Psalm 13
Psalm 13 | |
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"How long, O Lord" | |
Other name |
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Language | Hebrew (original) |
Psalm 13 is the 13th psalm of the
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies.
Background and themes
Jewish and Christian commentators note the three-part structure of this psalm, with verses 2–3 in the Hebrew (1-2 in the KJV) relating to David's complaint, verses 4–5 in the Hebrew (3–4 in the KJV) expressing David's prayer, and verse 6 in the Hebrew (5-6 in the KJV) describing David's salvation.[5] A. G. Brown asserts that prayer is the turning point between mourning and rejoicing.[4]
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".[4]
Text
Hebrew
The following table shows the Hebrew text[6][7] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) |
---|---|---|
1 | לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ | For the Leader. A Psalm of David. |
2 | עַד־אָ֣נָה יְ֭הֹוָה תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֣נִי נֶ֑צַח עַד־אָ֓נָה ׀ תַּסְתִּ֖יר אֶת־פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ | How long, O LORD, wilt Thou forget me for ever? How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me? |
3 | עַד־אָ֨נָה אָשִׁ֪ית עֵצ֡וֹת בְּנַפְשִׁ֗י יָג֣וֹן בִּלְבָבִ֣י יוֹמָ֑ם עַד־אָ֓נָה ׀ יָר֖וּם אֹיְבִ֣י עָלָֽי׃ | How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart by day? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? |
4 | הַבִּ֣יטָֽה עֲ֭נֵנִי יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י הָאִ֥ירָה עֵ֝ינַ֗י פֶּן־אִישַׁ֥ן הַמָּֽוֶת׃ | Behold Thou, and answer me, O LORD my God; Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; |
5 | פֶּן־יֹאמַ֣ר אֹיְבִ֣י יְכׇלְתִּ֑יו צָרַ֥י יָ֝גִ֗ילוּ כִּ֣י אֶמּֽוֹט׃ | Lest mine enemy say: 'I have prevailed against him'; Lest mine adversaries rejoice when I am moved. |
6 | וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ בְּחַסְדְּךָ֣ בָטַחְתִּי֮ יָ֤גֵ֥ל לִבִּ֗י בִּֽישׁוּעָ֫תֶ֥ךָ אָשִׁ֥ירָה לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה כִּ֖י גָמַ֣ל עָלָֽי׃ | But as for me, in Thy mercy do I trust; My heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, Because He hath dealt bountifully with me. |
King James Version
- How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
- How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
- Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
- Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
- But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
- I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
Uses
Judaism
Verse 6 in the Hebrew is recited in the morning prayer service during Pesukei dezimra.[8]
According to the Chasam Sofer and the Siddur Sfas Emes, the entire psalm is recited as a prayer for the well-being of a sick person.[8]
Catholic
Around 530, St.
Book of Common Prayer
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, Psalm 13 is appointed to be read on the evening of the second day of the month.[9]
Musical settings
The Canadian
References
- ^ Mazor 2011, p. 589.
- ^ "Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 12 (13)". medievalist.net.
- ^ "Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 8". sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ a b c "Charles H. Spurgeon's Treasury of David". Christianity.com. 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ Samet, Rav Elchanan (2019). "Shiur #17: Psalm 13 – "How long, O Lord… Look, and hear me… I Will Sing to the Lord" From Complaint to Supplication and From Prayer to Praise". Yeshivat Har Etzion. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ "Psalms – Chapter 13". Mechon Mamre.
- ^ "Psalms 13 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
- ^ a b Brauner, Reuven (2013). "Shimush Pesukim: Comprehensive Index to Liturgical and Ceremonial Uses of Biblical Verses and Passages" (PDF) (2nd ed.). p. 33.
- ^ Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, p. 203ff
- ^ Free scores by Psalm 13, Op. 27 (Johannes Brahms) in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- ^ Doerksen, B. (2002), Psalm 13 (How Long O Lord), accessed 2 October 2021
Cited sources
- Mazor, Lea (2011). Berlin, Adele; Grossman, Maxine (eds.). Book of Psalms. Oxford University Press. )
External links
- Pieces with text from Psalm 13: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Psalm 13: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Text of Psalm 13 according to the 1928 Psalter
- Psalms Chapter 13 text in Hebrew and English, mechon-mamre.org
- For the leader. A psalm of David. / How long, LORD? Will you utterly forget me? text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Psalm 13:1 introduction and text, biblestudytools.com
- Psalm 13 – Enlighten My Eyes enduringword.com
- Psalm 13 / Refrain: I love the Lord, for he has heard the voice of my supplication. Church of England
- Psalm 13 at biblegateway.com