Psalms 30:9

Psalms 30:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
• New International Version (NIV)“What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
• English Standard Version (ESV)"What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?
• New King James Version (NKJV)“What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?

Context of Psalms 30:9

7But Lord, it was you who made my kingdom strong, because you are so kind. But then you turned away from me, and I became very afraid. 8I called to you for help, Lord. I asked you to be kind to me, my Lord. If I go down into the deep hole of death, that will not help you! My dead body cannot praise you there! It cannot tell people to trust you! 10Lord, please listen to me! Please be kind to me! Lord, please be my helper! 11Now you have caused me to stop crying, so that I dance instead! I do not need to wear sackcloth, because I am no longer sad. Instead, you have made me very happy.

Psalms 30:9 word by word

מַה־בֶּ֥צַע בְּדָמִי֮ בְּרִדְתִּ֪י אֶ֫ל־שָׁ֥חַת הֲיוֹדְךָ֥ עָפָ֑ר הֲיַגִּ֥יד אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• What profitבֶּ֫צַעbetsa‛ · unjust-gainH1215
• in my bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• when I go downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• to the pitשַׁ֫חַתshachath · Pit: hellH7845
• Shall the dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
• praiseיָדָהyâdâh · to give thanksH3034
• thee? shall it declareנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• thy truthאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: faithfulH571

Cross-references for Psalms 30:9

• Psalms 6:5If I die, I will no longer remember you. Nobody can praise you in their grave!
• Psalms 88:10Your great miracles do not help dead people! Dead people cannot get up and praise you! Selah.
• Psalms 115:17Dead people cannot praise the Lord. In their graves, they are unable to speak.
• Psalms 118:17I will not die. Instead, I will live. I will tell everyone what the Lord has done.
• Ecclesiastes 9:10Use all your strength to do the work that you are doing. One day you will die and you will go into your grave. Then you will not have any work, or ideas, or knowledge or wisdom. So do your work well while you are alive.
• Isaiah 38:18Dead people in their graves cannot praise you. They cannot sing to thank you. People who go down into the deep hole of death cannot trust you to help them.

Commentaries on Psalms 30:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9What profit is there in my blood - My being cut off will not magnify thy mercy. Let not the sword, therefore, come against me. If spared and pardoned, I will declare thy truth; I will tell to all men what a merciful and gracious Lord I have found. Hear, therefore, O Lord; Psalm 30:10.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9What proof is there in my blood - That is, What profit or advantage would there be to thee if I should die? What would be “gained” by it? The argument which the psalmist urges is that he could better serve God by his life than by his death; that his death, by removing him from the earth, would prevent his rendering the service which he might by his life. The same argument is presented also in Psalm 6:5 (see the notes at that verse), and is found again in…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-12Verses 6-12 When things are well with us, we are very apt to think that they will always be so. When we see our mistake, it becomes us to think with shame upon our carnal security as our folly. If God hide his face, a good man is troubled, though no other calamity befal him. But if God, in wisdom and justice, turn from us, it will be the greatest folly if we turn from him. No; let us learn to pray in the dark. The sanctified spirit, which returns to God…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-12The psalmist faced death (also in Psalm 30:1–3), either literally or figuratively. When he turned to the Lord, the Lord rescued him and changed his mourning into joyful dancing. Only God's favor can permanently and powerfully overcome human failure and deep despair.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-118-11. As in Psa 6:5; 88:10; Is 38:18, the appeal for mercy is based on the destruction of his agency in praising God here, which death would produce. The terms expressing relief are poetical, and not to be pressed, though "dancing" is the translation of a word which means a lute, whose cheerful notes are contrasted with mourning, or (Am 5:16) wailing.Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 30:9

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Dead (People)
• Death
• Hades

In the dictionaries

• Hide
• Corruption
• Dust
• Eschatology of the Old Testament
• Pentateuch
• Psalms, Book of

Commentaries on Psalms 30

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings