“Out of the depths” begins most English translations of Psalm 130. I prefer the Latin, De profundis, as the sound of those Latin words communicates the despair, the profundity of the situation that the psalmist invites us to inhabit. With the psalmist we find ourselves in a dark place from which we cannot escape. Maybe we have tried to climb out by ourselves and failed; maybe we have called out to people passing by, but still we sit in darkness. We’ve lost all hope. And in the midst of this despair and darkness we turn to God, pleading that God might hear us despite our unworthiness. And just like the first sliver of light pierces the night sky as morning dawns, so does hope glimmer through our despair. Our God is a forgiving God, a redeeming God, a God of love. This is the testimony of all believers. This is the story of grace.
When I read this psalm, my mind’s ear adds a deep cello-like drone at the beginning to underscore the depths. In a worship setting, such music can help emphasize both the depths in which the psalm begins and the progression throughout the psalm. To integrate chords with the psalm text consider using the chord progression i-VI-III-VII which fits the four sections of the psalm quite well. If you play that progression in A minor, you can easily transition into Eelco Vos’s arrangement of Karl Digerness’s “Out of the Depths I Cry to You” from Psalms for All Seasons (see links following the Psalm). You could also play the progression in E minor and transition to the text and tune by Martin Luther AUS TIEFER NOT, “Out of the Depths I Cry to You”, or another version of Psalm 130 written in a minor or modal key.
While a group of strings would be ideal, the chords could also be played softly on the organ or a keyboard. If using a piano you will lose the drone effect, but you could improvise an arpeggiated pattern based on each chord.
Make sure to practice with the reader who should pause between each section for the chord change.
Psalm 130 with “Out of the Depths” by Karl Digerness
Am chord/i
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!
F chord/VI
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.
C chord/III
I wait for the Lord; my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
G chord/VII
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
—Psalm 130 NRSVUE
If using the arrangement by Elco Vos found in Psalms for All Seasons 130D, transition by playing the first four measures as an introduction.
Pdf lead sheets, guitar charts, Sibelius music scores, jpegs for bulletins and lyric text files are available for purchase through City Hymns. The lead sheet most easily accessible is in G. In which case, play the progression in Em, ending the last section with a sustained D chord. From there go to a C2 chord, then follow the G-D-C2 introduction on the lead sheet.
