Psalms 13
13
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1How long, O Lord? Wilt thou forget me for ever?
How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2How long must I bear pain#13.2 Syr: Heb hold counsels in my soul,
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
4lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him”;
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
5But I have trusted in thy steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
6I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
Psalms 13
13
Psalm 13#sn Psalm 13. The psalmist, who is close to death, desperately pleads for God’s deliverance and affirms his trust in God’s faithfulness.
For the music director; a psalm of David.
1 How long, Lord, will you continue to ignore me?#tn Heb “will you forget me continually.”
How long will you pay no attention to me?#tn Heb “will you hide your face from me.”
2 How long must I worry,#tn Heb “How long will I put counsel in my being?”
and suffer in broad daylight?#tn Heb “[with] grief in my heart by day.”
How long will my enemy gloat over me?#tn Heb “be exalted over me.” Perhaps one could translate, “How long will my enemy defeat me?”
3 Look at me!#tn Heb “see.” Answer me, O Lord my God!
Revive me,#tn Heb “Give light [to] my eyes.” The Hiphil of אוּר (’ur), when used elsewhere with “eyes” as object, refers to the law of God giving moral enlightenment (Ps 19:8), to God the creator giving literal eyesight to all people (Prov 29:13), and to God giving encouragement to his people (Ezra 9:8). Here the psalmist pictures himself as being on the verge of death. His eyes are falling shut and, if God does not intervene soon, he will “fall asleep” for good. or else I will die!#tn Heb “or else I will sleep [in?] the death.” Perhaps the statement is elliptical, “I will sleep [the sleep] of death,” or “I will sleep [with the sleepers in] death.”
4 Then#tn Heb “or else.” my enemy will say, “I have defeated him!”
Then#tn Heb “or else.” my foes will rejoice because I am upended.
5 But I#tn The grammatical construction used here (conjunction with independent pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s defeated condition envisioned in v. 4 and confident attitude he displays in v. 5. trust in your faithfulness.
May I rejoice because of your deliverance!#tn Heb “may my heart rejoice in your deliverance.” The verb form is jussive. Having expressed his trust in God’s faithful character and promises, the psalmist prays that his confidence will prove to be well-placed. “Heart” is used here of the seat of the emotions.
6 I will sing praises#tn The verb form is cohortative, indicating the psalmist’s resolve (or vow) to praise the Lord when deliverance arrives. to the Lord
when he vindicates me.#tn Or “for he will have vindicated me.” The verb form indicates a future perfect here. The idiom גָמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.
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