Psalm 130:3 kjv
If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
Psalm 130:3 nkjv
If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
Psalm 130:3 niv
If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
Psalm 130:3 esv
If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
Psalm 130:3 nlt
LORD, if you kept a record of our sins,
who, O Lord, could ever survive?
Psalm 130 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 143:2 | "Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you." | Directly echoes the inability to stand judgment. |
| Rom 3:23 | "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." | Universal human sinfulness, none can stand alone. |
| Eccl 7:20 | "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins." | Affirms the pervasiveness of sin. |
| 1 Ki 8:46 | "...for there is no one who does not sin..." | General human condition of sinfulness. |
| Job 9:2 | "Truly I know it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God?" | Similar rhetorical question about justification. |
| Psa 14:3 | "They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one." | Reinforces total depravity and inability. |
| Prov 20:9 | "Who can say, 'I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin'?" | Impossible to achieve self-purity or justification. |
| Psa 103:10 | "He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities." | God's merciful choice not to mark sins. |
| Psa 32:1-2 | "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." | The blessing that follows divine not-marking. |
| Psa 51:1-2 | "Have mercy on me, O God... Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!" | A prayer rooted in understanding Ps 130:3. |
| Isa 43:25 | "I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins." | God's initiative in active forgetting of sin. |
| Mic 7:18-19 | "Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity... He delights in steadfast love." | Highlights God's unique nature as a pardoner. |
| Jer 31:34 | "for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." | Promise of ultimate and lasting forgiveness. |
| Heb 8:12 | "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." | New Covenant fulfillment of Jer 31:34. |
| Heb 10:17 | "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." | Echoes forgiveness through Christ's sacrifice. |
| Acts 13:38-39 | "let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you..." | Forgiveness made possible in the New Testament. |
| Eph 1:7 | "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses..." | The basis for forgiveness in Christ's atonement. |
| Col 1:14 | "in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." | Confirms redemption leads to forgiveness. |
| Rom 5:1 | "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God..." | How we 'stand' before God: by faith, not works. |
| Gal 2:16 | "a person is not justified by works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ." | Reiterates standing is by grace, not human effort. |
| Hab 1:13 | "You are of purer eyes than to see evil..." | Emphasizes God's pure and just nature against sin. |
| Psa 5:4 | "For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you." | God's absolute incompatibility with sin. |
Psalm 130 verses
Psalm 130 3 Meaning
Psalm 130:3 presents a rhetorical question expressing profound human dependence on divine mercy for salvation. It posits a hypothetical scenario where if the Lord were to meticulously scrutinize and hold account for every human wrongdoing, no individual could ever achieve or maintain a blameless standing before His holy presence. This verse highlights the universal reality of sin and the inherent inability of humanity to justify itself, thus setting the stage for the desperate need for God's forgiveness revealed in the subsequent verses. It is a powerful acknowledgment of divine justice tempered by an implied plea for divine grace.
Psalm 130 3 Context
Psalm 130 is one of the seven Penitential Psalms and also one of the fifteen Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134). Penitential Psalms express deep repentance and confession of sin, alongside a plea for divine mercy and forgiveness. As a Song of Ascents, it was likely sung by pilgrims on their way up to Jerusalem for the great festivals, often involving self-examination and preparation to enter God's presence. Coming "out of the depths" (Psalm 130:1), the psalmist voices a profound sense of human frailty and sinfulness before turning to God as the sole source of hope for redemption. Verse 3 directly follows the psalmist's cry from a place of desperation, emphasizing that their desperate situation is due to the inherent sinfulness of humanity when confronted by a perfectly holy God. It lays the groundwork for the promise of forgiveness and redemption that follows in verse 4.
Psalm 130 3 Word analysis
If (אִם - im): A conditional particle, introducing a hypothetical premise. It sets up a scenario to explore a logical consequence, implying that this is not necessarily God's primary mode of operation in grace, but rather what would justly occur if He were to apply His full scrutiny.
Thou, LORD (יהוה - YHWH): The covenantal name of God, often translated "LORD" (with small caps). It emphasizes God's self-existence, eternal nature, and faithfulness to His promises. The psalmist addresses God as the ultimate sovereign, highlighting His perfect knowledge and holiness.
shouldest mark (תִשְׁמָר - tishmor): From the Hebrew verb שָׁמַר (shamar), meaning to watch, guard, keep, observe closely, preserve. Here, it implies not merely casual notice but a meticulous, precise, and unforgotten record-keeping of every transgression. The connotation is one of storing up charges for accountability or judgment.
iniquities (עֲוֹנוֹת - avonot): The plural of עָוֹן (avon), which denotes twistedness, perversity, guilt, or the punishment for guilt. It's more than just a simple error or mistake; it implies deliberate moral failing, a bending away from God's standard, and carries the inherent consequence of that sin.
O Lord (אֲדֹנָי - Adonai): A different Hebrew title for God, typically translated "Lord" (regular case). It means "my Master" or "my Sovereign." The shift from YHWH to Adonai here adds another layer of reverence and humility. By addressing God as "Adonai" in the face of His overwhelming holiness and justice, the psalmist emphasizes personal submission and total dependence.
who (מִי - mi): An interrogative pronoun, leading into a rhetorical question.
shall stand (יַעֲמֹד - ya'amod): From the Hebrew verb עָמַד (amad), meaning to stand, take one's stand, endure, remain firm. In legal or judicial contexts, "to stand" means to be acquitted, justified, or able to endure scrutiny and judgment without condemnation.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities": This phrase paints a picture of God's perfect justice and meticulous knowledge. It sets up the divine standard against which humanity would inevitably fail. The idea of "marking" suggests a comprehensive and infallible record of every sinful act and attitude, without omission or oversight.
- "O Lord, who shall stand?": This rhetorical question, directed to God as ultimate Master (Adonai), highlights humanity's complete inability to pass divine judgment on its own merit. It implies a resounding "no one" can endure such scrutiny. It powerfully expresses the universal condition of sin and the impossibility of self-justification, leading directly to the need for a divine solution—forgiveness.
Psalm 130 3 Bonus section
The profound realization presented in Psalm 130:3 serves as the bedrock for the Christian understanding of justification by faith alone. The New Testament profoundly elaborates on the solution to this human dilemma, emphasizing that while indeed no one can stand justified by works or the Law, God has provided a means through the atoning sacrifice of Christ (Rom 3:20-24). His righteousness is imputed to believers, allowing them to "stand" before God, not based on their own flawed record, but on Christ's perfection. This transforms the dire question "who shall stand?" into a joyous proclamation that those in Christ "shall stand" righteous before God by grace through faith. It also reflects a fundamental contrast with any human-devised religious systems that emphasize works or rituals as sufficient means to gain God's approval.
Psalm 130 3 Commentary
Psalm 130:3 is a pivotal declaration that undergirds the entire doctrine of salvation by grace. The psalmist understands the immutable truth that God's holiness is absolute and His knowledge is exhaustive. If God were to meticulously account for every "twistedness" (avon), every willful deviation from His standard, then every human being would inevitably be found wanting. "Who shall stand?" is not a query inviting an answer but a desperate assertion that self-justification before a perfect Judge is utterly impossible for sinful humanity. It drives home the core theological reality that our only hope is not in our own performance or supposed goodness, but solely in God's willingness not to mark our iniquities, which is another way of expressing His act of forgiveness (as the subsequent verses explain). Without God's active decision to not remember sins, all humanity would face condemnation, highlighting the foundational need for divine mercy and atonement for salvation. This verse dismantles any prideful reliance on personal righteousness.