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Psalms

Week 13: Psalm 13

How Long: Waiting for Deliverance

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Overview

Type of Psalm

Individual Lament Psalm

Context

David wrote this at an undetermined time in his life
Connections to Psalm 11 and 12: Hessed, Deliverance, Yahweh

Key Theme

How Long - 4x
“Hope despairs and yet despair hopes,” Martin Luther

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Overview

Structure

13:1–2 Expression of Despair: How long?�13:3–4 Expression of Prayer: Give me light�13:5–6 Expression of Hope: Let me sing!�

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Psalm 13: Expression of Despair: How long?

1 How long, O Yahweh? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

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Psalm 13: Expression of Prayer: Give me light

3 Consider and answer me, O Yahweh my God;

light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

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Psalm 13: Expression of Hope: Let me sing!

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me.

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Psalm 13: Expression of Despair: How long?

1 How long, O Yahweh? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

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Psalm 13: Expression of Prayer: Give me light

3 Consider and answer me, O Yahweh my God;

light up my eyes, lest I sleep [the sleep] of death,

4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

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Psalm 13: Expression of Hope: Let me sing!

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me.

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Sources

Tremper Longman III & David E. Garland, eds., The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol 5 Psalms. Revised ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), 168–172.

Michael Card (Produced Phil Naish, How Long? The Way Of Wisdom (Brentwood: Sparrow Records, 1990). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy7ERI2uRPs