Psalm 31

Psalm 31
"In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust"
German words from Psalms 31:15 ("My times are in thy hand") on a sundial on the tower of the Marienkirche in St. Johann
Other name
  • Psalm 30 (Vulgate)
  • "In te Domine speravi"
Related"In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr"
LanguageHebrew (original)
Psalm 31
BookBook of Psalms
Hebrew Bible partKetuvim
Order in the Hebrew part1
CategorySifrei Emet
Christian Bible partOld Testament
Order in the Christian part19

Psalm 31 is the 31st psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust". In Latin, it is known as "In te Domine speravi". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible, and in its Latin translation, the Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 30. The first verse in the Hebrew text indicates that it was composed by David.

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. Metrical hymns in English and German were derived from the psalm, such as "In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr" and "Blest be the name of Jacob's God". The psalm has often been set to music, both completely and using specific sections such as "Illumina faciem tuam" (Make thy face to shine). Vocal settings were written by Johann Crüger, Heinrich Schütz, Joseph Haydn, and Felix Mendelssohn, among others.

"Into thine hand I commit my spirit" were the last words of many Christian figures, including Jesus, Saint Bernard, Jerome of Prague, and Martin Luther. "My times are in Thy hand" also became a frequently quoted phrase. Psalm 31:24 be strong and take heart all you who hope in the Lord.

"In te Domine speravi", the Psalm's first line in Latin, is also the final line of the ancient Te Deum hymn. Rendered in English frequently as, "O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded," the Te Deum in both the Latin and English texts have been set numerous times to music, notably by Hector Berlioz in Latin and John Rutter in English.