Mazmur 13:1

Psalm 13 ¹ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

13:1 How long, Lord, will you continue to ignore me? ² 

How long will you pay no attention to me? ³ 

Mazmur 44:24

44:24 Why do you look the other way, ⁴ 

and ignore ⁵  the way we are oppressed and mistreated? ⁶ 

Mazmur 74:1

Psalm 74 ⁷ 

A well-written song ⁸  by Asaph.

74:1 Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us? ⁹ 

Why does your anger burn ¹⁰  against the sheep of your pasture?

Mazmur 77:7-10

77:7 I asked, ¹¹  “Will the Lord reject me forever?

Will he never again show me his favor?

77:8 Has his loyal love disappeared forever?

Has his promise ¹²  failed forever?

77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has his anger stifled his compassion?”

77:10 Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought

that the sovereign One ¹³  might become inactive. ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 79:5

79:5 How long will this go on, O Lord? ¹⁵ 

Will you stay angry forever?

How long will your rage ¹⁶  burn like fire?

Mazmur 85:5

85:5 Will you stay mad at us forever?

Will you remain angry throughout future generations? ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 89:46

89:46 How long, O Lord, will this last?

Will you remain hidden forever? ¹⁸ 

Will your anger continue to burn like fire?

Mazmur 94:3-4

94:3 O Lord, how long will the wicked,

how long will the wicked celebrate? ¹⁹ 

94:4 They spew out threats ²⁰  and speak defiantly;

all the evildoers boast. ²¹ 

[13:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 13. The psalmist, who is close to death, desperately pleads for God’s deliverance and affirms his trust in God’s faithfulness.

[13:1]  ² tn Heb “will you forget me continually.”

[13:1]  ³ tn Heb “will you hide your face from me.”

[44:24]  ⁴ tn Heb “Why do you hide your face?” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[44:24]  ⁵ tn Or “forget.”

[44:24]  ⁶ tn Heb “our oppression and our affliction.”

[74:1]  ⁷ sn Psalm 74. The psalmist, who has just experienced the devastation of the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 586 b.c., asks God to consider Israel’s sufferings and intervene on behalf of his people. He describes the ruined temple, recalls God’s mighty deeds in the past, begs for mercy, and calls for judgment upon God’s enemies.

[74:1]  ⁸ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

[74:1]  ⁹ sn The psalmist does not really believe God has permanently rejected his people or he would not pray as he does in this psalm. But this initial question reflects his emotional response to what he sees and is overstated for the sake of emphasis. The severity of divine judgment gives the appearance that God has permanently abandoned his people.

[74:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “smoke.” The picture is that of a fire that continues to smolder.

[77:7]  ¹¹ tn As in vv. 4 and 6a, the words of vv. 7-9 are understood as a quotation of what the psalmist said earlier. Therefore the words “I asked” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[77:8]  ¹² tn Heb “word,” which may refer here to God’s word of promise (note the reference to “loyal love” in the preceding line).

[77:10]  ¹³ tn Heb “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.

[77:10]  ¹⁴ tc Heb “And I said, ‘This is my wounding, the changing of the right hand of the Most High.’” The form חַלּוֹתִי (khallotiy) appears to be a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלַל (khalal, “to pierce; to wound”). The present translation assumes an emendation to חֲלוֹתִי (khalotiy), a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלָה (khalah, “be sick, weak”). The form שְׁנוֹת (shÿnot) is understood as a Qal infinitive construct from שָׁנָה (shanah, “to change”) rather than a plural noun form, “years” (see v. 5). “Right hand” here symbolizes by metonymy God’s power and activity. The psalmist observes that his real problem is theological in nature. His experience suggests that the sovereign Lord has abandoned him and become inactive. However, this goes against the grain of his most cherished beliefs.

[79:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “How long, O Lord?”

[79:5]  ¹⁶ tn Or “jealous anger.”

[85:5]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Will your anger stretch to a generation and a generation?”

[89:46]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “How long, O Lord, will hide yourself forever?”

[94:3]  ¹⁹ tn Or “exult.”

[94:4]  ²⁰ tn Heb “they gush forth [words].”

[94:4]  ²¹ tn The Hitpael of אָמַר (’amar) occurs only here (and perhaps in Isa 61:6).