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Holy Week · Palm Sunday (Sunday of the Passion) · Year C

Psalm 31:9-16

Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit

April 9, 2028

The Man of Sorrows, Sandro Botticelli
The Man of Sorrows, Sandro Botticelli, c. 1500Private collection
Christ looks straight out, crowned with thorns, his bound hands crossed on his breast, inside a ring of small angels carrying the instruments of the Passion.But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand.Sandro BotticelliThe Florentine master of the Birth of Venus, whose late work turned to grave and searching devotional images.Private collectionA private collection; the panel was sold at auction in New York in 2022.Private collection
LSB Three-Year Lectionary
GospelLuke 22:1-23:56Lk 22:1-23:56Alt. GospelLuke 23:1-56Lk 23:1-56Alt. GospelJohn 12:20-43Jn 12:20-43
EpistlePhil. 2:5-11Phil 2:5-11
Old TestamentDeut. 32:36-39Dt 32:36-39
PsalterPs. 118:19-29Ps 118:19-29Alt. PsalmPs. 31:9-16Ps 31:9-16

Overview & Insights

“Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” (Psalm 31:5)

Psalm 31 is an individual lament.[1] The lament proper is found in 31:10–13, where the psalmist complains about his crisis, which, judging from the anatomical language of 31:9–10, was an illness, interpreted by his enemies as God’s ill favor. In view of the declaration of trust in the Lord (31:6, 14), the attestation of his deliverance (31:7–8, 21–22), and the affirmation of God’s goodness as the basis of his trust (31:19), it could be considered an individual psalm of trust.[2] Yet, it is not unusual that trust is an integral part of lament. The unity of the psalm has been disputed because of the repetitious nature of the content and the awkward transition between 31:18 and 19.

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Take it further: Psalm 31:9-16

Commentary

Commentary on Psalm 31:9-16Commentary on Ps 31:9-16 Working Preacher (Luther Seminary)

RCL commentary on the psalm's pairing of trust and distress, fitted to Passion Sunday.

Psalm 31 Commentary: Shelter from TroublePs 31 Commentary: Shelter from Trouble Enduring Word

David Guzik's verse-by-verse commentary on the whole psalm, including verses 9-16.

Background & Word Study

Psalms 31Ps 31 Sefaria

Hebrew text of the psalm alongside classical Jewish commentaries for word-level study.

The Church Fathers

Exposition on Psalm 31 (Augustine)Exposition on Ps 31 (Augustine) New Advent

Augustine's patristic exposition reads the psalm as the voice of Christ the Mediator, apt for Passion Sunday.

Podcast

Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday), March 29, 2026 Sermon Brainwave (Working Preacher)

Luther Seminary faculty discuss the day's texts, including Psalm 31:9-16, in podcast form.

Art & Music

Art in the Christian Tradition Vanderbilt

A curated image index for this reading across the history of Christian art.

Questions preachers ask

How is Psalm 31 a Passion psalm?

The psalmist, scorned by enemies and poured out like water, entrusts himself entirely to God with the very words Jesus speaks from the cross.

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