Read & explore together
How Long, O LORD?
Psalm 13 is a short prayer-song that moves from repeated questions to trust and singing. It shows that a person can speak honestly to Yahweh about pain, fear and pressure, while still turning to him in faith.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
In these six verses, the speaker addresses Yahweh directly. The psalm begins with four cries of “How long”, describes inner sorrow and the threat of enemies, asks God to look and answer, and ends by declaring trust, rejoicing and song because of God’s goodness.
Psalms 13:1–6Main takeaway
This psalm teaches that a person may bring deep distress to Yahweh honestly and still choose to trust his loving kindness.
Explore the poem and its images
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Repeated questions of distressThe psalm opens with urgent repetition: “How long” appears four times. The speaker feels forgotten and asks whether Yahweh will hide his face forever.
Explanation
The psalm opens with urgent repetition: “How long” appears four times. The speaker feels forgotten and asks whether Yahweh will hide his face forever. The words express ongoing pain, not a quick difficulty. The trouble is both relational, feeling distant from God, and personal, with sorrow filling the heart each day.
02Trouble inside and outsideVerse 2 describes “taking counsel in my soul”, showing inward struggle and constant sorrow.
Explanation
Verse 2 describes “taking counsel in my soul”, showing inward struggle and constant sorrow. At the same time, an enemy seems to be triumphing. The psalm does not explain every detail, but it clearly joins inner anguish with outward opposition. The speaker names both kinds of trouble before God.
03A direct plea for God to actThe prayer becomes a request: “Behold, and answer me, Yahweh, my God.” The speaker asks for light to the eyes, linked here with not sleeping in death.
Explanation
The prayer becomes a request: “Behold, and answer me, Yahweh, my God.” The speaker asks for light to the eyes, linked here with not sleeping in death. He also asks that enemies will not claim victory or rejoice at his fall. The request is serious, urgent and addressed personally to God.
04Trust, joy and songThe closing begins with “But”, marking a turn. The speaker declares trust in God’s loving kindness, rejoices in God’s salvation, and promises to sing to Yahweh because he has been good.
Explanation
The closing begins with “But”, marking a turn. The speaker declares trust in God’s loving kindness, rejoices in God’s salvation, and promises to sing to Yahweh because he has been good. The psalm does not deny the earlier pain, but places confidence and praise alongside it.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What words show how intense and repeated the speaker’s distress is?
Look for the repeated phrase at the start and the descriptions of daily sorrow and enemy triumph.
02What exactly does the speaker ask Yahweh to do?
List the requests in the prayer, including looking, answering and giving light to the eyes.
03How does the ending differ from the opening of the psalm?
Compare the questions of verses 1 to 2 with the trust, rejoicing and singing in verses 5 to 6.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Psalms 13:1–6
1How long, Yahweh? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart every day? How long shall my enemy triumph over me?
3Behold, and answer me, Yahweh, my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
4lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him;” lest my adversaries rejoice when I fall.
5But I trust in your loving kindness. My heart rejoices in your salvation.
6I will sing to Yahweh, because he has been good to me.