Psalms 130:2

KJV

Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

KJV (with Strong's)

Lord {H136}, hear {H8085} my voice {H6963}: let thine ears {H241} be attentive {H7183} to the voice {H6963} of my supplications {H8469}.

Complete Jewish Bible

hear my cry, Adonai! Let your ears pay attention to the sound of my pleading.

Berean Standard Bible

O Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy.

American Standard Version

Lord, hear my voice: Let thine ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 130:2 is an impassioned and urgent cry from the depths of a distressed soul, pleading with God for immediate and focused attention. Following the initial declaration of crying out from profound difficulty, this verse articulates a fervent desire for the Divine to not merely perceive sound, but to truly listen, understand, and respond to the petitioner's earnest prayers. It encapsulates the universal human longing for God's personal engagement and compassionate intervention when burdened by life's challenges, sin, or despair.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalms 130:2 is an integral part of Psalm 130, one of the fifteen "Songs of Ascents" (Psalms 120-134). These psalms were likely sung by pilgrims as they ascended to Jerusalem for the annual feasts, signifying a journey of faith, often marked by anticipation, reflection, and penitence. This psalm, in particular, is classified as a penitential psalm, alongside others like [Psalms 51](/psalms/51 "Psalm 51 - A Prayer of Repentance"). The preceding verse, [Psalms 130:1](/psalms/130-1 "Psalms 130:1 - Crying from the Depths"), sets the desperate tone: "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord." This establishes the psalmist's profound distress—whether from sin, suffering, or both—and the immediate, desperate need for divine intervention. Verse 2 builds directly on this, transforming the generalized "cried" into a specific, fervent request for God's attentive ear, laying the groundwork for the psalm's subsequent movement from confession to hope in God's steadfast love and redemption.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The context of "Songs of Ascents" suggests a pilgrim setting, where individuals or groups would travel to Jerusalem, often facing physical hardships and spiritual introspection on their journey. The act of "crying out" was a common and culturally understood form of prayer in ancient Israel, signifying deep distress, helplessness, and an urgent appeal to a higher power. In a society where the king or a judge would "hear" a petition, implying active consideration and judgment, the plea for God to "hear" and "be attentive" carried profound weight. It wasn't just about God's omnipresence, but about His active engagement and willingness to intervene in human affairs. The concept of God having "ears" is an anthropomorphism that makes the divine accessible and relatable, emphasizing His personal interest in His people's plight, a core tenet of the covenant relationship.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully articulates several core themes central to the psalm and broader biblical theology. The primary theme is **Earnest Prayer**, highlighted by the repetition of "voice" and the progression from "hear" to "be attentive." This is not a casual request but a desperate, heartfelt, and persistent cry for help and mercy, reflecting the psalmist's profound need. Closely related is the theme of **God's Attentiveness and Responsiveness**, underscoring a fundamental belief in God's personal engagement with His people. The psalmist trusts that God is not distant but actively listens and is ready to respond to genuine cries. Finally, the use of "supplications" introduces the theme of **Humility and Dependence**. "Supplications" (Hebrew: *teḥinnōṯ*) implies humble requests for grace, mercy, or favor, often made from a position of acknowledged unworthiness or desperate need. This theme is echoed in passages like [Daniel 9:18](/daniel/9-18 "Daniel 9:18 - Daniel's Prayer of Supplication"), where prayer is offered "not for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies." It acknowledges God's sovereignty and the petitioner's complete reliance on His unmerited kindness and intervention.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Lord (Hebrew, _YHWH'_):** The use of "YHWH" (often rendered "LORD" in English Bibles) is highly significant. This is the sacred covenant name of God, revealed to Moses (cf. [Exodus 3:14-15](/exodus/3-14 "Exodus 3:14-15 - God Reveals His Name I AM")). It emphasizes God's personal, relational, and unchanging nature, particularly His faithfulness to His covenant promises. The psalmist is not crying out to a generic deity but to the specific, covenant-keeping God of Israel, who has revealed Himself as one who hears and responds to His people.
* **hear (Hebrew, _šāmaʿ'_):** The Hebrew verb *šāmaʿ* means more than just to perceive sound. It often carries the connotation of "to listen actively," "to understand," and even "to obey" or "to respond." When applied to God, it implies that He not only registers the sound of the prayer but also comprehends its depth, takes it to heart, and is disposed to act upon it. This is a prayer for God's active, compassionate engagement.
* **attentive (Hebrew, _qāšab'_):** The verb *qāšab* (from which *qešeb*, "attentiveness," is derived) signifies an even more intense and focused listening than *šāmaʿ*. It means "to pay close attention," "to incline the ear," or "to heed." The psalmist is not asking for a casual hearing but for God's full, undivided, and sympathetic attention, implying a readiness to discern and address the precise nature of the supplication.
* **supplications (Hebrew, _tᵉḥinnōṯ'_):** Derived from the root *ḥānan* (to be gracious, to show favor), *tᵉḥinnōṯ* refers to prayers for grace, mercy, or favor. It implies a plea made from a position of dependence, often acknowledging one's own unworthiness and appealing solely to God's undeserved kindness. It is distinct from a demand or a claim; it is a humble request for unmerited divine intervention and compassion.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Lord, hear my voice:"** This opening clause is a direct, urgent address to YHWH, the covenant God. The plea "hear my voice" uses the verb *šāmaʿ*, indicating a desire for God to not merely perceive the sound of the psalmist's cry but to actively listen, understand, and consider the prayer. It signifies a belief in God's accessibility and His willingness to engage personally with the petitioner.
* **"let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications."** This second clause intensifies the plea through synonymous parallelism. The phrase "let thine ears be attentive" employs the verb *qāšab*, emphasizing a deeper, more focused, and sympathetic listening. It's a request for God to truly incline His ear, to pay close attention to the specific content and emotional weight of the "voice of my supplications." The use of "supplications" (tᵉḥinnōṯ) underscores the humble, grace-dependent nature of the prayer, acknowledging the petitioner's need for unmerited favor rather than a claim based on merit.

#### Literary Devices
Psalms 130:2 employs several powerful **literary devices** to convey the intensity and sincerity of the psalmist's plea. **Repetition** is evident in the double use of "voice" (qōl), which underscores the singular focus of the prayer: the psalmist's earnest communication with God. This repetition heightens the sense of urgency and the desire for God's focused attention on the spoken word. The verse also features **Synonymous Parallelism**, where the second clause ("let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications") restates and intensifies the first clause ("Lord, hear my voice"). This technique deepens the meaning, moving from a general request to "hear" to a more specific and fervent plea for God's "attentive" and focused listening. Furthermore, the verse uses **Anthropomorphism**, attributing human characteristics to God by speaking of His "ears." This device makes the divine relatable and accessible, emphasizing God's personal involvement and His capacity to engage with human pleas in a way that humans can comprehend, even though God is spirit. The combined effect of these devices is to create a vivid and poignant portrayal of a soul desperately seeking and confidently expecting God's compassionate and active response.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 130:2 profoundly illustrates the biblical truth of God's accessibility and His compassionate nature. It affirms that despite human sinfulness and the depths of despair, the Creator of the universe is not distant or indifferent but is intimately involved in the lives of His people. The psalmist's confident plea for God's attentive ear speaks to a core theological conviction: that God truly hears and cares, and that prayer is not merely a psychological exercise but a real communion with a living, responsive God. This verse undergirds the doctrine of divine providence and God's personal relationship with humanity, emphasizing that our earnest cries for mercy and grace are never in vain. It invites believers to approach God with boldness and humility, trusting in His character as a God who delights in hearing the prayers of His children.
* [Jeremiah 29:12](/jeremiah/29-12 "Jeremiah 29:12 - God Promises to Hear Prayer")
* [Psalms 34:17](/psalms/34-17 "Psalms 34:17 - The Lord Hears the Righteous")
* [1 Peter 3:12](/1_peter/3-12 "1 Peter 3:12 - God's Ears are Open to the Righteous")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 130:2 offers profound encouragement and guidance for believers navigating their own "depths." It reminds us that no matter how deep our distress, how overwhelming our sin, or how desperate our circumstances, God is not only accessible but also deeply willing to listen. Our prayers should be earnest, heartfelt, and persistent, expressing our true needs and desires without reservation. This verse teaches us to approach God with a profound sense of humility, acknowledging our dependence on His grace, yet simultaneously with a confident expectation that He will incline His ear. It calls us to move beyond superficial requests to genuine "supplications"—pleas for mercy and favor that flow from a recognition of His sovereignty and our need. In a world often filled with noise and distraction, this psalm invites us to trust that the God of the universe truly hears our individual voices and is attentive to the deepest longings and needs expressed in our prayers, offering hope and the promise of divine response.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "depths" are you crying out from today, and how does this verse encourage you to voice your specific supplications to God?**
* **How does the psalmist's request for God's "attentive ears" shape your understanding of how God hears prayer?**
* **In what ways can you cultivate a more earnest and humble approach to prayer, moving beyond casual requests to genuine supplication?**
* **How does the knowledge of God's covenant name, YHWH, strengthen your confidence that He will hear and respond to your cries?**

### FAQ
**What is the significance of the repetition of "voice" in this verse?**

Answer: The repetition of "voice" (Hebrew: *qōl*) in "hear my voice" and "attentive to the voice of my supplications" serves to emphasize the psalmist's singular focus and the intensity of the plea. It highlights that the prayer is a direct, personal, and audible communication. It underscores the psalmist's desire for God to not just generally be aware of the situation, but to specifically engage with the words and the heart behind them. This repetition draws attention to the act of speaking and being heard, reinforcing the deep longing for a responsive and personal God, particularly when crying "out of the depths" as described in [Psalms 130:1](/psalms/130-1 "Psalms 130:1 - Crying from the Depths").

**Does "attentive" imply that God sometimes isn't listening?**

Answer: No, "attentive" does not imply that God is ever inattentive or that He needs to be roused to hear. Rather, it is an anthropomorphism—attributing human characteristics to God—used to describe the *quality* of God's listening from a human perspective. It expresses the psalmist's fervent desire for God's *active, compassionate, and responsive* engagement, not just a passive hearing. It's a plea for God to incline His ear, to fully comprehend the depth of the distress, and to be ready to act. This reflects the human experience of wanting to be truly heard and understood, and it projects that desire onto our relationship with God, who, in His perfect nature, always hears and understands perfectly (cf. [Psalms 94:9](/psalms/94-9 "Psalms 94:9 - He Who Formed the Ear")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 130:2 finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in Jesus Christ. He is both the perfect Supplicant and the ultimate Answer to all supplications. In His humanity, Jesus Himself cried out "with loud cries and tears" (cf. [Hebrews 5:7](/hebrews/5-7 "Hebrews 5:7 - Christ's Prayers and Obedience")) to the Father, most profoundly in Gethsemane (cf. [Matthew 26:39](/matthew/26-39 "Matthew 26:39 - Jesus Prays in Gethsemane")), embodying the very "voice of supplications" from the depths of human suffering and obedience. Yet, more significantly, Jesus is the one through whom our own prayers are heard and answered. As our High Priest, He ever lives to intercede for us (cf. [Hebrews 7:25](/hebrews/7-25 "Hebrews 7:25 - Christ's Eternal Priesthood")), ensuring that our "voice" reaches the Father's attentive ears. His atoning work on the cross removed the barrier of sin, granting us direct access to God's throne of grace (cf. [Hebrews 4:16](/hebrews/4-16 "Hebrews 4:16 - Approach the Throne of Grace")). Thus, the psalmist's plea for God's attentive ear is fully realized in Christ, who not only makes our prayers acceptable but also empowers us by His Spirit to pray according to God's will (cf. [Romans 8:26-27](/romans/8-26 "Romans 8:26-27 - The Spirit Helps in Prayer")), guaranteeing that the Father always hears the voice of those who come through His beloved Son.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

2 Chronicles 6:40

Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and [let] thine ears [be] attent unto the prayer [that is made] in this place.

Psalms 61:1

¶ To the chief Musician upon Neginah, [A Psalm] of David. Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

Psalms 61:2

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock [that] is higher than I.

Isaiah 37:17

Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.

Daniel 9:17

Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

Daniel 9:19

O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Nehemiah 1:11

O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.