Psalm 13


Psalm 13 is the 13th psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, in the King James Version, "How long, O Lord". The Book of Psalms is the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in its Latin translation in the Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 12 in a slightly different numbering system. In Latin, it is known as "Usquequo Domine".
The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican and Protestant liturgies.

Background and themes

theorized that this psalm was composed by David when his son Absalom conspired against him. However, Spurgeon asserts that any attempt to link it to a specific incident is conjecture; rather, the psalm gives voice to feelings that arise in any of the many trials that a person undergoes in life.
Both Jewish and Christian commentators note the three-part structure of this psalm, with verses 2-3 in the Hebrew relating to David's complaint, verses 4-5 in the Hebrew expressing David's prayer, and verse 6 in the Hebrew describing David's salvation. A. G. Brown asserts that prayer is the turning point between mourning and rejoicing.
Spurgeon notes that the repetition of the words "How long?" four times in this psalm resemble cries; he creatively refers to this psalm as the "How Long Psalm"—or, the "Howling Psalm".

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 13:
VerseHebrew
1לַֽ֜מְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד
2תַּסְתִּ֖יר אֶת־פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי
3יָר֖וּם אֹֽיְבִ֣י עָלָֽי
4הַבִּ֣יטָֽה עֲ֖נֵנִי יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י הָאִ֥ירָה עֵ֜ינַ֗י פֶּן־אִישַׁ֥ן הַמָּֽוֶת
5פֶּן־יֹאמַ֣ר אֹֽיְבִ֣י יְכָלְתִּ֑יו צָרַ֥י יָ֜גִ֗ילוּ כִּ֣י אֶמּֽוֹט
6בְּחַסְדְּךָ֣ בָטַחְתִּי֘ יָגֵ֪ל לִבִּ֗י בִּישֽׁוּעָ֫תֶ֥ךָ אָשִׁ֥ירָה לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה כִּ֖י גָמַ֥ל עָלָֽי

King James Version

  1. How long wilt thou forget me, O ? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
  2. How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
  3. Consider and hear me, O my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
  4. Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
  5. But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
  6. I will sing unto the, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

    Uses

Judaism

Verse 6 in the Hebrew is recited in the morning prayer service during Pesukei dezimra.
The entire psalm is recited as a prayer for the well-being of a sick person, according to the Chasam Sofer and the Siddur Sfas Emes.

Catholic

Around 530, St. Benedict of Nursia chose this psalm to be recited for the office of prime on Thursday in the Rule of St. Benedict. In the modern liturgy, Psalm 13 is recited or sung to the Office of the mid-day Tuesday of the first week.

Musical settings

In 1692, Michel-Richard de Lalande wrote his great Latin motet for the offices of the Royal Chapel of Versailles. His contemporary Henry Desmarest also composed a grand motet on this psalm.
In German, the psalm was set to music by Johannes Brahms for women's choir in three voices, "Herr, wie lange willst du". Friedrich Kiel set verses as No. 6 of his Six Motets, Op. 82, published in 1883. Franz Liszt scored it for a tenor soloist as the psalmist, mixed choir, and orchestra.
The Canadian Christian singer-songwriter and worship leader Brian Doerksen wrote with others a song called 'How long, o Lord'.

Cited sources

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