‘My soul waits on the Lord’
From the Matthew Henry Commentary: (emph. mine)
The psalmist engages himself to trust in God and to
wait for him, v. 5, 6. Observe,
1. His dependence upon God...
2. The ground of that dependence: “In his word do I
hope.” We must hope for that only which he has
promised in his word, and not for the creatures of
our own fancy and imagination; we must hope for
it because he has promised it, and not from any
opinion of our own merit.
3. The degree of that dependence—"more than
those that watch for the morning”, who are,
(1.) Well-assured that the morning will come;
and so am I that God will return in mercy to me,
according to his promise; for God’s covenant is
more firm than the ordinances of day and night,
for they shall come to an end, but that is
everlasting.
(2.) Very desirous that it would come.
Sentinels that keep guard upon the walls, those
that watch with sick people, and travellers that
are abroad upon their journey - long before day
they wish to see the dawning of the day; but more
earnestly does this good man long for the tokens
of God’s favour and the visits of his grace…
Wait (H6960)
‫(קָ ו ָה‬qavah)
- A primitive root with connotations of ‘enduring’
and ‘strength’ with which to wait…also used in
the sense of ‘lying in wait – to ambush’
-also has the sense of entwining oneself about
an object: to fix all your attention on it
Synonyms: attend to, lie in
wait, consider, look for, hope
for, gather or be gathered
Psalm 37:9 - For
those who are evil will be destroyed, but those
who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
Psalm119:95 - The wicked wait for me to destroy
me, but I will consider Your testimonies. (NKJV)
Isa 40:31 - But those who wait on the LORD
shall renew their strength; they shall mount up
with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be
weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Jer 3:17 - "At that time they will call Jerusalem
'The throne of the LORD,' and all the nations will
be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of
the LORD; nor will they walk anymore after the
stubbornness of their evil heart.
Word Study
Psalm 130:6
“I wait for the Lord more than
watchmen wait for the morning..”
It is useful to think of waiting not as
‘waiting silently’ for which there is a
Different Hebrew word, but rather, as a
waiter in a restaurant – one who “attends’
to and serves in the presence of another.
This helps us to ‘wait’ on the Lord in a
dynamic way that includes petitions,
adoration, worship and meditation on
scriptures or attributes of God.
watchmen (H8104)
‫(ׁשָ מַ ר‬shamar)
-one who keeps or observes; one who takes charge of
** Both translations use a text that says
“Adonai, Yahweh”. Both use words
- From a root meaning to possess, to be master
customary to their time and culture to
of. This is a less ‘transcendent’ title for God than say, “Yahweh” or “Elohim”. designate ‘mastery’ or ‘ownership’.
Gen 2:15 - Then the LORD God took Synonyms: guard, have
the man and put him in the garden of charge of, to keep or
preserve, to observe
Eden to tend and keep it.
intently, shepherd
Psalm 91:11 - For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
to guard* you in all your ways. (NASB) *lit: ‘keep a watch over you’
Gen 15:8 – But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it? (NIV) **
Gen 15:8 - And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? (KJV)**
Mal 3:7 - Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned
away from my decrees and have not kept them.
Job 28:28 - And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.”
Sngs 3:3 - The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in
the city. “Have you seen the one my heart loves?”
Dan 9:4 - I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps
his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments we have sinned and done wrong. We
have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.
Isa 62:6 - I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they
will never be silent day or night…
Lord (H136) ‫( אֲ דֹנָי‬adonai)
Synonyms: sovereign,
mighty one, master,