Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 130:6

My soul [waiteth] for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: [I say, more than] they that watch for the morning.

6. My soul (looketh) for the Lord,

More than watchmen (look) for the morning,

(Yea, more than) watchmen for the morning (R.V.).

More anxiously than the watchman longs for the dawn which is to release him from his duty does the devout Israelite long for the end of the night of trouble and the dawn of a happier day. The repetition of watchmen for the morning gives a touch of pathetic earnestness. Most commentators suppose that military sentinels are meant by watchmen; but the Targum renders, “My soul waits for Jehovah, more than the keepers of the morning-watch which they keep in order to offer the morning sacrifice,” understanding the allusion to be to the custom that one of the Levites who kept the night watch in the Temple was appointed to watch for the moment of the dawn, at which the daily sacrifice was to be offered. This explanation adds point to the comparison, for the Levites were watching with eager expectation for a dawn which would bring not merely release from toil but positive blessing, in the renewed assurance of God’s covenant mercy.

The P.B.V. before the morning watch, I say, before the morning watch, is derived from Mnster’s ante custodes matutinos, ante custodes, inquam, matutinos. Coverdale’s original rendering, fr the one morn-ynge to the other, was taken from the Zrich Version, “von einer morgenwacht zur anderen.”

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning – More intently; more anxiously. The Septuagint and Latin Vulgate render this, My soul hopeth in the Lord from the morning watch until night. The idea is that of watchers – night guards – who look anxiously for the break of day that they may be relieved. It is not that of persons who simply look for the return of day, but of those who are on guard – or it may be who watch beside the sick or the dying – and who look out on the east to mark the first indications of returning light. To them the night seems long; they are weary, and want repose; all around is cheerless, gloomy, and still; and they long for the first signs that light will again visit the world. Thus in affliction – the long, dark, dreary, gloomy night of sorrow – the sufferer looks for the first indication, the first faint ray of comfort to the soul. Thus under deep conviction for sin, and deep apprehension of the wrath of God – that night, dark, dreary, gloomy, often long – the soul looks for some ray of comfort, some intimation that God will be merciful, and will speak peace and pardon.

I say, more than they that watch for the morning – Margin, which watch unto the morning. The translation in the text best expresses the sense. There is something exceedingly beautiful and touching in this language of repetition, though it is much enfeebled by the words which our translators have inserted, I say, more than. The Hebrew is, more than they that watch for the morning – watch for the morning, as if the mind dwelt upon the words as better expressing its own anxious state than any other words could do. Everyone who has been afflicted will feel the force of this; every one who has been under conviction of sin, and who has felt himself in danger of suffering the wrath of God, will remember how anxiously he longed for mercy, for light, for peace, for some indication, even the most faint, like the first ray which breaks in the east, that his soul would find mercy and peace.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Psa 130:6

More than they that watch for the morning.

The Christian watchman

I. This world is a night, The morning presupposes the night, and this world most properly is compared to a long winters night which is very uncomfortable. The night also is cold, wanting the sun which warmeth the earth; so is the world a shadow of death, a dark dungeon.

II. Christians are watchmen. Every particular Christian ought to be a watchman; for he hath enemies both spiritual and corporal, continually assaulting him, to destroy both his soul and his body, for which cause our Saviour often exhorted his hearers to watch and pray, and by nature we fall asleep, as the apostles did in the garden, and Jonas in the ship. Therefore it is good we should be careful to watch over our ways. The watch looks to the enemy without, but we have more need to watch over our domestic and inward enemies, lest they surprise us, even our lusts and concupiscences, our pride, our avarice, our malice, all which are like to overthrow our soul. Let us, therefore, watch, lest we be surprised.

III. Comfort and light must come from above. The watchman waiteth for the day, and he is very glad when he seeth it break, for then he knoweth the sun is rising upon the earth, which will enlighten all the world. No comfort is to be found on earth for a Christian soul in this dark night; we must look to the day dawning, when Christ in that day of His glorious appearing shall come to deliver His Church from all miseries: which all Christians should earnestly attend, and fervently pray with the spouse, Come, Lord Jesus. The watchman looketh about to see the sun spread out his beams; he knoweth that light doth not come from below. We should turn our eyes from the world, because here is no comfort, and look unto Christ Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father, from whom only we may expect a comfortable deliverance out of all our miseries.

IV. The light cometh in the morning. Before break of day is greatest darkness, and then the sun ariseth, and by his beams expelleth the same; the light cometh not till the morning. The apostles rowed all night, till they were become weary, and out of all hope, and then Christ came in the fourth watch and relieved them, being then in a most desperate ease. So the Lord, although he tarrieth to let us see our own weakness, yet no doubt He will come: He dealt thus with Jacob, he wrestled all night with him till the break of day, and then blessed him; David, after he was long pursued and persecuted by Saul, yet at last got rest and ease. The Jews were nearly destroyed by their enemies, but God raised up saviours to defend them. Despair not, then, and disquiet not yourselves; be not discouraged, howsoever ye see the Church, which is, as the disciples boat, tossed to and fro by the waves of persecuting tyrants. Look to heaven, for the day of her deliverance is at hand; yea, that everlasting deliverance, When the Sun of Righteousness shall arise and shine on her for ever. (A. Symson.)

The hope of the good in sorrow

I. The object of his hope in his sorrows I wait for the Lord. This implies two things–

1. A belief that the Lord would appear for him. He seemed as if He was hidden from him now. The clouds of his sorrow concealed Him, as the mists of the earth conceal the sun, but he knew that He would come, and he waited.

2. A belief that at His appearance he should have relief. He would not wait if he felt there would come no deliverance, still less if he felt that his sorrows would be aggravated by the event. God will come to deliver His people out of their sorrows. I know that my Redeemer liveth, etc.

II. The ground of his hope in his sorrow. In His Word do I hope.

1. His Word promises deliverance to the good in sorrow.

2. His Word is infallibly true. What He has promised must be fulfilled.

III. The earnestness of his hope in his sorrow. My soul waiteth for the Lord more, etc. This implies–

1. The intensity of his distress. His soul is in the midnight of sadness, and he looks with stronger solicitude for relief than they that watch for the morning. In a suffering world there are thousands every night who watch earnestly for the morning. The man tossed on the bed of agony watches for the morning; the prisoner in his cell watches for the morning; the mariner in the storm watches for the morning; the general who has to decide on the coming day the destiny of his campaign, watches for the morning. None, however, watch more anxiously for the morning than the soul in anguish watches for its God.

2. The certainty of his deliverance. The night always appears long to the sufferer; still the morning comes at last. The sun comes mounting the steeps of heaven, chasing the darkness away, brightening the landscape, and pouring gladness into the world. Even so deliverance will come to the good. (Homilist.)

Approach of dawn

Day will soon break to those who long for it in the gloom or shadows of night. Gods world never stands still. From the creation, when the evening and the morning were the first day, light has followed darkness, and dawn has come from dusk. This is a thought for every weary soul to whom it seems as if daylight would never come. If there is no dawn here, there is dawn not far ahead, and we shall see it before long.

Out of the darkness of night

The world rolls into light;

It is daybreak everywhere.

(Great Thoughts.)

Watching for the morning

In the year 1830, on the night preceding the 1st of August, the day the slaves in our West Indian colonies were to come into possession of the freedom promised them, many of them, we are told, never went to bed at all. Thousands and tens of thousands of them assembled in their places of worship, engaging in devotional duties, and singing praises to God, waiting for the first streak of the light of the morning of that day on which they were to be made free. Some of their number were sent to the hills, from which they might obtain the first view of the coming day, and by a signal intimate to their brethren down in the valley the dawn of the day that was to make them men, and no longer, as they had hitherto been, mere goods and chattels–men with souls that God had created to live for ever. How eagerly must these men have watched for the morning. (F. W. Aveling.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 6. More than they that watch for the morning.] I believe the original should be read differently from what it is here. The Chaldee has, “More than they who observe the morning watches, that they may offer the morning oblation.” This gives a good sense, and is, perhaps, the true meaning. Most of the Versions have “From the morning to the night watches.” Or the passage may be rendered, “My soul waiteth for the Lord from the morning watches to the morning watches.” That is, “I wait both day and night.”

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Whether soldiers that keep the night watches in an army or city, or the priests or Levites who did so in the temple; who being wearied with hard service and want of convenient rest, diligently look for and fervently desire the morning, when they may be discharged. Compare Psa 119:148.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

My soul [waiteth] for the Lord,…. This is repeated for the confirmation of it, and to show the vehement and constant disposition of his mind towards the Lord; as well as for the sake of what follows:

more than they that watch for the morning: [I say, more than] they that watch for the morning; or, “more than the morning watchers, that watch for or until the morning” h; than watchmen of cities, or the keepers of the wails, as Aben Ezra; those who are upon the last morning watch, and are looking out for the morning light; that they may go off from duty, and lie down and sleep: or than those that sit up with sick persons; who, being solitary and melancholy, as well as want sleep, long for the morning, that they may have some refreshment: or rather than the priests and Levites that watched in the temple, that waited for the morning, that they might be relieved by others; or else than those of that function, who were very diligent to observe the break of day, that they might enter upon their morning sacrifices; of which are many instances in the Misnah i. So the Targum,

“more than they that observe the morning watches, which they observe to offer up the morning sacrifice:”

and Kimchi’s paraphrase is,

“who rise in the morning watches to pray.”

The coming of Christ is said to be as the morning; and the light of God’s countenance is comparable to the morning light; the discoveries of pardoning grace are through the bright shining of the sun of righteousness, and is the healing that is in his wings; and salvation and deliverance from any distress Is light that breaks forth as the morning: all and each of these are more desirable, and more to be waited for, than the natural light of the morning; see 2Sa 23:4 Ho 6:3.

h So Junius & Tremellius, Musculus, Cocceius. i See Misn. Yoma, c. 3. s. 1. & Tamid, c. 3. s. 2.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

6. My soul hath waited for the Lord before the watchers of the morning. In this verse he expresses both the ardor and the perseverance of his desire. In saying that he anticipated the watchmen, he shows by this similitude with what diligence and alacrity he breathed after God. And the repetition is a proof of his perseverance; for there is no doubt that thereby he intended to express an uninterrnitted continuance of the same course, and consequently perseverance. Both these qualities in his exercise, are worthy of attention; for it is too manifest how slow and cold we are in elevating our minds to God, and also how easily we are shaken and even fall at every little blast of wind. Farther, as the watches of the night were in ancient times usually divided into four parts, this passage may be explained as implying that as the watchmen of the night, who keep watch by turns, are careful in looking when the morning will dawn, so the Prophet looked to God with the greatest attention of mind. But the more natural sense seems to be, that as in the morning the warders of the gates are more wakeful than all other people, and are the earliest in rising, that they may appear at the posts assigned them, so the mind of the Prophet hastened with all speed to seek God. The repetition, as I have already observed, shows that he stood keeping his gaze perseveringly fixed upon its object. We must always beware of allowing our fervor to languish through the weariness of delay, should the Lord for any length of time keep us in suspense. (122)

(122) Some, as Street, Mant, Dr. Adam Clarke, French and Skinner, and Phillips, suppose that the allusion in this verse is to the watchings which the Priests and Levites in their turns exercised during the night in the Temple, (see Psa 34:1,) and especially to those officers of theirs who were appointed to watch for the first dawn of day, in order that the morning sacrifice might be offered. “In the Talmudical Tract Tamid it is related, ‘The prefect said to them, Go and see if the time of slaying; have arrived; if it had arrived, the watcher calls out, ברקאי, Coruscations.’ Agreeably to this explanation of the verse is the rendering of the Chaldee, which is as follows: “My soul waits for the Lord, more than the keepers of the morning vigils, which they observe for offering of the morning oblation.” ­ Phillips. “The custom alluded to by the Targumist,” [or Chaldee,] says Street, “is mentioned in Exo 30:7. ‘And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps he shall burn incense upon it.’” “The similitude,” observes Mant, “ is beautifully expressive of the eager impatience of the Psalmist; which is still further augmented by the repetition.”

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(6) Watch for the morning.Comp. Psa. 123:2 for another figure of the same earnest upward gaze. In the watcher for the dawn there may be an allusion to the Levite-sentinel whose duty it was to signal the first ray of dawn, and the moment for commencing the sacred rites of the Temple (Psa. 134:1), but the figure if general, as marking the impatience of a deeply agitated soula sufferer waiting for relief, a contrite sinner for forgivenessis as striking as graceful. (See Deu. 28:67.)

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

6. More than they that watch for the morning It is not the common watch, that is here alluded to, but the Levitical watch in the temple, which were sent to discover and announce the first streaks of day, in order that the priests might know when to order the morning sacrifice. “Agreeably to this explanation is the Chaldee: ‘My soul waits for the Lord, more than the keepers of the morning vigils, which they observe for the offering of the morning oblation.’” Phillips.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments