John Calvin Commentary Psalms 130:5

"I wait for Jehovah, my soul doth wait, And in his word do I hope." — Psalms 130:5 (ASV)

I have waited for Jehovah. After testifying in general that God is ready to show mercy to poor sinners who turn to Him, the Psalmist concludes that he is consequently encouraged to have good hope. The past tense in the verbs wait and trust is used for the present: I have waited means I wait, and I have hoped means I hope. The repetition in the first part of the verse is emphatic, and the word soul adds further emphasis, implying that the Prophet trusted in God with the deepest affections of his heart.

From this we also gather that he was not only patient and steadfast before men, but that even in his innermost heart he had maintained quietness and patience before God, which is a clear proof of faith. Many, no doubt, are restrained by vainglory from openly murmuring against God or betraying their distrust, but there is hardly one in ten who, when removed from the sight of others, waits for God in his own heart with a quiet mind.

The Psalmist adds, in the concluding clause, that what supported his patience was the confidence he placed in the divine promises. If these promises were taken away, the grace of God would necessarily disappear from our sight, and our hearts would then fail and be overwhelmed with despair.

Furthermore, he teaches us that being content with the word of God alone is genuine proof of our hope. When a person, embracing the word, becomes assured that God will care for their welfare, this assurance will be the source of waiting or patience. Although the Prophet here speaks to himself to confirm his faith, there is no doubt that he suggests to all God’s children similar grounds for confidence for themselves. First, he presents the word to them so that they may depend entirely upon it; and next, he warns them that faith is vain and ineffectual unless it leads us to patience.