Psalms in Our Time

Psalm 130: Out of the depths I cry to Thee

Martin Luther's first metrical psalm version, unsurpassed in German psalmody, remains a classic example of literal versification.

1Out of the depths I cry to Thee,
Lord, hear me, I implore Thee!
2Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,
Let my prayer come before Thee!
3If Thou rememb'rest each misdeed,
If each should have its rightful meed,
Who may abide Thy presence?

4Our pardon is Thy gift, Thy love
And grace alone avail us;
Rom. 4; Ps. 32Our works could ne'er our guilt remove,
The strictest life must fail us,
That none may boast himself of aught,
But own in fear Thy grace hath wrought
What in him seemeth righteous.

5And thus my hope is in the Lord,
Php. 3:9And not in mine own merit;
I rest upon His faithful word
Ps. 51:17To them of contrite spirit;
That He is merciful and just--
Here is my comfort and my trust,
His help I wait with patience.

6And though it tarry till the night,
And round till morning waken,
My heart shall ne'er mistrust His might,
Nor count itself forsaken.
7Do thus, O ye of Israel's seed,
Jn. 3:5-8Ye of the Spirit born indeed,
Wait for our God's appearing.

Rom. 5:20Though great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth;
His helping love no limit knows,
Our utmost need it soundeth;
Jn. 10, etc.Our kind and faithful Shepherd, He
8Who shall at last set Israel free
From all their sin and sorrow.

Text: Martin Luther: "Aus Tiefer Noth", 1524

Meter: 8,7,8,7,8,8,7
Rhyme scheme: ababccd

Psalm 130 has long been designated a "penitential" psalm. It may have been written for an occasion of physical distress, but the psalmist quickly looked beyond, to the spiritual and moral issues that would separate him from all God's good gifts, both physical and spiritual.

This is an expanded version of the psalm; with unmistakeable allusions to two other penitential psalms (32 and 51). The references to the New Testament serve two purposes: making the application Christian rather than Israelite, and explicitly denying the concept of penitential works1.

The commerce in "indulgences" had first alerted Martin Luther (1483-1546) to the need for reform, and so this psalms' rejection of atonement through human works naturally commended it to him. He called it a "Pauline psalm" and took special pains translating it, later publishing a revised and expanded version.2 It is included in nearly every German hymnal, and has been translated into English numerous times. He is said to have sung it often, saying "come, let us drive the devil away." It was also was used at his funeral, and evidently fitted his criteria for appropriate funeral songs:

"comforting songs of the forgiveness of sins, of rest, sleep, life and resurrection of the departed believers, for the strengthening of our faith, and the stirring up of the people to a true devotion".

Translation: Catherine Winkworth, 1863

The mid-nineteenth century saw a growing interest in hymns within the Church of England (newly liberated from the laws prohibiting against hymn-singing). Hymnwriters and hymnal editors looked at various traditions for poetic (and sometimes musical) models, examples, and ideas. Hymns in many languages, including Aramaic, Greek, and Irish, were translated, but naturally the vast collections of Latin and German hymns attracted the most interest. This translation is by Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878), the most influential translator of German hymns. She published a translation in 1855; in 1863 she expanded and modified it to fit the meter of Luther's tune, as presented here.

"Aus Tiefer Noth": 1524, Martin Luther

Incipit: tmtdtlslt|tdrdlsfm; 73717 65677 121654
Melodic scheme: aab

Luther either wrote or arranged this tune for this text, with which it has been inextricably linked. The melody in the Phrygian mode, enhanced by haunting modal harmonies, admirably sets the mood for this struggle between distress and faith. If the harmonies are too complex, sing in unison: as most people would have done in Luther's day.

Some modern hymnal editors have substituted a tune in a more familiar mode; others have modified this tune to fit the ordinary minor key.3

Use:

At first glance, this psalm may appear too personal, or too emotional, for congregational use today. But is that really the problem? Or might we be unwilling to admit that the need for forgiveness is universal, even among Christians: and simply prefer to express other emotions? Every generation is tempted by the self-affirming, upbeat4 messages of the "Songs of the Pharisee":

"I'm saved! Look how different my life is now, I walk with Jesus and tell him jokes; how I love Jesus! watch us worship: see how well we do it;" in short, "Lord, we thank thee that we are not sinners or liars like these others."

A hymnal (or a church's repertoire of hymns) having no place for songs of repentance, or calling only for others to repent, is the devil's delight. And the devil still needs driving away.

Notes:

1Already Luther showed a keen sense of the distinction between the original meaning of the text, the analogous meaning under the New Covenant, and the probable (mis)understanding of the text in contemporary society. Ironically, the Biblical references Luther added to avoid medieval misunderstandings may make the hymn seem Calvinistic to us -- a misunderstanding which would have puzzled Luther.
2Martin Luther's Spiritual Songs (and hymnal prefaces), online at Project Wittenberg (www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-home.html).
3The only difference between the E Phrygian mode and E minor scales is that the latter uses F# ("ti" in the do-re-mi scale) rather than F; further, F appears only three times in the tune, and two of those are before a final cadence.
This kind of adjustment isn't unusual when a tune is transferred across cultural boundaries: Early Lutheran chorales and Calvinist psalm tunes have been stripped of their rhythmic variety and liveliness by later practice (which has been enshrined in the arrangements by Bach and other great musicians). Churches in Africa often sing English Victorian hymn tunes in unison, ignoring all accidentals, because tonal harmony and modulation aren't part of their musical idiom. Surely something of the original has been lost in the process, but the church is not an institute for musical research or a commission for musical purity: so we need only ask: "does the transformed result effectively convey the meaning of the words in our culture?"
If the Phrygian mode is too alien to be usable, the minor-key arrangement is worth considering.
4Or, perhaps, "proud and frentic."

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Copyright © 2002,2003,2004, Stephen Hutcheson
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These studies are created by members of the West Allen Church of Christ in Allen, Texas