Psalm 131:3 kjv
Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.
Psalm 131:3 nkjv
O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.
Psalm 131:3 niv
Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.
Psalm 131:3 esv
O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.
Psalm 131:3 nlt
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD ?
now and always.
Psalm 131 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
| Ps 42:5 | Why are you cast down, O my soul… hope in God… | Call to hope in God amid despair. |
| Ps 62:5 | For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. | Soul waiting in quiet hope from God. |
| Ps 130:7 | O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. | Direct call to Israel to hope in the Lord. |
| Lam 3:24 | "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." | Hope derived from God being one's portion. |
| Isa 26:3-4 | You keep him in perfect peace… Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock. | Perpetual trust in God, the everlasting Rock. |
| Jer 17:7 | "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord." | Blessing upon those whose trust is in God. |
| Prov 3:5-6 | Trust in the Lord with all your heart… in all your ways acknowledge him… | Trusting God fully, acknowledging Him in all life. |
| Heb 6:19 | We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters what is behind the curtain… | Hope as an anchor for the soul in God's presence. |
| Rom 5:5 | And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts… | God's love ensures hope will not disappoint. |
| Rom 8:24-25 | For in this hope we were saved… But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. | Salvation involves patient waiting in hope. |
| 1 Pet 1:13 | Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you… | Setting full hope on future grace. |
| Titus 2:13 | waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ… | Hope in the glorious return of Christ. |
| 1 Tim 6:17 | Put their hope not in the uncertainty of riches but in God… | Admonition against earthly hope, for hope in God. |
| Ps 71:5 | For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. | Lord as personal hope from early life. |
| Isa 45:17 | But Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you will not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity. | Israel's salvation is everlasting; they will not be shamed. |
| Ps 146:5 | Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God… | Blessing for those whose hope is in the Lord their God. |
| Matt 28:20 | I am with you always, to the end of the age. | The enduring presence of Christ, comforting hope. |
| Heb 13:8 | Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. | God's immutability ensures steadfast hope. |
| Ps 73:28 | But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. | God as refuge, the source of security and hope. |
| Ps 33:18-22 | Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love… Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, as we hope in you. | God's watchfulness and steadfast love for those who hope in Him. |
| Rom 15:13 | May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. | The God of hope empowering believers through the Holy Spirit. |
Psalm 131 verses
Psalm 131 3 Meaning
Psalm 131:3 is an exhortation, urging the covenant community of Israel to place its enduring and confident expectation in the Lord. It signifies a collective call for the people to fully commit their future and well-being to God, mirroring the deep, tranquil trust exemplified by the psalmist in the preceding verses. It is an affirmation of hope that is steadfast and perpetual, emphasizing reliance on God alone at all times.
Psalm 131 3 Context
Psalm 131 is one of the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134), traditionally sung by pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem for the great festivals. This psalm, specifically, is a short and powerful expression of profound humility and trust in God. In verses 1 and 2, the psalmist, David, describes his personal experience of quiet confidence, likening himself to a weaned child at peace in its mother's arms. He rejects ambition and proud thoughts, embracing a contented and tranquil soul. Verse 3 serves as a transition, broadening this personal peace into a communal imperative. It extends David's deep, childlike trust as a model for all of Israel, urging them to adopt this posture of quiet, dependent hope in the Lord not just momentarily, but perpetually. Historically, the people of Israel faced various challenges, both internal and external, requiring an unwavering dependence on God rather than relying on their own strength, alliances, or idols. This verse reinforces Yahweh as the sole, enduring object of their collective faith.
Psalm 131 3 Word analysis
- Let Israel: This is a shift from the individual "I" in verses 1-2 to the collective "Israel," God's chosen covenant people. It transforms a personal testimony into a corporate exhortation, demonstrating that individual faith leads to communal well-being and responsibility. The spiritual principles David practiced are applicable and essential for the entire nation.
- hope: From the Hebrew verb `yāḥal` (יָחַל), meaning to wait, hope, tarry, or be patient. It denotes more than mere wishful thinking; it implies a confident expectation, a persistent and patient looking forward with certainty. It carries the nuance of steadfast waiting and trusting in someone's active provision and timing. This is an active and dynamic trust, not a passive resignation.
- in the Lord: "The Lord" translates the divine name `Yahweh` (יהוה), God's covenant name, revealing His personal and eternal relationship with His people. Hope is not placed in general providence or abstract forces but in the personal, living God who has revealed Himself through covenants and acts of salvation. It grounds hope in His unchanging character, faithfulness, and power.
- from this time forth: This phrase emphasizes an immediate call to action—beginning now. It means that the instruction is applicable in the present moment, whatever circumstances Israel might be facing.
- and forevermore: From the Hebrew `ʽŌlām` (עוֹלָם), signifying eternity, perpetuity, or unending duration. This extends the exhortation beyond the immediate future, pointing to a perpetual and enduring commitment. It means that the hope in the Lord is not for a temporary crisis but is the fundamental posture for all generations, throughout all history, into eternity.
- "Let Israel hope in the Lord": This phrase unites the covenant people with the object of their faith, forming a communal bond built on trust in God. It highlights that the identity and flourishing of Israel are directly linked to their collective reliance on Yahweh.
- "from this time forth and forevermore": This specific phrase underscores the timeless and unchanging nature of the call to trust in God. It conveys enduring commitment, indicating that dependence on the Lord is not situational but a permanent disposition, relevant for every era and every circumstance. It speaks to God's eternal faithfulness and humanity's perennial need for Him.
Psalm 131 3 Bonus section
This verse reflects a vital transition from the individual's spiritual experience (David's personal peace) to a communal application. It implies that true corporate strength and peace within Israel derived not from military might or economic prosperity, but from a shared, continuous posture of dependent hope in God. This perpetual hope acts as a stabilizing anchor for the entire community, binding generations in common trust and anticipation of God's faithful acts. The specific use of "Israel" here is significant, as it transforms a personal Psalm of Ascent into a pilgrim hymn that could be sung by all those ascending to the temple, embodying their shared spiritual journey and their collective hope in the Lord's presence and provision in Zion and beyond.
Psalm 131 3 Commentary
Psalm 131:3 concludes a profound, brief psalm with a collective imperative that flows naturally from David's personal declaration of quiet trust. Having established his own soul's contentment, free from pride and restless ambition, David extends this foundational truth to all of Israel. The verse calls the covenant people to actively and perpetually place their confident expectation in Yahweh, their covenant-keeping God. It’s an instruction for continuous, unwavering reliance, commencing in the present moment ("from this time forth") and extending infinitely into the future ("and forevermore"). This hope is not passive; it is a resolute turning to God, acknowledging His supreme authority and unfailing faithfulness as the sole basis for peace and security. It implicitly contrasts reliance on human effort, national power, or transient circumstances with the eternal, reliable nature of God. The psalmist effectively says, "What I, the king, have found in humble trust in God is precisely what you, the people, must also find, and you must do so perpetually." This truth provides comfort, stability, and purpose for the believing community through all generations.