Psalms 13:1-2
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)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
David's repeated "How long?" isn't just impatience; it's a desperate plea that mixes despair with an unconscious flicker of hope. He throws out a seemingly contradictory question, "How long will you forget me forever?"—a phrase that acknowledges the dread of eternal abandonment while simultaneously implying a belief that an end must eventually come. This raw, honest cry reveals how, even in our darkest moments, faith and fear can wrestle within us.
David is in deep distress, feeling utterly abandoned by God and overwhelmed by his enemies. This psalm opens with a raw cry of anguish, questioning how long God's perceived neglect will last, lamenting the hiddenness of God's face, and the resulting inner turmoil and constant sorrow. He's grappling with the feeling of being forgotten, leading to anxious thoughts and fears about his adversaries' triumph, all before shifting towards prayer and an eventual expression of trust.
Have you ever felt utterly alone, like God has just… forgotten you? This psalm plunges into that raw emotion.
David opens with a desperate cry, 'How long, O LORD?' He feels abandoned, as if God has permanently turned His back. This isn't a logical argument; it's the gut-wrenching cry of the soul under immense pressure.
Feeling, Not Fact
It's crucial to remember David isn't stating a fact about God forgetting him. He's expressing a feeling. Even in his deepest distress, the fact that he's crying out to God shows his faith isn't extinguished. He's grappling with the appearance of God's absence, not its reality. The commentaries highlight this struggle: our feelings don't always align with God's truth, especially when we're hurting.
Why does God sometimes seem distant when we need Him most? This psalm dives into that profound mystery.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Psalms 13:1-2 is available in the Sola app.
The phrase 'hide your face' is a powerful image. It’s not just about God being absent; it's about a deliberate turning away. Imagine someone you love turning their face from you – it cuts deep.
Faith in the Face of Mystery
David's complaint stems from the experience of God’s hiddenness. He can't see God's favor or hear His direct guidance. This doesn't mean God is hiding, but that David perceives Him as such. The ancient commentators point out that even in this complaint, David is reaching out, demonstrating a faith that persists even when God's presence isn't felt. It’s a tension between the visible reality of suffering and the invisible truth of God’s promises.
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 passage echoes the psalmist's cry of despair and a desire for death as an escape from endless suffering, reflecting the feeling of being forgotten and unseen by God.
Psalms 42:3The repeated question 'Where is your God?' highlights a similar sense of God's apparent absence and the emotional toll it takes, directly mirroring the psalmist's anguish.
Psalms 74:10This verse directly questions how long God's enemies will be allowed to mock and blaspheme, similar to how Psalm 13:1 expresses frustration over God's seeming inactivity and absence.
Isaiah 54:7-8This passage contrasts God's brief withdrawal and anger with His everlasting compassion, offering a theological perspective on what the psalmist is experiencing and hoping for.
Matthew 27:46Jesus' cry from the cross, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?', powerfully echoes the psalmist's feeling of abandonment by God, demonstrating that even the Son of God experienced this profound sense of isolation.
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…
David's repeated "How long?" isn't just impatience; it's a desperate plea that mixes despair with an unconscious flicker of hope. He throws out a seemingly contradictory question, "How long will you forget me forever?"—a phrase that acknowledges the dread of eternal abandonment while simultaneously implying a belief that an end must eventually come. This raw, honest cry reveals how, even in our darkest moments, faith and fear can wrestle within us.
David is in deep distress, feeling utterly abandoned by God and overwhelmed by his enemies. This psalm opens with a raw cry of anguish, questioning how long God's perceived neglect will last, lamenting the hiddenness of God's face, and the resulting inner turmoil and constant sorrow. He's grappling with the feeling of being forgotten, leading to anxious thoughts and fears about his adversaries' triumph, all before shifting towards prayer and an eventual expression of trust.
David is in deep distress, feeling utterly abandoned by God and overwhelmed by his enemies. This psalm opens with a raw cry of anguish, questioning how long God's perceived neglect will last, lamenting the hiddenness of God's face, and the resulting inner turmoil and constant sorrow. He's grappling with the feeling of being forgotten, leading to anxious thoughts and fears about his adversaries' triumph, all before shifting towards prayer and an eventual expression of trust.
"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?" — David's repeated "How long?" isn't just impatience; it's a desperate plea that mixes despair with an unconscious flicker of hope. He throws out a seemingly contradictory question, "How long will you…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
