Psalm 13

[ayin jade]

Psalms 13

The Psalmist, mourning God’s absence and the triumph of his enemies, prays for relief before he is totally destroyed, and is encouraged to hope his trust will not be in vain.

This psalm consists properly of three parts:

I. A complaint as of one who was forsaken by God; who was persecuted, and who saw no means of deliverance; who took counsel with his own heart how he might be delivered, but who found no way in which it could be done, Psa_13:1-2.

II. An earnest prayer to God that He would interpose; that He would attend to the cry of the sufferer; that He would enlighten his mind; that his enemy might not be allowed to prevail against him, and rejoice over his fall, Psa_13:2-3.

III. A cheerful confidence in God that he would grant this favor, and interpose in his behalf, Psa_13:5-6.

This is entitled, “A Psalm of David,” and there is no reason to suppose that he was not the author. Yet there are in it no indications of the time when it was written or of the circumstances under which it was posed. It would seem to have been time of persecution, and it would be most natural to refer its composition to the persecutions which David experienced from Saul. Most of the rabbinical writers understand it as referring to the whole Hebrew people, and as expressing their sentiments and feelings in times of persecution in general. The psalm, though undoubtedly composed with reference to the special circumstances and trials of the author, contains sentiments applicable at all times to believers, and may be regarded as exemplifying the way in which pious feeling expresses itself in times of persecution and trial. Individuals are at times in circumstances in which the language of this psalm exactly expresses the feelings of their hearts; and the psalm is of great value, therefore, in the church, as illustrating the fact that good people may sometimes feel desolate and forsaken, as if even God had left them; the fact that they will, in such circumstances, cry earnestly to God for his interposition; and the fact that they will have, and will manifest, as the result of such an appeal to God, a cheerful confidence in His protecting care.

[ayin jade]

Psa 13:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? – literally, “until when.” The psalmist breaks out into this cry “in the midst” of his troubles. He had apparently borne them as long as he could. It seemed as if they would never come to an end. We may presume that he had been patient and uncomplaining; that he had borne his trials long with the hope and belief that they would soon terminate; that he had waited patiently for deliverance, uttering no words of complaint; but now he begins to despair. He feels that his troubles will never end. He sees no prospect of deliverance; no signs or tokens that God would interpose; and he breaks out, therefore, in this language of complaint, as if he was utterly forsaken, and would be forever.

How long wilt thou forget me – The words translated here how long, to what length, to what time, are four times repeated in the two first verses, and point out at once great dejection and extreme earnestness of soul.

How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever - When God does not immediately deliver his people from their enemies, or help them out of an affliction; they are ready to conclude he has forgotten them; and sometimes this continues long, and then they fear they are forgotten for ever; and this they cannot bear, therefore they start questioning God in a querulous manner, as the psalmist does here. God does not forget his people; oblivion does not fall upon him with respect to common persons and things; and much less with respect to his own dear children.

Forever - He had been forgotten so long, and there appeared to be so little prospect of deliverance, that it seemed as if God never would return and visit him with mercy. The expression denotes a state of mind on the verge of despair.

Wilt thou hide thy face from me – friendship or favor is shown by turning the face benignantly toward one; by smiling upon him; in Scriptural language, by “lifting up the light of the countenance” upon one. Aversion, hatred, displeasure, are shown by turning away the countenance. God seemed to the psalmist thus to show marks of displeasure toward him, and he earnestly asks how long this was to continue.

 

[ayin jade]

Psa 13:2  How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? 

Take counsel in my soul - I am continually framing ways and means of deliverance; but they all come to naught, because thou comest not to my deliverance. When a soul feels the burden and guilt of sin, it tries innumerable schemes of self-recovery; but they are all useless. 

How long shall I take counsel in my soul – nothing is worse than for a man to take counsel of his own heart, or only to consult himself; for such counsel often casts a man down, and he is ashamed of it sooner or later: but this seems not to be the sense here; the phrase denotes the distressing circumstances and anxiety of mind the psalmist was in; he was at his wits' end, and cast about in his mind, and had various devises and counsels formed there; and yet knew not what way to take, what course to steer;

Having sorrow in my heart daily – Every day; constantly. That is, there was no intermission to his troubles. The sorrow in his heart seems to have been not merely that which was caused by troubles from without, but also that which sprang from the painful necessity of attempting to form plans for his own relief - plans which seemed to be in vain.

having sorrow in my heart daily – by reason of God's hiding his face from him; on account of sin that dwelt in him, or was committed by him; because of his distance from the house of God, and the worship and ordinances of it; and by reason of his many enemies that surrounded him on every side: this sorrow was an heart sorrow, and what continually attended him day by day.

how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me - Both physical and spiritual enemies.

 

[ayin jade]

Psa 13:3  Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Consider and hear me – literally, “Look, hear me.” God had seemed to avert his face as if he would not even look upon him Psa_13:1; and the psalmist now prays that he “would” look upon him - that he would regard his wants - that he would attend to his cry.

Consider and hear me – Rather, answer me. I have prayed; I am seeking thy face I am lost without thee; I am in darkness; my life draws nigh to destruction; if I die unforgiven, I die eternally. O Lord my God, consider this; hear and answer, for thy name’s sake.

Consider and hear me, O Lord my God – The psalmist amidst all his distresses rightly applies to God by prayer, claims his interest in him as his covenant God, which still continued notwithstanding all his darkness, desertions, and afflictions; and entreats him to "consider" his affliction and trouble, and deliver him out of it;

Lighten mine eyes – The allusion here is, probably, to his exhaustion, arising from trouble and despair, as if he were about to die. The sight grows dim as death approaches; and he seemed to feel that death was near. He says that unless God should interpose, the darkness would deepen, and he must die. The prayer, therefore, that God would “enlighten his eyes,” was a prayer that he would interpose and save him from that death which he felt was rapidly approaching.

Lest I sleep the sleep of death - literally, “Lest I sleep the death;” that is, “in” death, or, as in the common version, the sleep of death. The idea is, that death, whose approach was indicated by the dimness of vision, was fast stealing over him as a sleep, and that unless his clearness of vision were restored, it would soon end in the total darkness - the deep and profound sleep - of death. Death is often compared to sleep.

[ayin jade]

Psa 13:4  Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him – That is, to triumph over him as having obtained a complete victory.

Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him – Which is an argument God would take notice of; and for which reason he does not give up his people into the hands of their enemies; Deu_32:27.

And those that trouble me – Hebrew, “My adversaries.” The reference here is the same as in the former member of the verse. It is to the enemies that seemed almost to have triumphed over him already, and under whose power he was ready to sink. 

When I am moved – Moved from my steadfastness or firmness; when I am overcome. Hitherto he had been able to hold out against them; now he began to despair, and to fear that they would accomplish their object by overcoming and subduing him.

When I am moved – When moved from my steadfastness and overcome by sin.

when I am moved - meaning from his house and family, from his country and kingdom, from a prosperous state and condition to a distressed one; at which the troublers of David's peace would rejoice. They that trouble the saints are sin, Satan, and the world; and the two last rejoice when they are in an uncomfortable and afflicted condition;

[ayin jade]

Psa 13:5  But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

But I have trusted in thy mercy – In thy favor; thy friendship; thy promises. His original confidence had been in God only, and not in himself. That confidence he still maintained; and now, as the result of that, he begins to exult in the confidence that he would be safe.

But I have trusted in thy mercy – The faith, hope, and comfort of the psalmist grew and increased by prayer; from complaining he goes to praying, from praying to believing; he trusted not in himself, not in his own heart, nor in his own righteousness and merits, but in the mercy of God; 

But I have trusted in thy mercy – Trust is followed by rejoicing in the deliverance which God effects, and, instead of his enemy, the psalmist can lift the song of triumph.

My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation – The word “salvation” here does not refer to salvation in the future world, but to deliverance from his present troubles, or to God’s interposition in putting him into a condition of safety. The idea is, that he had entire confidence that God would interpose, and that there would yet be cause to rejoice in that salvation as actually accomplished. He now calls on his heart to rejoice in the assurance that it would be his.

my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation – which God is the contriver, author, and giver of, and in which the glory of his perfections is so greatly displayed: and a true believer rejoices more on account that God is glorified by it than because of his own interest in it; and this joy is an inward one, it is joy in the heart, and is real and unfeigned, and is what continues, and will be felt and expressed both here and hereafter.

[ayin jade]

Psa 13:6  I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. 

I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me – The word which is here rendered “dealt bountifully” means properly “to deal” with anyone; to “treat” anyone well or ill; and then, to requite, or recompense. When used absolutely, as it is here, it is commonly employed in a good sense, meaning to deal favorably, or kindly, toward anyone; to treat anyone with favor. It means here that God had shown him kindness or favor, and had thus laid the foundation for gratitude and praise. The psalm closes, therefore, with expressions of joy, thankfulness, triumph. Though it begins with depression and sadness, it ends with joy. This is often observable in the Psalms.

I will sing unto the Lord – That heart is turned to God’s praise which has a clear sense of God’s favor.

I will sing unto the Lord – In prayer faith is encouraged, through believing the heart is filled with joy; and this joy is expressed by the lips, in songs of praise to the Lord, ascribing the glory of salvation to him, and giving him thanks for every mercy and blessing of life;

 because he hath dealt bountifully with me – both in a way of providence and grace, granting life and preserving it, and supporting with the comforts of it; blessing with spiritual blessings, and crowning with loving kindness and tender mercies; all which is generous and bountiful dealing, and affords a just occasion of praise and thanksgiving; Psa 116:7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.

The psalm that began with sorrowful complaining ends with the language of praise and of joy. So, too, it is in our own experience. Afflicted, depressed, and sad, we go to God. Everything seems dark. We have no peace - no clear and cheerful views - no joy. As we wait upon God, new views of his character, his mercy, his love, break upon the mind. The clouds open. Light beams upon us. Our souls take hold of the promises of God, and we, who went to His throne sad and desponding, rise from our devotions filled with praise and joy, submissive to the trials which made us so sad, and rejoicing in the belief that all things will work together for our good.