.
Benedíctus Dóminus: * quóniam mirificávit misericórdiam suam mihi in civitáte muníta.	Blessed be the Lord, for he has shown his wonderful mercy to me in a fortified city.
Ego autem dixi in excéssu mentis meæ: * Proiéctus sum a fácie oculórum tuórum.	But I said in the excess of my mind: I am cast away from before your eyes.
Ideo exaudísti vocem oratiónis meæ, * dum clamárem ad te.	Therefore you have heard the voice of my prayer, when I cried to you.
Dilígite Dóminum omnes sancti eius: † quóniam veritátem requíret Dóminus, * et retríbuet abundánter faciéntibus supérbiam.	O love the Lord, all you his saints: for the Lord will require truth, and will repay them abundantly that act proudly.
Viríliter ágite, et confortétur cor vestrum, * omnes, qui sperátis in Dómino.	Do manfully, and let your heart be strengthened, all you that hope in the Lord.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

For this reason it features frequently in the New Testament, and is used extensively in the Masses of Lent and Passiontide, as the tables below illustrate.

NT Refs	Lk 23:46; Acts 7:59 (6); Jn 12:27 (11); Titus 3:3-7 (21); Rev 7 15-16 (25-26); 1 Cor 16:13  (24)
RB cursus	Sunday Matins II, 5[+AN 3300 in Lent]
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	All Saints
Roman pre 1911	Monday Matins Short responsory (v6)’ AN 3254, 4585,(6); 4619 (8), 2235 (24)
Responsories	6912 (6), Monday in Epiphanytide 7459 (20)
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Monday Sext
Mass propers (EF)	Septuagesima Sun CO (17, 18) Quinquagesima Sun IN (2, 4) Tuesday Lent I OF (18); Wednesday Lent III, IN (1, 7-8); Lent 4 Monday, GR (3); Passion Friday IN (1, 16, 19, 20); PP 6 AL (1-2); PP 7, CO (3); PP 8 GR (3); PP13, OF (18) PP16 IN (=[2, 10, 16, 18) St Gabriel of Our Lady of the Sorrows (Feb 27) GR (20) S Frances Caracciolo June 4 CO (20)

The psalm as a whole ends on an upbeat note, with the Resurrection, and so is said at Matins on Sundays in the Benedictine Office.

The psalms on the cross

In this series though, I want to focus just on the first six verses, which were said daily at Compline in the pre-1911 version of the Roman (but not the Benedictine) Office.

Verse 6 of the psalm, however, marks the end of the set of psalms Our Lord is traditionally held to have recited while on the Cross, as St Luke attests:

And it was almost the sixth hour; and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And Jesus crying with a loud voice, said: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. And saying this, he gave up the ghost. (Lk 23:44-46):

Its inclusion in Compline then, presumably reflects the idea that night is the type of death,and so Our Lord's last words before death are appropriate for us too.

The Benedictine hour

So why didn't St Benedict include it in his version of Compline?

My own theory is that although the Benedictine version of Compline certainly reflects the idea of preparing for sleep as a preparation for death, St Benedict puts much more emphasis on the Resurrection than the crucifixion; much more emphasis on extending our lives so we can increase in perfection rather than acceptance of what we are now.

St Benedict uses the psalms said on the cross in a context that emphasises their Resurrection dimension for example, and sets Psalm 75 at Lauds on Fridays, a psalm that certainly refers to the crucifixion ('the earth trembled'), also speaks of his return in power, majesty and judgment.

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem. Psalmus David, pro extasi	Unto the end, a psalm for David, in an ecstasy
1 In te, Dómine, sperávi non confúndar in ætérnum: * in justítia tua líbera me.	In you, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in your justice.
2  Inclína ad me aurem tuam, * accélera ut éruas me.	3 Bow down your ear to me: make haste to deliver me.
3  Esto mihi in Deum protectórem, et in domum refúgii: * ut salvum me fácias.	Be unto me a God, a protector, and a house of refuge, to save me.
4  Quóniam fortitúdo mea, et refúgium meum es tu: * et propter nomen tuum dedúces me, et enútries me.	4 For you are my strength and my refuge; and for your name's sake you will lead me, and nourish me.
5  Edúces me de láqueo hoc, quem abscondérunt mihi: * quóniam tu es protéctor meus.	5 You will bring me out of this snare, which they have hidden for me: for you are my protector.
6  In manus tuas comméndo spíritum meum: * redemísti me, Dómine, Deus veritátis.	6 Into your hands I commend my spirit: you have redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth.
7  Odísti observántes vanitátes, * supervácue.	7 You have hated them that regard vanities, to no purpose.
8  Ego autem in Dómino sperávi: * exsultábo, et lætábor in misericórdia tua.	But I have hoped in the Lord: I will be glad and rejoice in your mercy.
9  Quóniam respexísti humilitátem meam, * salvásti de necessitátibus ánimam meam.	For you have regarded my humility, you have saved my soul out of distresses.
10  Nec conclusísti me in mánibus inimíci: * statuísti in loco spatióso pedes meos.	9 And you have not shut me up in the hands of the enemy: you have set my feet in a spacious place.
11  Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam tríbulor: * conturbátus est in ira óculus meus, ánima mea, et venter meus:	10 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am afflicted: my eye is troubled with wrath, my soul, and my belly:
12  Quóniam defécit in dolóre vita mea: * et anni mei in gemítibus.	11 For my life is wasted with grief: and my years in sighs.
13  Infirmáta est in paupertáte virtus mea: * et ossa mea conturbáta sunt.	My strength is weakened through poverty and my bones are disturbed.
14  Super omnes inimícos meos factus sum oppróbrium et vicínis meis valde: * et timor notis meis.	12 I have become a reproach among all my enemies, and very much to my neighbours; and a fear to my acquaintance.
15  Qui vidébant me, foras fugérunt a me: * oblivióni datus sum, tamquam mórtuus a corde.	They that saw me without fled from me. 13 I am forgotten as one dead from the heart.
16  Factus sum tamquam vas pérditum: * quóniam audívi vituperatiónem multórum commorántium in circúitu.	I have become as a vessel that is destroyed. 14 For I have heard the blame of many that dwell round about.
17  In eo dum convenírent simul advérsum me, * accípere ánimam meam consiliáti sunt.	While they assembled together against me, they consulted to take away my life.
18  Ego autem in te sperávi, Dómine: *  dixi: Deus meus es tu : in mánibus tuis sortes meæ.	15 But I have put my trust in you, O Lord: I said: You are my God. 16 My lots are in your hands.
19  Eripe me de manu inimicórum meórum, * et a persequéntibus me.	Deliver me out of the hands of my enemies; and from them that persecute me.
20  Illústra fáciem tuam super servum tuum, salvum me fac in misericórdia tua: * Dómine, non confúndar, quóniam invocávi te.	17 Make your face to shine upon your servant; save me in your mercy. 18 Let me not be confounded, O Lord, for I have called upon you.
21  Erubéscant ímpii, et deducántur in inférnum: * muta fiant lábia dolósa.	Let the wicked be ashamed, and be brought down to hell.
22  Quæ loquúntur advérsus justum iniquitátem: * in supérbia, et in abusióne.	19 Let deceitful lips be made dumb. Which speak iniquity against the just, with pride and abuse.
23  Quam magna multitúdo dulcédinis tuæ, Dómine, * quam abscondísti timéntibus te.	20 O how great is the multitude of your sweetness, O Lord, which you have hidden for them that fear you!
24  Perfecísti eis, qui sperant in te, * in conspéctu filiórum hóminum.	Which you have wrought for them that hope in you, in the sight of the sons of men.
25  Abscóndes eos in abscóndito faciéi tuæ * a conturbatióne hóminum.	21 You shall hide them in the secret of your face, from the disturbance of men.
26  Próteges eos in tabernáculo tuo * a contradictióne linguárum.	You shall protect them in your tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues.
27  Benedíctus Dóminus: * quóniam mirificávit misericórdiam suam mihi in civitáte muníta.	22 Blessed be the Lord, for he has shown his wonderful mercy to me in a fortified city.
28  Ego autem dixi in excéssu mentis meæ: * Projéctus sum a fácie oculórum tuórum.	23 But I said in the excess of my mind: I am cast away from before your eyes.
29  Ideo exaudísti vocem oratiónis meæ, * dum clamárem ad te.	Therefore you have heard the voice of my prayer, when I cried to you.
30  Dilígite Dóminum omnes sancti ejus: * quóniam veritátem requíret Dóminus, et retríbuet abundánter faciéntibus supérbiam.	24 O love the Lord, all you his saints: for the Lord will require truth, and will repay them abundantly that act proudly.
31  Viríliter ágite, et confortétur cor vestrum, * omnes, qui sperátis in Dómino.	25 Do manfully, and let your heart be strengthened, all you that hope in the Lord.

And for the next post in this series, continue on here.