Psalm 131 is only three verses long, and one of the most tender prayers in the Bible: “Lord, my heart is not exalted: nor are my eyes lofty… As a child that is weaned is towards his mother.” It is a psalm of humility and quiet trust, the prayer of someone who has stopped striving and rests in God. In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 130. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 131 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
Lord, my heart is not exalted: nor are my eyes lofty. Neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me.
If I was not humbly minded, but exalted my soul: As a child that is weaned is towards his mother, so reward in my soul.
Let Israel hope in the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever.
Psalm 131 or Psalm 130?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 130 is Psalm 131 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Domine, non est exaltatum cor meum. See how many psalms are there?
Spiritual childhood
Jesus taught the same lesson:
And said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven.
A weaned child no longer clings to its mother only for food; it rests with her simply because it loves her and feels safe. The psalm invites us to the same kind of prayer: to stop demanding, calculating and worrying, and simply to be with God, trusting his love.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux built her whole “little way” on this kind of trust. She called herself a little child in the arms of God, and taught that holiness is not a matter of great deeds but of a humble, childlike heart that knows its weakness and trusts boldly in the Father’s goodness. See the St. Thérèse prayer.
What the psalm means
- No pride: “my heart is not exalted: nor are my eyes lofty.”
- Not grasping at what is too great: “Neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me.”
- Calm and quiet: the soul at peace like a child resting with its mother.
- Hope for all: “Let Israel hope in the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever.”
How the Church uses Psalm 131
- At Mass on the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A): “In you, Lord, I have found my peace.”
- In the Liturgy of the Hours, at Evening Prayer.
- For anxious hearts, as a prayer of rest. See psalms for anxiety.
A prayer with Psalm 131
Written for this page:
Lord, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes raised too high.
I do not reach for things too great for me.
I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a little child resting in its mother’s arms.
Let me hope in you, now and for ever. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
What is Psalm 131 about?
Humility and childlike trust in God, pictured as a weaned child resting peacefully with its mother.
How does Psalm 131 relate to St. Thérèse?
Her “little way” of spiritual childhood, trusting God like a small child, expresses the spirit of this psalm.
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 130 (131); Matthew 18:3–4, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.