Psalm 30

“You have turned my mourning into dancing… O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.” (Psalm 30:11–12)

Like other psalms that straddle two or more genres, Psalm 30 is sometimes classified as an individual psalm of thanksgiving, or, as Kraus advocates, a prayer song of the sick (30:1–3, 8–9).[1] The more traditional form-critical classification is an individual psalm of lament (it contains complaints against God [30:5a, 7] and against enemies [30:1c]),[2] which also borders on an individual psalm of trust, since the element of trust is so pervasive.[3] The psalmist laments the divine anger he has experienced (30:5, 7), perhaps looking back over a lifetime, and celebrates God’s deliverance (30:11–12).[4] Craigie proposes a cultic setting for the psalm, taking the form of a ceremony of thanksgiving, apparently held in the temple.[5] While the contents of the psalm do not mention sacrifice and the payment of vows, the reference to “saints” (30:4; NIV: “you his faithful people”) suggests a tabernacle/temple setting where the congregation part…

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