2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, Jehovah will be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of Jehovah, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, `and' I shall behold his righteousness. Then mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her who said unto me, Where is Jehovah thy God? Mine eyes shall see `my desire' upon her; now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.
Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Jehovah, And that a foolish people hath blasphemed thy name.
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: My hand was stretched out in the night, and slacked not; My soul refused to be comforted. I remember God, and am disquieted: I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed. Selah Thou holdest mine eyes watching: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, The years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart; And my spirit maketh diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will he be favorable no more? Is his lovingkindness clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah And I said, This is my infirmity; `But I will remember' the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will make mention of the deeds of Jehovah; For I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also upon all thy work, And muse on thy doings.
When I said, My foot slippeth; Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul.
Have mercy upon us, O Jehovah, have mercy upon us; For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled With the scoffing of those that are at ease, And with the contempt of the proud. Psalm 124 A Song of Ascents; of David.
Look on `my' right hand, and see; For there is no man that knoweth me: Refuge hath failed me; No man careth for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Jehovah; I said, Thou art my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry; For I am brought very low: Deliver me from my persecutors; For they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, That I may give thanks unto thy name: The righteous shall compass me about; For thou wilt deal bountifully with me. Psalm 143 A Psalm of David.
A glad heart maketh a cheerful countenance; But by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful `brook', as waters that fail?
Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for Jehovah hath added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.
Her filthiness was in her skirts; she remembered not her latter end; Therefore is she come down wonderfully; she hath no comforter: Behold, O Jehovah, my affliction; for the enemy hath magnified himself.
Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: abide ye here, and watch with me.
But because I have spoken these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established strength, Because of thine adversaries, That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore Jehovah reward thee good for that which thou hast done unto me this day.
And Esther said, An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest a watch over me? When I say, My bed shall comfort me, My couch shall ease my complaint; Then thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me through visions: So that my soul chooseth strangling, And death rather than `these' my bones.
If `we speak' of strength, lo, `he is' mighty! And if of justice, Who, `saith he', will summon me? Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me: Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse. I am perfect; I regard not myself; I despise my life.
If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will put off my `sad' countenance, and be of good cheer; I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
If I be wicked, woe unto me; And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head; Being filled with ignominy, And looking upon mine affliction.
Behold, I go forward, but he is not `there'; And backward, but I cannot perceive him; On the left hand, when he doth work, but I cannot behold him; He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him. But he knoweth the way that I take; When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Lest they tear my soul like a lion, Rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (Yea, I have delivered him that without cause was mine adversary;) Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; Yea, let him tread my life down to the earth, And lay my glory in the dust. Selah
The enemy are come to an end, they are desolate for ever; And the cities which thou hast overthrown, The very remembrance of them is perished.
To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, That man who is of the earth may be terrible no more. Psalm 11 For the Chief Musician. `A Psalm' of David.
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, `saying', Commit `thyself' unto Jehovah; Let him deliver him: Let him rescue him, seeing he delighteth in him.
Let the lying lips be dumb, Which speak against the righteous insolently, With pride and contempt.
These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, How I went with the throng, and led them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.
I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine adversaries reproach me, While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
Thou makest us a byword among the nations, A shaking of the head among the peoples. All the day long is my dishonor before me, And the shame of my face hath covered me, For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth, By reason of the enemy and the avenger.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 13
Commentary on Psalms 13 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 13
This psalm is the deserted soul's case and cure. Whether it was penned upon any particular occasion does not appear, but in general,
To the chief musician. A psalm of David.
Psa 13:1-6
David, in affliction, is here pouring out his soul before God; his address is short, but the method is very observable, and of use for direction and encouragement.
In singing this psalm and praying it over, if we have not the same complaints to make that David had, we must thank God that we have not, dread and deprecate his withdrawings, sympathize with those that are troubled in mind, and encourage ourselves in our most holy faith and joy.