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英文原文
This psalm is the deserted soul's case and cure. Whether it was penned upon any particular occasion does not appear, but in general, I. David sadly complains that God had long withdrawn from him and delayed to relieve him, Ps 13:1,2. II. He earnestly prays to God to consider his case and comfort him, Ps 13:3,4. III. He assures himself of an answer of peace, and therefore concludes the psalm with joy and triumph, because he concludes his deliverance to be as good as wrought, Ps 13:5,6.
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David's Complaints and Prayers Turned into Praises
繁體中文
大衛的哀訴和祈禱轉為讚美
交與伶長。大衛的詩。
¹ 耶和華啊，祢忘記我要到幾時呢？要到永遠嗎？祢掩面不顧我要到幾時呢？
² 我心裡籌算，終日愁苦，要到幾時呢？我的仇敵高升压制我，要到幾時呢？
³ 耶和華我的神啊，求祢看顧我，應允我，使我眼目光明，免得我沉睡至死；
⁴ 免得我的仇敵說：我勝了他；免得我搖動的時候，那些擾亂我的歡喜。
⁵ 但我倚靠祢的慈愛；我的心因祢的救恩快樂。
⁶ 我要向耶和華歌唱，因祂用厚恩待我。
大衛在患難中，在此向神傾吐他的心；他的話簡短，但方法極可注意，既有指引、又有鼓勵的用處。
一、他的苦難催出哀訴（詩13:1,2）；受苦的人有自由「在耶和華面前傾吐他的哀訴」，詩102:1標題。將憂傷宣泄出來，對困苦的心靈是某種舒解，尤其是在施恩寶座前宣泄——在那裡我們必尋見一位在百姓的苦難中與他們同受苦難、因體恤他們的軟弱而受攪擾的主；我們因信可以坦然進入那裡，在那裡我們有「信心的膽量」和「言論的自由」。請注意此處：
1. 大衛抱怨甚麼。(1) 神的不仁——他如此理解，這是他的軟弱。他以為神忘記了他——忘記了對他的應許，與他所立的約，從前向他所施的慈愛（他看那是進一步憐憫的憑據），忘記了世上竟有這樣一個人——需要並期待從祂得著解救和幫助。錫安曾如此說：「主離棄了我」，賽49:14；以色列曾說：「我的道路向耶和華隱藏」，賽40:27。這不是說任何善人會懷疑神的全知、良善和信實，而是這是一種出於強烈恐懼的任性表達；然而當這表達出於對神恩寵的極高評價和懇切渴慕時，雖然不得體、也不無可指責，卻必被饒恕赦免——因為第二念必將其收回並為之懊悔。神向他掩面，使他失去了素常在神裡面所得的內心安慰；在這一點上他是十字架上基督的預表——基督呼喊說：我的神，為甚麼離棄我？神有時向自己的兒女掩面，任憑他們在黑暗中，不知道自己與祂的關係；這是他們比任何外在患難更放在心上的。(2) 他自己心中的不安。[1] 他被憂慮折磨，充滿心思：我心裡籌算——「我不知所措，又無可信賴的謀士可以諮詢，因此自己不住地設法自救；但沒有一個計畫可能奏效，所以我智窮計盡、不住翻騰。」過度的憂慮是沉重的擔子，善人往往如此加重自己的負擔，超過了所必需的。[2] 他被憂愁淹沒，充滿心懷：我心裡……終日愁苦。他常傾向於憂愁，這憂愁啃噬他的精神，不僅在夜間——他沉默孤獨之時，也在白日——較輕的憂愁本可因交談和事務而轉移消散之時；不，每一天都帶來新的憂愁緣由；雨後雲彩返回。憂愁之餅有時是聖徒日用的飲食。我們的主自己也是多受痛苦的人。(3) 他仇敵的囂張，這加增了他的憂愁。他的大仇敵掃羅和掃羅手下的人在他之上高升，在他的困苦中誇勝，以他的憂愁為樂，又應許自己要完全勝過他。他抱怨這事，因為這有損神的尊榮、有損祂的權能和應許。
2. 他據此與神理論：「要到幾時呢？要永遠如此嗎？」長久的患難試驗我們的忍耐，也常使之疲乏。當苦難持久之時，常有的試探是看它為要永遠持續；於是灰心變為絕望，那些久無喜樂的人，至終也失去了盼望。「主啊，告訴我祢掩面要到幾時，並向我保證這不會到永遠，祢終必在憐憫中轉回向我；如此我就能更容易忍受眼前的苦難。」
二、他的哀訴激發他的禱告，詩13:3,4。我們絕不可容讓自己發任何不適合獻給神的、也不能驅使我們跪下的哀訴。請注意此處：
1. 他的請求是甚麼：求祢看顧我的境況，聽我的哀訴，使我眼目光明——就是說，(1) 「堅固我的信心」；因為信心是靈魂的眼目，藉此它能看見感官之上的、也能看透感官之下的事。「主啊，使我能越過眼前的苦難，預見一個好的結局。」(2) 「引導我的道路；使我能四圍觀看，避開為我所設的網羅。」(3) 「以祢救恩的喜樂甦醒我的靈魂。」那使下垂的手再得起來的，被說為「使眼目發光」，撒上14:27，拉9:8。「主啊，求祢驅散蒙蔽我眼的憂鬱雲霧，使我的面貌得以愉悅。」
2. 他的理由是甚麼。他提到自己與神的關係和在其中所得的分（耶和華我的神啊！），並堅持危險的巨大——這需要快快的解救和幫助。他的眼目若不快快發光，(1) 他斷定自己必滅亡：「我必沉睡至死——在這一切憂慮和憂愁的重壓之下，我無法存活。」沒有甚麼比失去神的恩寵更致命於靈魂，也沒有甚麼比它的歸回更使靈魂復甦。(2) 那時他的仇敵就要誇勝：「免得我的仇敵說：正合我意——免得掃羅、免得撒但在我的傾覆中得著滿足。」這會滿足仇敵的驕傲：他必說：「我勝了，我得了勢，勝過了他和他的神。」這會滿足仇敵的惡意：他們必在我搖動之時歡喜。神容讓他們如此踐踏天地一切神聖之事，這會是為祂的尊榮嗎？
三、他的禱告不久就變為讚美（詩13:5,6）：但我的心要快樂，我要向耶和華歌唱。短短幾行之內有何等的驚人變化！在詩篇開頭，我們看見他下垂、戰兢，幾乎要沉入憂鬱和絕望之中；但在詩篇末了，他卻因神歡喜，在讚美中被提升、被擴展。請看信心的能力、禱告的能力，並親近神是何等美好。我們若將憂慮和憂愁帶到施恩寶座前、留在那裡，便可以如哈拿那樣離去，「面貌再不帶愁容了」，撒上1:18。在此請注意他得安慰的方法。1. 神的憐憫是他信心的扶持。「我的境況壞極了，我簡直以為無可救藥——直到我想到神無限的良善；但發現我有這位可信靠的，我便得了安慰，儘管我自己毫無功勞。從前的患難中，我倚靠過神的憐憫，我從未發現它使我失望；祂的憐憫到了時候解救了我，我對它的信靠在此期間扶持了我。即便在這次患難的深處——當神向我掩面、外面有爭戰、裡面有恐懼之時——我仍倚靠神的憐憫，那正如風暴中的錨，藉著它我雖被拋擲，卻不至傾覆。」並且我仍倚靠祢的憐憫（有人如此譯）——「我把自己交託給它，確信它至終必為我成就美事。」他以此向神懇求，因為他知道祂喜悅那「仰望祂慈愛的人」，詩147:11。2. 他對神憐憫的信心，使他的心因祂的救恩充滿喜樂；因為喜樂和平安是「因信」而來的，羅15:13。「雖然如今沒有看見，卻因信祂就有說不出來、滿有榮光的大喜樂」，彼前1:8。他既信靠神的憐憫，便完全確信拯救，也確信他那如今每日憂傷的心，必因那救恩歡喜。雖然哭泣持久，喜樂終必歸回。3. 他因神救恩而有的喜樂，必使他口充滿讚美之歌（詩13:6）：我要向耶和華歌唱——唱著記念祂從前所行的；即便我再不能恢復從前所有的平安，我也要為曾經擁有它而稱頌神而死。祂從前用厚恩待我，祂要因此得著榮耀，無論祂如今喜悅如何待我。我要因盼望祂至終為我所行的而歌唱，確信一切必以美善結局，以永遠的福樂結局。但他說這話如同已成就的事（祂用厚恩待我），因為他憑信心已經領受了救恩的憑據，並且對此有把握，如同已經成就了一樣。
我們唱這詩、以此禱告時，若沒有大衛那樣的哀訴可發，就當為自己沒有而感謝神，當懼怕並求神不要收回祂的同在，當體恤那些心靈受困擾的人，並在我們至聖的信心和喜樂中激勵自己。
英文原文
David's Complaints and Prayers Turned into Praises
To the chief musician. A psalm of David.
¹ How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
² How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
³ Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
⁴ Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
⁵ But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
⁶ I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
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 (Ps 13:1,2); and the afflicted have liberty to pour out their complaint before the Lord, Ps 102:1 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 parresia—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, Ps 13:3,4. 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, 1Sa 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 (Ps 13:5,6): 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, 1Sa 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, Ps 147:11. 2. His faith in God's mercy filled his heart with joy in his salvation; for joy and peace come by believing, Ro 15:13. Believing, you rejoice, 1Pe 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 (Ps 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.
本篇詩篇論述的是被遺棄之靈的處境與其救治。它是否為某特定事件而作並未顯明，但總體而言：一、大衛哀傷地訴說神已長久向他隱退、遲遲不來解救他（詩 13:1-2）。二、他懇切地求神顧念他的苦情並賜他安慰（詩 13:3-4）。三、他確信必得著平安的回應，因此以喜樂與誇勝結束本篇，因為他認定自己的拯救如同已經成就了一般（詩 13:5-6）。