Psalms 13:1–3
“How long, YHWH?” David asks whether God has forgotten him
Study it word by word1For the director. A psalm of David. How long, YHWH? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2How long will I put counsels in my soul, sorrow in my heart by day? How long will my enemy rise up over me?
3Look at me, answer me, YHWH my Elohim; give light to my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
In its context
…
4lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him”; my adversaries will be jubilant when I am moved.
5But I in your loyal love have trusted; my heart will be jubilant in your salvation.
Its words in the original
- מְנַצֵּחַmenatseach· direct, oversee
Direct: be in charge of a work or of the music of worship. From this word comes the title "for the director" of many psalms.
- מִזְמוֹרmizmor· psalm
Psalm: a song sung with instruments. It is the title of many of the poems in the book of Psalms.
- דָוִדdavid· David
David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."
- אָנָהana· where to?
Where? To where?; "how long?"
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- תִּשְׁכָּחֵtishkache· forget
Forget.
- נֶצַחnetsach· splendor, forever, victory
A word with several senses: brightness or splendor, what endures (hence "forever"), firmness, victory. In 1 Samuel 15:29 it is a title of God, "the Splendor of Israel."
- תַּסְתִּירtastir· hide
Hide, conceal; be hidden.
- פָּנֶיpane· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- אָשִׁיתashit· put, set
Put, place, set; appoint.
- עֵצוֹתetsot· counsel
Counsel: good judgment for deciding; also a plan.
- נַפְשִׁnafshi· soul, living being, life
A breathing being, a living being. It is translated "living being" (people and animals), "life" (when living or dying is at stake), "person" (in counts and laws), "soul" (the person at the innermost: desires, joy, anguish) or "myself". In the Old Testament it names the whole living being, not only a part of it.
- יָגוֹןyagon· sorrow, grief
Deep sorrow, grief.
- לְבָבִlevavi· heart
Heart: the inner part of the person, where one thinks, feels and decides.
- יוֹמָםyomam· by day
By day, in the daytime.
- יָרוּםyarum· be high, lift up
Be high, rise; in the causative form, lift up, raise, exalt.
- אֹיְבִoyvi· enemy
Enemy, foe: one who hates and opposes another.
- הַבִּיטָhabita· look
Look intently, gaze; regard, pay attention to.
- עֲנֵane· answer
Answer, reply; also speak up, testify, or sing in response.
- אֱלֹהָeloha· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- הָאִירָhaira· give light, shine
Give light, shine; light up.
- עֵינַena· eye
Eye. "In someone's eyes" means "in his opinion"; "find favor in the eyes of" is to please him. Also a spring of water.
- אִישַׁןishan· sleep
Sleep. Of a disease or a thing, grow old, become chronic.
- מָּוֶתmavet· death
Death; also the realm of the dead, or a deadly plague.