"I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope."
— Psalm 130:5 (NIV)
Psalm 130:5 is the "I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits" verse, from the psalm that begins "Out of the depths." This page gives the verse, where it sits in Psalm 130, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about waiting, Bible verses about hope, and Bible verses about patience.
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The verse
The King James reads: "I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope."
"Wait" is qavah (H6960), to wait with expectation, to look eagerly for. "Whole being" (KJV "soul") is nephesh (H5315), the whole living self. "Word" is dabar (H1697), and "hope" is yachal (H3176), to wait in hope.
Where it sits in Psalm 130
Psalm 130 is titled "A song of ascents," one of the psalms pilgrims sang on the way up to Jerusalem. It opens, "Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord" (Psalm 130:1).
Verse 3 asks, "If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?" Verse 4 answers, "But with you there is forgiveness." Verses 5-6 are the waiting: "I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." Verses 7-8 turn to the whole people: "Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption."
What the verse is saying
The psalmist is in the depths, and he knows his own sin. What he holds onto is God's forgiveness and God's word. So he waits.
The waiting is not passive. It is "my whole being," the way a night watchman keeps looking east for the first light. He is sure the morning will come, and his hope rests on what God has said, not on how things feel in the dark.
Questions people ask
What does Psalm 130:5 say?
In the NIV it says, "I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope." The KJV says, "I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope."
What does Psalm 130:5 mean?
It describes waiting on God with the whole self, trusting his word. In context, the psalmist waits for God's forgiveness and redemption the way a watchman waits for morning.
What does Psalm 130:6 say?
"I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." It repeats the line to show how long and how eagerly he waits.
What is a song of ascents?
Psalms 120-134 are titled "songs of ascents." Many readers understand them as songs sung by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem for the feasts.
What other verses are like Psalm 130:5?
Psalm 27:14 (wait for the Lord; be strong), Isaiah 40:31 (those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength), and Lamentations 3:24 (the Lord is my portion; I will wait for him) are close companions.
