Psalms 13:2

2 How long must I take counsel in my soul, [and] sorrow in my heart [all the] day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Psalms 13:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 13:2

How long shall I take counsel in my soul
Or "put it" ^F19; to take counsel of good men and faithful friends, in matters of moment and difficulty, is safe and right; and it is best of all to take counsel of God, who is wonderful in it, and guides his people with it; but nothing is worse than for a man to take counsel of his own heart, or only to consult himself; for such counsel often casts a man down, and he is ashamed of it sooner or later: but this seems not to be the sense here; the phrase denotes the distressing circumstances and anxiety of mind the psalmist was in; he was at his wits' end, and cast about in his mind, and had various devises and counsels formed there; and yet knew not what way to take, what course to steer;

[having] sorrow in my heart daily;
by reason of God's hiding his face from him; on account of sin that dwelt in him, or was committed by him; because of his distance from the house of God, and the worship and ordinances of it; and by reason of his many enemies that surrounded him on every side: this sorrow was an heart sorrow, and what continually attended him day by day; or was in the daytime, when men are generally amused with business or diversions, as well as in the night, as Kimchi observes;

how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
even the vilest of men, ( Psalms 12:8 ) ; this may be understood either of temporal enemies, and was true of David when he was obliged not only to leave his own house and family, but the land of Judea, and flee to the Philistines; and when he fled from Absalom his son, lest he should be taken and slain by him; or of spiritual enemies, and is true of saints when sin prevails and leads captive, and when the temptations of Satan succeed; as when he prevailed upon David to number the people, Peter to deny his master, &c. The Jewish writers ^F20 observe that here are four "how longs", answerable to the four monarchies, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman, and their captivities under them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (tyva) "ponam", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus.
F20 Jarchi, Midrash in Kimchi, & Abendana in Miclol Yophi in loc.

Psalms 13:2 In-Context

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] sorrow in my heart [all the] day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider [and] answer me, O Yahweh my God. Give light to my eyes lest I sleep [the sleep of] death,

4 [and] lest my enemy should say, "I have overcome him," [lest] my enemies rejoice because I am shaken.

5 But as for me, I have trusted in your steadfast love. My heart will rejoice in your deliverance.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew pl.; with a slight modification of the Hebrew this reads "set pains"