Out of the depths I cry to Thee

“Out of the Depths I Cry to Thee” is Martin Luther’s powerful metrical paraphrase of Psalm 130, one of the penitential psalms that gives voice to the believer’s cry for mercy from the depths of sin, sorrow, and spiritual distress. Written during the early years of the Reformation, this hymn reflects Luther’s deep pastoral concern for troubled consciences and his firm confidence in the gospel of grace. Drawing directly from the language and theology of Psalm 130, Luther presents a prayer that is both intensely personal and richly doctrinal.

The hymn begins with a desperate appeal to God, acknowledging the depth of human need and the inability of sinners to stand before a holy God on their own merits. Luther does not soften the reality of guilt, but instead confronts it honestly, confessing that if God were to mark iniquities, no one could stand. This realism about sin is matched by an equally strong emphasis on divine mercy. The psalm’s declaration that forgiveness is found with God becomes the central hope of the hymn, leading not to fear, but to reverent trust.

A key theme throughout the hymn is waiting upon the Lord. Luther expands the psalmist’s imagery of watchmen waiting for the morning, portraying faith as patient reliance on God’s sure word rather than on human effort or emotional assurance. This waiting is not passive resignation, but active trust grounded in God’s promises. The hymn points believers away from works, satisfactions, or human righteousness, and directs them wholly to God’s redeeming grace.

The closing stanzas widen the focus from the individual soul to the whole people of God, calling Israel, and by extension the Church, to hope in the Lord. God’s redemption is portrayed as abundant and complete, capable of delivering His people from all their iniquities. In this way, the hymn moves from personal lament to communal assurance.

“Out of the Depths I Cry to Thee” stands as one of the earliest and finest examples of Reformation congregational song. It unites confession, faith, and hope in Christ, teaching believers to bring their deepest fears before God while resting confidently in His forgiving mercy.