INTRODUCTION
According to its title, Psalm 13 is a psalm of David. There is, however, nothing within it to indicate either the period or occasion in David’s life that might have inspired this short song expressing anguish and distress. This psalm is often cited as the classic example of a lament for it follows the typical structure of a lament psalm: an address to the Lord; an expression of complaint; a petition for help; a statement of faith. Consisting of only six verses – three groups of two – it is remarkably concise. In these sections there is movement from despair – to prayer – to faith.
STRUCTURE
1-2 Invocation and Complaint
3-4 Petitions and Motivations for the Lord to help
5-6 Affirmation of trust and a Vow to praise the Lord
CONTENT
1-2 – Four lamentations
3a – Three petitions
3b-4 – Three motivations
5-6 – Three Affirmations
EXPLANATION
Invocation and Complaint (1-2)
How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? forever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
The first section of Psalm 13 consists of four lamentations beginning with ‘How long?’ (i.e. ‘Until when?’) addressed to YHWH, Israel’s God. The psalmist is upset and frustrated with the deity and these lamentations are strongly worded complaints which express impatience that YHWH has not already remedied the distressing and vulnerable situation in which the psalmist now finds himself. It appears to the psalmist that YHWH has forgotten him or, even worse, is deliberately ignoring him.
The ‘how long?’ (repeated four times) would indicate that the psalmist has been in distress for quite some time. Now, thanks to YHWH’s lack of attention, he finds his situation unbearable. Nothing pleases him – his complaints are about God (theological), himself (personal) and others (social).
FOUR LAMENTATIONS
- How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? forever? – ‘How long?’ is the language of lament (e.g. Psa 4:2; 6:3; 62:3; 90:13).
- How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? – The hidden face of YHWH represents divine disfavour or rejection (cf. Deut 32:20; Job 13:24; Psa 44:24; 88:14). It seems to the psalmist that the Lord will not listen to him.
- How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? – He has been left to his own devices because of the lack of response from the Lord. He has wasted time drawing up his own unsuccessful plans to extricate himself from his situation. Now he does not know what to do. He is sad the whole day long.
- How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? As a result of YHWH’s lack of attention David’s enemy has now risen to a position of power. The psalmist feels weak and vulnerable.
PETITIONS AND MOTIVATIONS FOR THE LORD TO HELP (3-4)
THREE PETITIONS (3a) Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes
The three petitions are imperatives, they are not just prayers but urgent requests.
- Consider me – watch, regard, gaze, focus intently.
- Hear me, O LORD my God – answer, reply, respond. The psalmist feels able to address YHWH directly because of the Lord’s covenant relationship (Exod 19:5) with his people. On that basis David expects an answer to his petitions and divine intervention to improve his circumstances.
- Lighten mine eyes – The psalmist asks the Lord to give light to his eyes. This means restore life, vigour and joy. The psalmist considers himself exhausted and near death. He asks that his health be restored.
THREE MOTIVATIONS FOR GOD TO ACT – (3b-4) – lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
David lists three reasons why YHWH should intervene on his behalf, in the poem these are presented using a double ‘lest.’
- Lest the psalmist dies. He does not want to die while the Lord is still silent.
- Lest the enemy gloats, saying ‘I have finished him.’ The enemy, mentioned also in v.2, is not identified.
- Lest those that trouble him rejoice when he wavers and falls.
AFFIRMATION OF TRUST AND A VOW TO PRAISE THE LORD (5-6)
But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
The ‘But’ at the beginning of v.6 is the crux of Psalm 13. Thus far the poet has moved from anguished lamentation to anxious petition. Now comes an even more striking movement, a noticeable change of mood, in spite of the fact that there has been no change in the psalmist’s circumstances. For whatever reason(s), lament and petition now give way to trust.
‘But I,’ or ‘But as for me’ indicates that the psalmist has taken a firm decision. In three affirmations he states what he has done and also what he intends to do.
- I have trusted in thy mercy – he no longer depends upon personal merit but chooses to to trust in YHWH’s ḥesed (lovingkindness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, love, acts of kindness) – often translated as ‘steadfast love.’
- My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation – the verb ‘rejoice’ occurs twice in the psalm, but what a contrast between the two situations! In v.4 it is those who are opposed to the psalmist who rejoice when he totters and falls. In v.5 it is the psalmist himself who is confident that he will rejoice in the deliverance that YHWH will accomplish.
- I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me – confident that his deliverance will happen soon he affirms that he will sing praise to the Lord and when he sings praise he will say that the Lord has ‘dealt bountifully’ with him, i.e. brought his suffering to an end.
SUMMATION
In Psalm 13 David, feeling abandoned in his trouble and overwhelmed by sorrow while his enemies triumph, complains to the Lord, asking for urgent intervention. Then, in a striking change of mood, he affirms his trust in God’s unfailing love and expresses his confidence that the Lord will deliver him. He vows to rejoice and sing praise for the Lord’s goodness.
Sometimes in life we are faced with difficult situations (e.g. trouble, sickness, depression, bereavement) which, in spite of prayer and our own determined efforts to combat them, seem unlikely to be resolved. There may be temptation to conclude that God has abandoned us, forgotten us, or is just not interested. Strangely, it is often when facing such challenges and difficulties that darkness and suffering lead us to a deeper encounter with God. Through lament we can express our vulnerability, pain, suffering, negative feelings and frustrations to the Lord before moving on to petition for his help.
The psalmist’s trust in the Lord as a personal friend to whom he can speak directly about his anxieties and share his deepest secrets enables his mood to shift from one of loneliness and despair to one of trust and hope in God’s steadfast covenantal love.
Psalm 13 encourages all who suffer to question and complain to the Lord:
- about his concern – How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? forever?
- about his concealment – how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
- about his lack of counsel – How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?
- about his control – how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
Then proceed to petition the Lord:
- for his engagement – Consider and hear me, O LORD my God
- for his enlightenment – lighten mine eyes
- for his enablement – lest I sleep the sleep of death
- for his encouragement – Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved
and consciously decide:
- to trust in his sympathy – But I have trusted in thy mercy
- to look forward to his salvation (deliverance) – my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
Written Exposition 