Tehillim 131 | “Like a Soothes Child Against His Mother”

This psalm opens with a declaration: “Lord – my heart is not proud, my eyes not raised too high.” (v.1) This line seems to offer a simple self-description about the poet, who has lived all his life modestly and now invites the listeners of the psalm to learn from his example. But in his analysis of the psalm, the poet Aryeh L. Strauss emphasizes that in poetry, word choice is never accidental: If the poet feels the need to proclaim that his heart is not proud, this implies that is heart isn't proud in the conclusion, but throughout his life, we can assume he wrestled with temptation toward arrogance. The psalm, then, is not the quiet reflection of someone who has always lived peacefully in humility, but the inner voice of someone who has struggled with emotional turmoil for many years.

The poet’s goal is to "quiet" his soul, to calm himself, surrender to God, and accept whatever God chooses to give him. This is the meaning behind the oath: “But I have made my soul calm and quiet,” (v.2) and the image that follows: “Like soothed child against his mother; like a soothed child is my soul within me.” (v.2) Just as a young child rests on its mother in total dependence, no longer nursing, but still fully trusting that she will provide food for him, so too does the poet place his soul in God’s hands, in complete trust and surrender. This is the spiritual state he seeks: closeness to God, confidence in Him, and acceptance of reality. And with that comes inner peace and stability.

The psalm ends with a closing call that echoes the conclusion of the previous psalm: “Israel, put your hope in the Lord, now and for evermore.” (v.3) The audience in the closing shifts from the audience throughout the psalm. This is a call to the readers of the psalm to learn from it and take its message to heart — whether in times of distress, feelings of guilt, or the process of repentance, as in Psalm 130, or in times of inner struggle and the search for calm, there is one answer – Hope in the Lord. God is the solution, He will redeem, He will forgive, and He will grant us strength and peace, now and forever.