Psalm 30 11

Psalm 30:11 kjv

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

Psalm 30:11 nkjv

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

Psalm 30:11 niv

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

Psalm 30:11 esv

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

Psalm 30:11 nlt

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

Psalm 30 verses

Psalm 30 11 Meaning

Psalm 30:11 describes a profound transformation brought about by divine intervention. It highlights God's power to shift human circumstances from deep sorrow and humiliation to exuberant celebration and joy. The verse illustrates a personal deliverance where the Lord supernaturally replaces states of despair and lament with a restored spirit of rejoicing, symbolized by the exchange of sackcloth for garments of gladness and the turning of mourning into dancing.

Psalm 30 11 Context

Psalm 30 is a psalm of thanksgiving (Hebrew: Mizmor Shir Chanukat HaBayit l'David, "A Psalm, a Song for the Dedication of the Temple, of David"). Though it references the dedication of the temple, scholarly insights often link it to David's personal experience of recovery from a severe illness or a near-death situation, rather than solely the literal temple dedication. The psalm vividly portrays David's profound distress (imploring God from the brink of Sheol, Ps 30:3), his desperate prayer, and God's powerful deliverance. The shift from lament to exuberant praise is central, reflecting David's conviction that God heard his cry and intervened miraculously. The preceding verses (9-10) directly mention his appeal for mercy, asking what profit there would be in his death, which sets up verse 11 as the direct answer and outcome of that divine mercy. This psalm captures a core biblical truth: God brings triumph out of tragedy and life out of the shadow of death.

Psalm 30 11 Word analysis

• You have turned: The Hebrew verb for "turned" is hapak (הָפַךְ). It signifies a complete reversal or overturning, implying a radical, deliberate, and definitive change wrought by God's action. It's not a gradual shift but a powerful transformation. This word is also used in judgment (like Sodom's overturning), showing its power in reversal, here for good.

• for me: This emphasizes the personal and intimate nature of God's intervention. David testifies to a direct, individual experience of divine favor and action in his life.

• my mourning: The Hebrew is evel (אֵבֶל), denoting sorrow, lament, grief, or mourning, often expressed outwardly. It speaks to a deep, visceral sadness, a condition of profound personal affliction.

• into dancing: The Hebrew is machol (מָחוֹל), which refers to dancing, often in the context of joyous celebration or worship. This isn't merely a mood change but an active, physical expression of profound joy, characteristic of Israelite festivities and worship. It signifies freedom, lightheartedness, and exuberance.

• you have loosed: The Hebrew is pātach (פָּתַח), meaning to open, loosen, or release. It implies unbinding, freeing from constraint, or removing an encumbrance. This highlights the act of removal of something burdensome.

• my sackcloth: The Hebrew is saq (שַׂק), a coarse, scratchy fabric worn during times of mourning, repentance, deep distress, or supplication. It was a tangible sign of humiliation, grief, and often associated with humility before God. Its removal signifies the end of this period.

• and clothed me: The Hebrew is chagartani (חָגַרְתָּנִי), derived from chagar (חָגַר), which means to gird, tie on, or bind about. Unlike a simple 'clothing,' 'girding' implies preparing oneself for activity or signifying strength. When someone is "girded with joy," it implies that joy has become an intrinsic part of their being, empowering them and enabling action, a stark contrast to the restrictive and humbling nature of sackcloth.

• with joy: The Hebrew is simchah (שִׂמְחָה), which signifies gladness, rejoicing, mirth, or joy. It's a comprehensive term for positive emotional states, indicating a restored spirit and an inner lightness. This joy is not fleeting but given by God as a new garment.

Words-group analysis

• "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing": This phrase depicts a complete and radical reversal. The Lord not only alleviates sorrow but actively transforms it into its opposite—vibrant celebration. This shows God's sovereignty over circumstances and His power to bring about radical change, turning deep grief into unhindered elation. It moves beyond passive relief to active, expressed joy.

• "you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy": This imagery provides a vivid contrast between the outward expression of lament (sackcloth) and the inner condition of spiritual well-being (joy). It speaks of God's act of disrobing affliction and vesting the individual with an inner state of gladness. "Loosing" suggests removing a burden or a symbol of disgrace, while "clothed me with joy" implies being enveloped and defined by this new state. It is a divine wardrobe change from desolation to delight.

Psalm 30 11 Bonus section

• Active Divine Action: The verbs "turned," "loosed," and "clothed" are all active and indicative of God's direct, purposeful intervention. This is not merely an emotional shift by the psalmist but a divine work performed on or for him.
• Prophetic Fulfillment: This verse and its themes find prophetic echoes in passages like Isaiah 61:3 and Jeremiah 31:13, where God promises to exchange mourning for gladness and garments of praise. These promises speak not only to individual deliverance but also to corporate restoration for Israel.
• Holistic Transformation: The transformation encompasses the emotional (mourning to joy), the physical/behavioral (sackcloth to dancing), and the spiritual. God renews the whole person.
• From Grief to Grace: The contrast highlights the extreme nature of God's rescue—taking one from the very lowest point of human sorrow to the highest expressions of delight, a demonstration of God's abundant grace and mercy.

Psalm 30 11 Commentary

Psalm 30:11 stands as a powerful testament to God's transformative grace. It distills the psalm's message of turning lament into praise, death into life. This verse illustrates the divine power to reverse dire circumstances, exchanging states of deep despair, humiliation, and mourning—symbolized by sackcloth—for states of uninhibited celebration and inner gladness—represented by dancing and new spiritual clothing of joy. This isn't merely an external change, but a profound shift from a sorrow-bound existence to one infused with God-given gladness. The transition from restricting sackcloth to a girded-on joy also implies a readiness for renewed living and praising God, preparing the soul not just to receive joy, but to actively participate in it and serve with it.