Psalms 131

A short psalm of humble, childlike trust in God.

Psalms 131 - A Heart Not Haughty

Psalm 131 is one of the shortest psalms, a personal confession that begins, "Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty." Its quiet, three-verse simplicity offers a deliberate contrast to the anguished cry that opens Psalms 130.


<A Song of the going up. Of David.> Lord, there is no pride in my heart and my eyes are not lifted up; and I have not taken part in great undertakings, or in things over-hard for me.

See, I have made my soul calm and quiet, like a child on its mother's breast; my soul is like a child on its mother's breast.

O Israel, have hope in the Lord, from this time and for ever.

The psalmist likens his settled spirit to "a child that is weaned of his mother," a picture of contented trust rather than striving for great matters, echoed in the humility urged by <a href="/bible/bbe/romans/chapter-12/16">Romans 12:16</a>. See the full collection on the <a href="/bible/bbe/psalms">Psalms overview</a> or continue to <a href="/bible/bbe/psalms/chapter-132">Psalms 132</a>.