How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 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?
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse uses a seemingly contradictory question, "How long... for ever?" to express the psalmist's overwhelming feeling that God's apparent abandonment is unending. This isn't a logical puzzle, but a raw, emotional cry revealing how prolonged suffering can make even faith grapple with the dread of absolute, eternal desertion.
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 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?
English Standard Version (ESV)
David is in the midst of intense suffering and feels abandoned by God, to the point where he questions if God has forgotten him forever and intentionally turned away. This plea comes at the beginning of the psalm, setting a tone of desperate anguish before shifting to prayer and ultimately, triumphant trust in God's mercy.
Ever felt like your prayers hit a ceiling? Like God isn't hearing you, or worse, has forgotten you entirely?
Psalm 13 opens with a raw, gut-wrenching cry: "How long, O LORD?" This isn't just a question; it's an explosion of anguish from a soul in deep distress.
A Feeling, Not a Fact
David isn't questioning God's existence or His promises. He knows God is real and faithful. But in the midst of overwhelming trouble, the feeling of being forgotten or ignored is overpowering. It's like a heavy fog has rolled in, obscuring God's presence.
The Weight of "Forever"
Notice the desperate, almost contradictory, cry: "How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?" This blend of "how long?" (implying an end is possible) and "forever?" (suggesting finality) captures the wrestling match in David's soul. Hope battles with despair, and the pain feels eternal, even if he knows logically it can't be.
Hiding the Face
The second question, "How long will you hide your face from me?" paints a vivid picture. When someone hides their face, it means they are turning away, not engaging, perhaps showing displeasure. To David, this absence of God's visible favor feels like a profound rejection.
It's tempting to withdraw when we feel God is distant. But what does the Bible show us about how to respond in those moments?
This psalm isn't just about despair; it's a powerful example of how to navigate those dark feelings .
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The Cry is a Connection
Despite the agony in his questions, David directs them to the LORD. He doesn't just lament into the void; he cries out to God. This is crucial! Even in our deepest confusion, our prayers, even the ones that sound like complaints, are a lifeline to God's presence.
Faith's Deep Roots
Commentators note that the very act of crying out to God proves that faith is still alive, even if it's flickering. David isn't denying God; he's desperately seeking Him. He's wrestling, not giving up. The confusion and the fear exist alongside a deep, underlying trust that God can and will act.
Looking Beyond the Present
David's questions, though filled with present pain, also hint at a desire for the pain to end. The repeated "How long?" pushes against the idea of "forever." This shows a mind grappling with the immediate reality but trying to peer into a future where God's help is present. It's a testament to hope fighting its way through.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God, revealed to Moses, emphasizing His self-existence and faithfulness to His people. It is the name by which God is in intimate relationship with His creation.
panim · Hebrew Noun
The manifestation of God’s presence, favor, and fellowship. To have His face 'hidden' indicates a withdrawal of the experience of His blessing, while His 'face' shining upon someone signifies grace and peace.
nephesh · Hebrew Noun
The inner person where thoughts, intentions, and emotional turmoil reside. In the Bible, it is the center of human agency and the place where one wrestles with personal conflict or divine silence.
yagon · Hebrew Noun
Mental or spiritual pain, grief, or distress. It is often the result of sin, external circumstances, or the perception of God's distance.
This psalm captures a moment of intense emotional distress where David feels utterly forsaken by God. The historical context of his turbulent reign, marked by both external threats and internal betrayals, likely fueled this profound sense of abandonment and desperation.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David's Reign as King of Israel
David is established as the King of Israel, facing numerous challenges, rebellions, and periods of intense personal struggle.
c. 1000-960 BC
Periods of Persecution and Flight
David experienced significant periods of persecution, particularly during Saul's reign, and later faced internal revolts like Absalom's rebellion. These times likely involved deep personal distress and a sense of abandonment.
c. 1000-960 BC
Psalms of Lament and Trust
Many of the Psalms, including Psalm 13, reflect David's raw emotional experiences, grappling with feelings of divine absence during times of crisis and expressing profound trust amidst despair.
This passage echoes David's cry, with Job lamenting, 'I cry to you for help, but you do not answer.' Both express a profound sense of God's silence and absence during extreme suffering.
Psalms 42:3Here, the psalmist also questions God's presence, asking 'When shall I come and appear before God?' This resonates with Psalm 13:1's plea of 'How long will you hide your face from me?', highlighting a shared experience of longing for God's visible presence.
Lamentations 3:8In the midst of profound grief, the prophet cries, 'Though I cry and call for help, you stop my prayer.' This parallels the desperate feeling of being unheard and ignored, as expressed in Psalm 13:1.
Habakkuk 1:2The prophet's question, 'O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?' is strikingly similar to David's lament, showing that this deep anguish over God's perceived inaction is a recurring theme in the Psalms and prophetic literature.
Matthew 27:46Jesus' cry from the cross, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' is a profound echo of Psalm 13:1, demonstrating that even the Son of God experienced moments of feeling abandoned by the Father in the midst of suffering.
calvinPsalms 13:1-2: "<> How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?"
How long, O Jehovah, wilt thou forget me, for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? 2. How long shall I take counsel in my soul? and have sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
How long, O Jehovah. It is very true that David was so greatly hated by the generality of people, on account of the calumnies and false reports which had been cir…
poolePsalms 13:1: "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?"
The occasion of this Psalm was David’s deep and long-continued distresses, from which he prays for deliverance. David complaineth to God of his delay to help, Psalm 13:1 , and the enemies’ triumph, Psalm 13:2 . He, praying for preventing grace, Psalm 13:3,4 professeth his trust in God, Psalm 13:5 , and boasteth of Divine mercy, Psalm 13:6 . How long w…
The verse uses a seemingly contradictory question, "How long... for ever?" to express the psalmist's overwhelming feeling that God's apparent abandonment is unending. This isn't a logical puzzle, but a raw, emotional cry revealing how prolonged suffering can make even faith grapple with the dread of absolute, eternal desertion.
David is in the midst of intense suffering and feels abandoned by God, to the point where he questions if God has forgotten him forever and intentionally turned away. This plea comes at the beginning of the psalm, setting a tone of desperate anguish before shifting to prayer and ultimately, triumphant trust in God's mercy.
David is in the midst of intense suffering and feels abandoned by God, to the point where he questions if God has forgotten him forever and intentionally turned away. This plea comes at the beginning of the psalm, setting a tone of desperate anguish before shifting to prayer and ultimately, triumphant trust in God's mercy.
"How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 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?" — The verse uses a seemingly contradictory question, "How long... for ever?" to express the psalmist's overwhelming feeling that God's apparent abandonment is unending. This isn't a logical puzzle, but…
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Last reviewed October 2026