Psalm 30 3

Psalm 30:3 kjv

O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Psalm 30:3 nkjv

O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Psalm 30:3 niv

You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.

Psalm 30:3 esv

O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Psalm 30:3 nlt

You brought me up from the grave, O LORD.
You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

Psalm 30 verses

Psalm 30 3 Meaning

Psalm 30:3 declares a profound act of divine deliverance. It speaks of the LORD God actively rescuing the psalmist from a state of near-death, figuratively represented as Sheol and the Pit. The psalmist asserts that the LORD brought his entire being back from the brink of the grave, restoring his life when he was among those destined for death. This verse underscores God's sovereignty over life and death, portraying Him as the powerful Giver and Sustainer of life who intervenes directly to preserve His servant.

Psalm 30 3 Context

Psalm 30 is a psalm of thanksgiving, specifically celebrating deliverance from grave illness or a life-threatening crisis that brought the psalmist to the very brink of death. While tradition links it to the dedication of David's house, whether a physical dwelling or a dynastic establishment, the core theme is a personal experience of God's saving power. The preceding verses (30:1-2) set the stage for praise and declare that God drew him up from death and healed him. Verse 3 directly reinforces the dire situation he was in and the miraculous nature of his rescue. The cultural context views Sheol as the gloomy abode of all the dead, a place of shadows and silence, disconnected from the living world and, importantly, from God's active presence. Being delivered from Sheol or the pit means a reversal of one's destiny towards death, a divine act of resurrection in the experiential sense. It is a powerful affirmation against the notion that once someone descends into the realm of death, there is no return.

Psalm 30 3 Word analysis

• O LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): This is the Tetragrammaton, the personal covenant name of God. It signifies God's active presence, faithfulness, and self-existence. The use of this name here emphasizes that it is the specific, mighty God of Israel who acts in saving power, not a generic deity.
• You brought up (הֶעֱלִיתָ, he'elita, Hiphil perfect of עָלָה, alah): This verb means "to cause to go up," "to bring up," "to raise." The Hiphil stem indicates that the LORD is the active agent in bringing about this ascent. It denotes a deliberate, powerful lifting out of a lower state to a higher one.
• My soul (נַפְשִׁי, nafshiy): Nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ) in Hebrew does not merely mean an immaterial part of a person (like "soul" in modern philosophy), but rather the whole person, their very life, their being, breath, or vitality. So, "You brought up my soul" means "You brought my whole being/life up."
• From Sheol (מִשְּׁאוֹל, mishe'ol): Sheol (שְׁאוֹל) is the common Old Testament term for the abode of the dead, the grave, or the underworld. It is a place of gloom, silence, and inactivity. For the psalmist, to be brought up from Sheol means to be rescued from an imminent or actual encounter with death, a dramatic reversal of fate. It is not necessarily speaking of a theological resurrection in the New Testament sense but a return to life from a life-threatening situation.
• You restored me to life / You kept me alive (חִיִּיתַנִי, ḥiyitaniy, Piel perfect of חָיָה, ḥayah): The verb ḥayah (חָיָה) means "to live," "to revive," "to keep alive," "to restore to life." The Piel stem here emphasizes the active, intensive work of God in vivifying or preserving life. It highlights that God infused life back into the psalmist, or prevented him from succumbing to death.
• From among those who go down (מִיּוֹרְדֵי, miyyordey): This is a participle meaning "those who descend" or "those who go down." It refers to those who are dying or already in the process of entering the realm of the dead. The psalmist identifies with this group from which he was saved, emphasizing his closeness to death.
• To the pit (בּוֹר, bor): Bor (בּוֹר) refers to a cistern, well, dungeon, or pit. It often serves as a metaphor for the grave or a place of imminent death, parallel to Sheol. Ancient cisterns could be traps for those who fell in, leading to death, making it a vivid image of a perilous situation.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "O LORD, You brought my soul up from Sheol": This phrase directly attributes the rescue to Yahweh. "Brought up" signifies an active, vertical movement out of the deep, dark realm of death. "My soul" emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the deliverance – the entire person's life was preserved. This statement serves as a polemic against any pagan notion that death or the underworld has ultimate power beyond the reach of the true God. It asserts God's ultimate dominion over the very realm of death.
• "You restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit": This second phrase strongly parallels and intensifies the first. "Restored me to life" reiterates the giving of life back, leaving no doubt about the life-giving nature of God's act. The phrase "from among those who go down to the pit" vividly places the psalmist within the company of the dying, making his deliverance all the more remarkable. The "pit" is a strong imagery for the grave or dungeon of despair, further highlighting the hopelessness of his former state. Together, these phrases depict God as the supreme power over the grave, capable of reversing what appears to be an irreversible fate.

Psalm 30 3 Bonus section

The concept of Sheol in the Old Testament, as presented in this verse, is distinct from the New Testament understanding of "Hell" (Gehenna) as a place of eternal punishment for the wicked, or even "Hades" (the Greek equivalent to Sheol in some contexts, but also developing beyond it in later Judaism). For the psalmist, Sheol was simply the destination of all the dead—good or evil—a place of reduced consciousness or shadowy existence, cut off from active life and from the vibrant community of God's people on earth. Thus, being "brought up from Sheol" signifies a powerful demonstration of God's ultimate life-giving power and His ability to defy what was perceived as an inevitable fate for all humanity at the time. This prophetic act foreshadows the complete triumph over death through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, where Sheol's gates (as in Mt 16:18) cannot prevail.

Psalm 30 3 Commentary

Psalm 30:3 powerfully proclaims the LORD's sovereign dominion over life and death. The psalmist, on the verge of succumbing to death, described as the "depths of Sheol" and "the pit," experienced a direct intervention of God. This was not a passive observation of healing, but an active, decisive pulling up from destruction and a re-infusion of life. The language highlights the imminence of the danger and the completeness of the rescue. It is a testament to God's unparalleled power to redeem, revive, and restore, showcasing His mercy and ability to deliver from the seemingly inescapable grip of death. This deliverance applies not only to physical sickness or peril but resonates with humanity's deeper need for spiritual resurrection, later fulfilled supremely in Christ who conquers Sheol/Hades. It evokes praise and worship for the One who holds the keys to life itself.