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Psalms 13

How Long, O Lord?

1How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

2How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart every day? How long shall my enemy triumph over me?

3Behold, and answer me, LORD, my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;

4lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him;” lest my adversaries rejoice when I fall.

5But I trust in your loving kindness. My heart rejoices in your salvation.

6I will sing to the LORD, because he has been good to me.

Previous Psalms 12
Next Psalms 14

Psalm 13 is a classic lament psalm that follows a three-part structure moving from complaint to petition to praise. David begins with four anguished questions asking 'How long?' as he feels forgotten by God and oppressed by enemies. The psalm dramatically shifts from despair to confident trust, concluding with joyful praise for God's faithfulness and goodness.

Context

This individual lament follows the pattern established in earlier psalms, demonstrating the movement from complaint to confidence that characterizes many of David's prayers.

Key Themes

Outline

  • 1-2
    Fourfold Lament David cries out 'How long?' four times, expressing feelings of divine abandonment and enemy oppression.
  • 3-4
    Urgent Petition The psalmist pleads for God to answer and give light to his eyes, fearing death and enemy victory.
  • 5-6
    Confident Praise David declares trust in God's loving kindness and promises to sing because of God's goodness.

How Long, O Lord?

13:1–13:6
poetry lament hopeful

A personal lament questioning how long God will remain silent, transitioning from despair to trust in God's loving kindness and salvation.

theme_rarity

David's fourfold repetition of "How long" creates a crescendo of anguish that mirrors the Hebrew lament structure, where emotional intensity peaks before resolution through divine trust.

Insights

Insight Rare Theme

David's fourfold repetition of "How long" creates a crescendo of anguish that mirrors the Hebrew lament structure, where emotional intensity peaks before resolution through divine trust.

About: How Long, O Lord?

Interlinear

Word-by-word original language

v. 6