Psalms 13:1

Translation
King James Version
¶ 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?
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KJV (with Strong's)
To the chief Musician H5329, A Psalm H4210 of David H1732. How long wilt thou forget H7911 me, O LORD H3068? for ever H5331? how long wilt thou hide H5641 thy face H6440 from me?
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Complete Jewish Bible
For the leader. A psalm of David: How long, ADONAI? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
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Berean Standard Bible
How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
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American Standard Version
How long, O Jehovah? wilt thou forget me for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
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World English Bible Messianic
How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
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Geneva Bible (1599)
To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid. Howe long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, for euer? howe long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
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Young's Literal Translation
To the Overseer. --A Psalm of David. Till when, O Jehovah, Dost Thou forget me? --for ever? Till when dost Thou hide Thy face from me?
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See also
Job 13:24Psalms 94:3Psalms 94:4Psalms 89:46Lamentations 5:20Psalms 80:4Psalms 22:1
In the KJVVerse 14,076 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Psalms 13:1 opens with a raw and deeply personal lament from King David, immediately immersing the reader in the profound anguish of perceived divine abandonment. This verse articulates a desperate, repeated cry to God, questioning the duration of His apparent forgetfulness and the painful experience of His hidden face, thereby setting a poignant tone for a psalm that courageously navigates from the depths of despair to a renewed declaration of trust and hope in the Lord.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Psalm 13 stands as a quintessential example of a lament psalm, a prominent genre within the Psalter that provides a structured outlet for expressing profound distress to God. These psalms typically progress through a recognizable pattern: an initial, often intense, complaint or cry for help; a petition for divine intervention; an expression of confidence in God's character and eventual deliverance; and frequently, a concluding vow of praise or renewed trust. The superscription, "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David," not only attributes authorship to David but also indicates its liturgical purpose, suggesting that even the most intimate and agonizing personal struggles were intended for communal worship and set to music, offering a divine template for both individual and corporate expressions of faith amidst suffering. This opening verse immediately establishes the psalm's tone of desperate questioning, which, by the psalm's conclusion, will dramatically shift to a declaration of God's steadfast love, illustrating the full trajectory of faith through crisis.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: While the specific historical backdrop for David's intense distress in Psalms 13:1 remains unstated in the superscription, the raw emotions expressed resonate deeply with numerous periods of profound adversity in his life. These could include his relentless persecution by King Saul (e.g., 1 Samuel 23:14), the painful betrayal and rebellion of his son Absalom (e.g., 2 Samuel 15:13-14), or other unspecified personal afflictions. In ancient Israelite theology, God's "face" (פָּנִים, panim) was intimately associated with His active presence, favor, and blessing. To experience God "hiding His face" was understood as a profound withdrawal of divine favor, protection, or even a sign of judgment, leading to immense spiritual and existential distress. This concept is deeply embedded in the covenant relationship, where God's manifest presence was the source of well-being and security, while His perceived absence implied vulnerability, suffering, and a sense of abandonment. David's lament thus reflects a culturally and theologically understood crisis of perceived divine abandonment.
  • Key Themes: Psalms 13:1 introduces several profound themes central to the Psalter and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it powerfully conveys a profound feeling of abandonment and perceived divine absence. David's insistent, repeated "How long?" underscores a desperate longing for God's intervention and an overwhelming sense of being utterly forgotten, intensified by the rhetorical "for ever?" This theme of God's perceived withdrawal is vividly articulated through the plea, "how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?", an idiom signifying a lack of divine favor or presence, leading to acute spiritual isolation. Secondly, the verse exemplifies honest lament and questioning within faith. It models a transparent and unreserved relationship with God, where even the most agonizing doubts, frustrations, and desperate emotions are brought directly to the Creator. This radical honesty is a hallmark of the Psalms, providing a biblical precedent for expressing pain and confusion without fear of condemnation, as seen in other cries of distress like Psalm 22:1. Finally, while steeped in anguish, this opening verse subtly introduces the overarching theme of the journey from despair to renewed hope. Its position at the beginning of a lament psalm anticipates the eventual shift towards renewed trust and praise, a common trajectory in these compositions, as the psalmist moves from raw complaint to a confident affirmation of God's steadfast love, a truth frequently celebrated throughout the book of Psalms.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • forget (Hebrew, shâkach', H7911): From the root H7911, this verb means "to mislay, i.e., to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention." For David, the terrifying notion that God, the covenant-keeping Yahweh, could "forget" him implies a complete withdrawal of divine attention, care, and covenant faithfulness. While God, by His nature, does not truly forget His people, David's use of this word powerfully conveys his subjective experience of feeling utterly abandoned and overlooked by the very One who is his only hope and source of help.
  • hide (Hebrew, çâthar', H5641): From the root H5641, this primitive root means "to hide (by covering), literally or figuratively." In the context of "hiding face," it denotes God's deliberate or perceived withdrawal of His presence. This action signifies a state of spiritual desolation and vulnerability, where the individual feels cut off from God's sustaining and protective presence. It is a powerful expression of profound distress.
  • face (Hebrew, pânîym', H6440): From the root H6440, this noun, always plural but used singularly, refers to "the face (as the part that turns)." In biblical idiom, God's "face" represents His active presence, favor, and blessing. For God to "hide His face" is to withdraw His manifest presence and favor, leading to a deep sense of spiritual and existential distress, akin to being left alone and vulnerable in a hostile world. The opposite, God "making His face shine" (e.g., Numbers 6:25), denotes favor, blessing, and active, benevolent presence.

Verse Breakdown

  • "How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD?": This opening clause is a direct, impassioned address to Yahweh (H3068), the covenant God of Israel. The repetition of "How long" (Hebrew: עַד־אָנָה, 'ad-'anah) emphasizes the psalmist's deep anguish, impatience, and the perceived prolonged duration of his suffering. The question "wilt thou forget me" expresses a profound sense of abandonment and a fear that God has ceased to care for him, despite God's covenant promises of unfailing love and remembrance. It is a desperate plea from a heart that feels utterly alone and overlooked.
  • "for ever?": This rhetorical question dramatically amplifies the despair introduced by the initial "How long." It conveys a sense of utter hopelessness, suggesting that the perceived divine neglect is not just prolonged but potentially eternal. This expression of extreme anguish highlights the depth of David's spiritual crisis and his fear that his suffering will never end, pushing him to the brink of despair and demanding an immediate divine response.
  • "how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?": This second, parallel question reiterates the core complaint, employing a vivid and significant biblical idiom. "Hiding God's face" signifies a withdrawal of divine presence, favor, or blessing, leading to a profound feeling of spiritual isolation and vulnerability. It is a desperate cry for God to once again reveal His active presence, protection, and care, which David perceives as agonizingly absent. This perceived absence is the source of his deepest suffering, implying a painful breach in the intimate relationship he desires with God.

Literary Devices

Psalms 13:1 is rich in literary devices that powerfully amplify its emotional impact and theological depth. The most prominent is Rhetorical Question, evident in the insistent, repeated "How long?" and the stark, despairing "for ever?". These are not questions seeking literal information but rather expressions of intense emotional distress, exasperation, and profound impatience, designed to convey the overwhelming depth of the psalmist's suffering and his urgent plea for divine intervention. The verse also employs striking Parallelism, specifically synonymous parallelism, as the two main questions ("How long wilt thou forget me?" and "how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?") convey similar sentiments of perceived divine abandonment and withdrawal, reinforcing the core complaint through repetition and variation. Furthermore, the phrase "hide thy face" is a powerful Metaphor and a form of Anthropomorphism, attributing a human action (hiding one's face) to God to describe His perceived withdrawal of favor, presence, or blessing. This vivid imagery makes the abstract concept of divine absence tangible and deeply personal, enabling the reader to grasp the psalmist's profound sense of spiritual isolation. The entire verse functions as a direct Lament or Complaint, characteristic of this psalm genre, immediately setting a tone of raw honesty and desperate appeal to God.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Psalms 13:1 serves as a profound theological statement about the nature of faith and prayer in the midst of suffering. It powerfully asserts that authentic faith does not necessitate the absence of doubt, despair, or questioning God's timing and apparent inaction. Instead, it courageously invites a radical honesty where the believer can bring their rawest emotions, their deepest fears, and their most desperate questions directly to God, trusting in His sovereignty and compassion even when His presence feels agonizingly absent. This verse underscores the paradox inherent in lament: the very act of crying out to a God who seems to have forgotten or hidden His face is, in itself, an profound act of faith, acknowledging His ultimate power to intervene and His unique position as the only true source of help and hope. It validates the universal human experience of feeling abandoned while simultaneously affirming the enduring possibility of hope and renewed trust in God's steadfast love, which is ultimately revealed in His unchanging character and His redemptive actions throughout salvation history.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Psalms 13:1 offers immense comfort and profound permission for all who navigate seasons of deep distress, perceived abandonment, or spiritual dryness. It profoundly validates the human experience of feeling forgotten or overlooked by God, assuring us that such feelings are not uncommon, even among devout believers like David. This verse teaches us that genuine faith is not the absence of doubt or pain, but rather the courage to bring our rawest emotions, our deepest fears, and our most desperate questions directly to God. It models a relationship with the Divine that is utterly transparent, where no emotion is off-limits and no complaint is too bold for the Creator who invites us into intimate communion. The very act of crying out to God, even in His perceived absence, is an act of profound faith, acknowledging His ultimate sovereignty and power to intervene. This lament serves as a powerful reminder that even in the darkest moments, the path to hope begins with honest, unreserved communication with God, trusting that He is big enough to handle our laments and will, in His perfect timing, turn our mourning into dancing and our despair into joy.

Questions for Reflection

  • What specific emotions does David express in this verse that resonate most deeply with your own experiences of distress or perceived spiritual dryness?
  • How does David's raw honesty in questioning God challenge or affirm your current understanding of acceptable prayer during difficult seasons of life?
  • In what ways might God's "hiding His face" (or our perception of it) actually be an invitation to seek Him more earnestly and deepen your reliance on His unseen presence and sovereign plan?

FAQ

Is it okay to question God, as David does here?

Answer: Absolutely. Psalms 13:1, along with numerous other lament psalms, provides clear biblical precedent for believers to express their deepest pains, frustrations, and even questions directly to God. David's insistent "How long?" is not born of unbelief but of profound anguish and a desperate longing for God's intervention. It demonstrates a robust faith that trusts God enough to be completely honest with Him. This transparency is a hallmark of a healthy, authentic relationship with the Creator, acknowledging that He is sovereign enough to handle our complaints and compassionate enough to listen. Other biblical figures like Job and Habakkuk also model this kind of honest, questioning prayer, demonstrating that God welcomes our authentic selves, even in our moments of doubt and despair.

What does "hide thy face" mean in this context?

Answer: The phrase "hide thy face" (Hebrew: satar panim) is a powerful biblical idiom signifying a perceived withdrawal of God's favor, active presence, or blessing. It implies a feeling of abandonment, divine neglect, or even judgment, leading to profound spiritual and emotional distress. It's the stark opposite of God "making His face shine upon you" (Numbers 6:25), which denotes His active, benevolent presence, favor, and blessing. For David, feeling that God had hidden His face meant experiencing a deep sense of isolation and vulnerability, as if God had turned away from him and left him exposed to his enemies and suffering. It's a desperate cry for God to once again reveal His active, protective, and benevolent presence and intervention.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Psalms 13:1, with its raw cry of perceived divine abandonment and the anguish of God's hidden face, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. David's lament, "How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?", foreshadows the unparalleled spiritual desolation experienced by the Son of God on the cross. In that agonizing moment, as Jesus bore the full, crushing weight of humanity's sin, He cried out with a lament echoing Psalm 22:1: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). This was the ultimate "hiding of God's face" from His beloved Son, not due to Jesus' own sin, but because He became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), experiencing the full wrath and separation that our sin deserved. Through this unparalleled suffering, where the Father truly "hid His face" from the Son, Jesus perfectly identified with every human cry of abandonment, transforming the lament of the psalmist into a redemptive act. Because Christ endured the ultimate divine forsaking, believers can now be assured that God will never truly forget or forsake them (Hebrews 13:5). His experience of the hidden face guarantees that for those in Him, God's face will forever shine upon them, leading them from the depths of despair to the triumph of resurrection and eternal communion.

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Commentary on Psalms 13 verses 1–6

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points

David, in affliction, is here pouring out his soul before God; his address is short, but the method is very observable, and of use for direction and encouragement.

I. His troubles extort complaints (Psa 13:1, Psa 13:2); and the afflicted have liberty to pour out their complaint before the Lord, Ps. 102 title. It is some ease to a troubled spirit to give vent to its griefs, especially to give vent to them at the throne of grace, where we are sure to find one who is afflicted in the afflictions of his people and is troubled with the feeling of their infirmities; thither we have boldness of access by faith, and there we have parrēsia - freedom of speech. Observe here,

1.What David complains of. (1.) God's unkindness; so he construed it, and it was his infirmity. He thought God had forgotten him, had forgotten his promises to him, his covenant with him, his former lovingkindness which he had shown him and which he took to be an earnest of further mercy, had forgotten that there was such a man in the world, who needed and expected relief and succour from him. Thus Zion said, My God has forgotten me (Isa 49:14), Israel said, My way is hidden from the Lord, Isa 40:27. Not that any good man can doubt the omniscience, goodness, and faithfulness of God; but it is a peevish expression of prevailing fear, which yet, when it arises from a high esteem and earnest desire of God's favour, though it be indecent and culpable, shall be passed by and pardoned, for the second thought will retract it and repent of it. God hid his face from him, so that he wanted that inward comfort in God which he used to have, and herein was a type of Christ upon the cross, crying out, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? God sometimes hides his face from his own children, and leaves them in the dark concerning their interest in him; and this they lay to heart more than any outward trouble whatsoever. (2.) His own uneasiness. [1.] He was racked with care, which filled his head: I take counsel in my soul; "I am at a loss, and am inops consilii - without a friend to advise with that I can put any confidence in, and therefore am myself continually projecting what to do to help myself; but none of my projects are likely to take effect, so that I am at my wits' end, and in a continual agitation." Anxious cares are heavy burdens with which good people often load themselves more than they need. [2.] He was overwhelmed with sorrow, which filled his heart: I have sorrow in my heart daily. He had a constant disposition to sorrow and it preyed upon his spirits, not only in the night, when he was silent and solitary, but by day too, when lighter griefs are diverted and dissipated by conversation and business; nay, every day brought with it fresh occasions of grief; the clouds returned after the rain. The bread of sorrow is sometimes the saint's daily bread. Our Master himself was a man of sorrows. (3.) His enemies' insolence, which added to his grief. Saul his great enemy, and others under him, were exalted over him, triumphed in his distress, pleased themselves with his grief, and promised themselves a complete victory over him. This he complained of as reflecting dishonour upon God, and his power and promise.

2.How he expostulates with God hereupon: "How long shall it be thus?" And, "Shall it be thus for ever?" Long afflictions try our patience and often tire it. It is a common temptation, when trouble lasts long, to think it will last always; despondency then turns into despair, and those that have long been without joy begin, at last, to be without hope. "Lord, tell me how long thou wilt hide thy face, and assure me that it shall not be for ever, but that thou wilt return at length in mercy to me, and then I shall the more easily bear my present troubles."

II. His complaints stir up his prayers, Psa 13:3, Psa 13:4. We should never allow ourselves to make any complaints but what are fit to be offered up to God and what drive us to our knees. Observe here,

1.What his petitions are: Consider my case, hear my complaints, and enlighten my eyes, that is, (1.) "Strengthen my faith;" for faith is the eye of the soul, with which it sees above, and sees through, the things of sense. "Lord, enable me to look beyond my present troubles and to foresee a happy issue of them." (2.) "Guide my way; enable me to look about me, that I may avoid the snares which are laid for me." (3.) "Refresh my soul with the joy of thy salvation." That which revives the drooping spirits is said to enlighten the eyes, Sa1 14:27; Ezr 9:8. "Lord, scatter the cloud of melancholy which darkens my eyes, and let my countenance be made pleasant."

2.What his pleas are. He mentions his relation to God and interest in him (O Lord my God!) and insists upon the greatness of the peril, which called for speedy relief and succour. If his eyes were not enlightened quickly, (1.) He concludes that he must perish: "I shall sleep the sleep of death; I cannot live under the weight of all this care and grief." Nothing is more killing to a soul then the want of God's favour, nothing more reviving than the return of it. (2.) That then his enemies would triumph: "Lest my enemy say, So would I have it; lest Saul, lest Satan, be gratified in my fall." It would gratify the pride of his enemy: He will say, "I have prevailed, I have gotten the day, and been too hard for him and his God." It would gratify the malice of his enemies: They will rejoice when I am moved. And will it be for God's honour to suffer them thus to trample upon all that is sacred both in heaven and earth?

III. His prayers are soon turned into praises (Psa 13:5, Psa 13:6): But my heart shall rejoice and I will sing to the Lord. What a surprising change is here in a few lines! In the beginning of the psalm we have him drooping, trembling, and ready to sink into melancholy and despair; but, in the close of it, rejoicing in God, and elevated and enlarged in his praises. See the power of faith, the power of prayer, and how good it is to draw near to God. If we bring our cares and griefs to the throne of grace, and leave them there, we may go away like Hannah, and our countenance will be no more sad, Sa1 1:18. And here observe the method of his comfort. 1. God's mercy is the support of his faith. "My case is bad enough, and I am ready to think it deplorable, till I consider the infinite goodness of God; but, finding I have that to trust to, I am comforted, though I have no merit of my own. In former distresses I have trusted in the mercy of God, and I never found that it failed me; his mercy has in due time relieved me and my confidence in it has in the mean time supported me. Even in the depth of this distress, when God hid his face from me, when without were fightings and within were fears, yet I trusted in the mercy of God and that was as an anchor in a storm, by the help of which, though I was tossed, I was not overset." And still I do trust in thy mercy; so some read it. "I refer myself to that, with an assurance that it will do well for me at last." This he pleads with God, knowing what pleasure he takes in those that hope in his mercy, Psa 147:11. 2. His faith in God's mercy filled his heart with joy in his salvation; for joy and peace come by believing, Rom 15:13. Believing, you rejoice, Pe1 1:8. Having put his trust in the mercy of God, he is fully assured of salvation, and that his heart, which was now daily grieving, should rejoice in that salvation. Though weeping endure long, joy will return. 3. His joy in God's salvation would fill his mouth with songs of praise (Psa 13:6): "I will sing unto the Lord, sing in remembrance of what he has done formerly; though I should never recover the peace I have had, I will die blessing God that ever I had it. He has dealt bountifully with me formerly, and he shall have the glory of that, however he is pleased to deal with me now. I will sing in hope of what he will do for me at last, being confident that all will end well, will end everlastingly well." But he speaks of it as a thing past (He has dealt bountifully with me), because by faith he had received the earnest of the salvation and he was as confident of it as if it had been done already.

In singing this psalm and praying it over, if we have not the same complaints to make that David had, we must thank God that we have not, dread and deprecate his withdrawings, sympathize with those that are troubled in mind, and encourage ourselves in our most holy faith and joy.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–6. Public domain.
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Diodorus of TarsusAD 390
COMMENTARY ON PSALM 13
The psalm’s theme, in fact, is clear: it is uttered on the part of David himself when he suffered the effects of the sin with Bathsheba. On falling foul of every harsh, grievous and painful incident on that account, remember, he then identified the sin as the cause, especially on hearing that “the Lord has taken away your sin.” You see, while he received the gift as coming from a loving Lord, he thought it behooved him not to forget the sin but instead to advance in virtue with the degree of determination he required to be preserved from committing such a sin against so good a lord. But on being caught up in the events involving Absalom in particular, he believed the outcome was God’s abandoning him and realized the sin was most of all to blame. He therefore asks God to be completely reconciled to him and not forsake him but to lift the weight of misfortune that was proving too heavy for the strength of the sufferer.
John ChrysostomAD 407
COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 13:1
Whence comes his knowledge that God had forgotten him, does the text say? Since he knew also when he remembered him, and he was wise enough to know what forgetting meant and what remembering. Not like the majority of people, who, when they are wealthy, when they enjoy a good reputation with people, when everything goes favorably for them, when they better their foes, then think God remembers them. Hence neither do they understand when it is God forgets them. They do not recognize the sign of God’s remembering, you see, nor do they grasp the sign of his forgetting.… Nothing, after all, brings remembrance by God so much as doing good, being sober and watchful, practicing virtue; likewise, nothing prompts forgetting so much as living in sin and giving oneself to greed and rapacity. So for your part, dearly beloved, when you are in trouble, do not say, “God has forgotten me,” but when you are living in sin and everything is going favorably for you. After all, if you knew this, you would quickly abandon evil things.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 13
"For Christ is the end of the law to every one that believes." [Romans 10:4] "How long, O Lord, will You forget me unto the end?" [Psalm 13:1] that is, put me off as to spiritually understanding Christ, who is the Wisdom of God, and the true end of all the aim of the soul. "How long will You turn away Your face from me?" As God does not forget, so neither does He turn His face away: but Scripture speaks after our manner. Now God is said to turn away His face, when He does not give to the soul, which as yet has not the pure eye of the mind, the knowledge of Himself.
Hesychius of JerusalemAD 450
LARGE COMMENTARY ON PSALMS 13:1
The forgetfulness of God [would be] a very serious thing, even temporarily. It would mean death, the loss of immortality.
CassiodorusAD 585
EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 13:1
He asks for the appearance of Christ whom he already foresaw. For his face is what was capable of being seen with the eyes of the body, which that holy man with this general longing rightly desired to look upon. Such a face deemed it right to save the world by his heavenly appearance.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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