2 How long is my soul to be in doubt, with sorrow in my heart all the day? how long will he who is against me be given power over me?
Do not be glad because of my sorrow, O my hater: after my fall I will be lifted up; when I am seated in the dark, the Lord will be a light to me. I will undergo the wrath of the Lord, because of my sin against him; till he takes up my cause and does what is right for me: when he makes me come out into the light, I will see his righteousness; And my hater will see it and be covered with shame; she who said to me, Where is the Lord your God? my eyes will see their desire effected on her, now she will be crushed under foot like the dust of the streets.
In the day of my trouble, my heart was turned to the Lord: my hand was stretched out in the night without resting; my soul would not be comforted. I will keep God in memory, with sounds of grief; my thoughts are troubled, and my spirit is overcome. (Selah.) You keep my eyes from sleep; I am so troubled that no words come. My thoughts go back to the days of the past, to the years which are gone. The memory of my song comes back to me in the night; my thoughts are moving in my heart; my spirit is searching with care. Will the Lord put me away for ever? will he be kind no longer? Is his mercy quite gone for ever? has his word come to nothing? Has God put away the memory of his pity? are his mercies shut up by his wrath? (Selah.) And I said, It is a weight on my spirit; but I will keep in mind the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will keep in mind the works of Jah: I will keep the memory of your wonders in the past. I will give thought to all your work, while my mind goes over your acts of power.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us: for all men are looking down on us. For long enough have men of pride made sport of our soul.
Looking to my right side, I saw no man who was my friend: I had no safe place; no one had any care for my soul. I have made my cry to you, O Lord; I have said, You are my safe place, and my heritage in the land of the living. Give ear to my cry, for I am made very low: take me out of the hands of my haters, for they are stronger than I. Take my soul out of prison, so that I may give praise to your name: the upright will give praise because of me; for you have given me a full reward.
Am I a sea, or a sea-beast, that you put a watch over me? When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease; Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear; So that a hard death seems better to my soul than my pains.
If it is a question of strength, he says, Here I am! and if it is a question of a cause at law, he says, Who will give me a fixed day? Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner. I have done no wrong; I give no thought to what becomes of me; I have no desire for life.
See, I go forward, but he is not there; and back, but I do not see him; I am looking for him on the left hand, but there is no sign of him; and turning to the right, I am not able to see him. For he has knowledge of the way I take; after I have been tested I will come out like gold.
If I have given back evil to him who did evil to me, or have taken anything from him who was against me without cause; Let my hater go after my soul and take it; let my life be crushed to the earth, and my honour into the dust. (Selah.)
I will say to God my Rock, Why have you let me go from your memory? why do I go in sorrow because of the attacks of my haters? The cruel words of my haters are like a crushing of my bones; when they say to me every day, Where is your God?
Our name is a word of shame among the nations, a sign for the shaking of heads among the peoples. My downfall is ever before me, and I am covered with the shame of my face; Because of the voice of him who says sharp and bitter words; because of the hater and him who is the instrument of punishment.
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Commentary on Psalms 13 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 13
Ps 13:1-6. On title, see Introduction. 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.
1. The forms of expression and figure here used are frequent (compare Ps 9:12, 18; 10:11, 12).
How long … for ever—Shall it be for ever?
2. The counsels or devices of his heart afford no relief.
3. lighten mine eyes—dim with weakness, denoting approaching death (compare 1Sa 14:27-29; Ps 6:7; 38:10).
4. rejoice—literally, "shout as in triumph."
I am moved—cast down from a firm position (Ps 10:6).
5, 6. Trust is followed by rejoicing in the deliverance which God effects, and, instead of his enemy, he can lift the song of triumph.