Psalms 39:13
Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just a cry to be left alone; it's a plea for God to look away so the Psalmist can regain strength and even "smile again." It highlights a profound truth: sometimes, God’s absence of visible judgment is exactly what we need to recover and face our end with peace, not despair.
David has been reflecting on the brevity and vanity of life, grappling with the consequences of his sin and God's discipline. He's experienced deep suffering and a profound sense of God's hand against him, even feeling that his life is slipping away. This verse is his desperate plea for a moment of relief and restored joy before his life inevitably ends.
Imagine feeling the weight of God's attention not as comfort, but as an overwhelming pressure. The psalmist cries out for a change in that gaze.
A Divine Scrutiny
The verse begins with a plea, "Look away from me." This isn't a casual request; it's born from a place of deep distress. The original language suggests more than just a simple glance. It carries the sense of God 'ceasing from' or 'desisting from' an intense focus, perhaps an active pursuit or an affliction. The psalmist feels God's eyes are fixed on him, not in tender observation, but in judgment or in the midst of his suffering.
The Hope in God's Gaze Shifting
When God "looks away," it implies a cessation of His perceived anger or judgment. It's a prayer for relief from an oppressive divine attention, allowing the psalmist a moment of respite. This isn't about hiding from God, but about experiencing His favor again, a shift from scrutiny to solace.
What does it mean to 'recover strength' when facing the end of life? It's more than just physical healing.
More Than Physical Restoration
The phrase "that I may recover strength" points to a restoration that goes beyond mere physical health. The Hebrew word can imply 'to brighten up' or 'to be cheered,' like the sky clearing after a storm. The psalmist desires not just to regain physical vitality, but also spiritual and emotional well-being.
Preparation for Departure
This recovery of strength is crucial because of the impending "departure" and being "no more." It's about finding comfort, being eased from the burden of sin and God's terrors, and being better prepared for a "comfortable and happy dissolution." It’s a longing to face the end not in despair, but with peace and renewed confidence in God.
This passage echoes the psalmist's plea to be left alone to find some comfort before his imminent departure, highlighting the deep human desire for peace and resolution in the face of death.
Job 14:13This verse expresses a similar hope for a hidden place of comfort and a respite from suffering before death, underscoring the universal longing for relief and a peaceful end.
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6This passage directly contrasts the living's awareness with the dead's oblivion, reinforcing the psalmist's urgent wish to experience joy and peace 'before I depart and am no more' in this earthly realm.
John 14:27Jesus offers His disciples peace, a peace distinct from the world's anxieties, which resonates with the psalmist's cry to 'smile again' and find inner strength before his final journey.
clarkePsalms 39:13: "O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more."
O spare me - Take me not from this state of probation till I have a thorough preparation for a state of blessedness. This he terms recovering his strength - being restored to the favor and image of God, from which he had fallen. This should be the daily cry of every human spirit: Restore me to thine image, guide me by thy counsel, and then reeeive me to thy glory!
bensonPsalms 39:13: "O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more."
Psalm 39:13 . O spare me — Hebrew, השׁע ממני , hashang, memenni — Desiste a me, desist, or cease from me, that is, from afflicting me: do not destroy me; my life at best is short, and full of trouble, and thou knowest sufficient for it is the evil thereof: do not add affliction to the afflicted. That I may recover strength — Both in my outward and inward man, both which are much weakened and oppressed. H…
This verse isn't just a cry to be left alone; it's a plea for God to look away so the Psalmist can regain strength and even "smile again." It highlights a profound truth: sometimes, God’s absence of visible judgment is exactly what we need to recover and face our end with peace, not despair.
David has been reflecting on the brevity and vanity of life, grappling with the consequences of his sin and God's discipline. He's experienced deep suffering and a profound sense of God's hand against him, even feeling that his life is slipping away. This verse is his desperate plea for a moment of relief and restored joy before his life inevitably ends.
David has been reflecting on the brevity and vanity of life, grappling with the consequences of his sin and God's discipline. He's experienced deep suffering and a profound sense of God's hand against him, even feeling that his life is slipping away. This verse is his desperate plea for a moment of relief and restored joy before his life inevitably ends.
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"Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!”" — This verse isn't just a cry to be left alone; it's a plea for God to look away so the Psalmist can regain strength and even "smile again." It highlights a profound truth: sometimes, God’s absence o…
