2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, with sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: though I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, Jehovah shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of Jehovah -- for I have sinned against him -- until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light; I shall behold his righteousness. And mine enemy shall see [it], and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is Jehovah thy God? Mine eyes shall behold her; now shall she be trodden down, as the mire of the streets.
Remember this, that an enemy hath reproached Jehovah, and a foolish people have contemned 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 remembered God, and I moaned; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. Thou holdest open mine eyelids; I am full of disquiet and cannot speak. I consider the days of old, the years of ancient times. I remember my song in the night; I muse in mine own heart, and my spirit maketh diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Hath his loving-kindness ceased for ever? hath [his] word come to an end from generation to generation? Hath ùGod forgotten to be gracious? or hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah. Then said I, This is my weakness: -- the years of the right hand of the Most High Will I remember, -- the works of Jah; for I will remember thy wonders of old, And I will meditate upon all thy work, and muse upon thy doings.
When I said, My foot slippeth, thy loving-kindness, O Jehovah, held me up. In the multitude of my anxious thoughts within me thy comforts have delighted my soul.
Be gracious unto us, O Jehovah, be gracious unto us; for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, with the contempt of the proud.
Look on the right hand and see; there is no man that knoweth me: refuge hath failed me; no man careth for my soul. I cried unto thee, 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 celebrate thy name. The righteous shall surround me, because thou dealest bountifully with me.
A joyful heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and hath much vexation, and sickness, and irritation.
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable? It refuseth to be healed. Wilt thou be altogether unto me as a treacherous [spring], [as] waters that fail?
Thou didst say, Woe unto me! for Jehovah hath added grief to my sorrow; I am weary with my sighing, and I find no rest.
Her impurity was in her skirts, she remembered not her latter end; and she came down wonderfully: she hath no comforter. Jehovah, behold my affliction; for the enemy hath magnified himself.
Then he says to them, My soul is very sorrowful even unto death; remain here and watch with me.
But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
that I have great grief and uninterrupted pain in my heart,
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established praise because of thine adversaries, to 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 thou hast done to me this day.
And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was terrified 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, death, rather than my bones.
Be it a question of strength, lo, [he is] strong; and be it of judgment, who will set me a time? If I justified myself, mine own mouth would condemn me; were I perfect, he would prove me perverse. Were I perfect, [yet] would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my [sad] countenance, and brighten up, I am afraid of all my sorrows; I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
If I were wicked, woe unto me! and righteous, I will not lift up my head, being [so] full of shame, and beholding mine affliction; --
Lo, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I do not perceive him; On the left hand, where he doth work, but I behold [him] not; he hideth himself on the right hand, and I see [him] not. But he knoweth the way that I take; he trieth me, I shall come forth as gold.
Lest he tear my soul like a lion, crushing it while there is no deliverer.
If I have rewarded evil to him that was at peace with me; (indeed I have freed him that without cause oppressed me;) Let the enemy pursue after my soul, and take [it], and let him tread down my life to the earth, and lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
O enemy! destructions are ended for ever. -- Thou hast also destroyed cities, even the remembrance of them hath perished.
To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed one, that the man of the earth may terrify no more.
All they that see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, [saying:] Commit it to Jehovah -- let him rescue him; let him deliver him, because he delighteth in him!
Let the lying lips become dumb, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt.
These things I remember and have poured out my soul within me: how I passed along with the multitude, how I went on with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, a festive multitude.
I will say unto ùGod my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a crushing in my bones mine adversaries reproach me, while they say unto me all the day, Where is thy God?
Thou makest us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples. All the day my confusion is before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me, Because of 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.