Psalms Chapter 13

“How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? etc.] When God does not immediately deliver his people from their enemies, or help them out of an affliction; when he does not discover his love, communicate his grace, apply the blessings and promises of his covenant as usual; and when he does not visit them in his usual manner, and so frequently as he has formerly done, they are ready to conclude he has forgotten them; and sometimes this continues long, and then they fear they are forgotten for ever; and this they cannot bear, and therefore expostulate with God in a querulous manner, as the psalmist does here; but…”

“On title, see Introduction. The Psalmist, mourning God's absence and the triumph of his enemies, prays for relief before he is totally destroyed, and is encouraged to hope his trust will not be in vain. (Psa 13:1-6) The forms of expression and figure here used are frequent (compare Psa 9:12, Psa 9:18; Psa 10:11-12). How long . . . for ever--Shall it be for ever?”

“How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? - literally, “until when.” The psalmist breaks out into this cry “in the midst” of his troubles. He had apparently borne them as long as he could. It seemed as if they would never come to an end. We may presume that he had been patient and uncomplaining; that he had borne his trials long with the hope and belief that they would soon terminate; that he had waited patiently for deliverance, uttering no words of complaint; but now he begins to despair. He feels that his troubles will never end. He sees no prospect of deliverance; no signs or tokens that God would interpose; and…”

“How long - Shall I be in such perplexities, not knowing what course to take? Psalms 13:3”

“Ps 13 The psalmist’s piercing cry for help becomes a confident song of hope. 13:1-2 How long? The fourfold repetition expresses agitation and deep anguish (79:5).”

“am 3464, bc 540 (Title), chief. or, overseer. How: Psa 6:3, Psa 35:17, Psa 74:1, Psa 80:4, Psa 85:5, Psa 89:46, Psa 90:14, Psa 94:3, Psa 94:4 forget: Psa 10:12; Lam 5:20 wilt thou hide: Psa 22:1, Psa 22:2; Deu 31:17; Job 13:24; Isa 59:2 Psalms 13:2”

“(Heb.: 13:2-3) The complicated question: till when, how long...for ever (as in Psa 74:10; Psa 79:5; Psa 89:47), is the expression of a complicated condition of soul, in which, as Luther briefly and forcibly describes it, amidst the feeling of anguish under divine wrath "hope itself despairs and despair nevertheless begins to hope." The self-contradiction of the question is to be explained by the conflict which is going on within between the flesh and the spirit. The dejected heart thinks: God has forgotten me for ever. But the spirit, which thrusts away this thought, changes it into a question which sets upon it…”