John Calvin Commentary Psalms 13:1

"How long, O Jehovah? wilt thou forget me for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?" — Psalms 13:1 (ASV)

How long, O Jehovah. It is very true that David was so greatly hated by most people, because of the slanders and false reports that had been spread about him, that almost everyone judged that God was no less hostile to him than Saul and his other enemies were.

But here he does not speak so much according to the opinion of others as according to his own feelings, when he complains of being neglected by God. It is not that the conviction of the truth of God’s promises was extinguished in his heart, or that he did not rest in His grace; but when we are weighed down by calamities for a long time, and when we do not perceive any sign of divine aid, this thought inevitably forces itself upon us: that God has forgotten us.

To acknowledge in the midst of our afflictions that God really cares about us is not the usual way for people, nor what natural feelings would prompt; but by faith we perceive His invisible providence. Thus, it seemed to David, as far as could be judged from observing the actual state of his affairs, that he was forsaken by God.

At the same time, however, the eyes of his mind, guided by the light of faith, penetrated even to the grace of God, although it was hidden in darkness. When he saw no ray of good hope in any direction he turned, as far as human reason could judge, constrained by grief, he cried out that God did not regard him. Yet, by this very complaint, he gives evidence that faith enabled him to rise higher and to conclude, contrary to the judgment of the flesh, that his welfare was secure in the hand of God.

If it had been otherwise, how could he have directed his groanings and prayers to Him? Following this example, we must wrestle against temptations in such a way as to be assured by faith, even in the very midst of the conflict, that the calamities that urge us to despair must be overcome. This is just as we see that the infirmity of the flesh could not hinder David from seeking God and turning to Him. And so, in this struggle, he has very beautifully united emotions that are apparently contrary to each other.

The words, How long, for ever? are an incomplete expression, but they are much more emphatic than if he had asked the question in the usual way: Why for so long a time?

By speaking this way, he helps us understand that to cherish his hope and encourage himself in the exercise of patience, he looked far ahead. Therefore, he is not complaining about a calamity lasting only a few days, as the faint-hearted and cowardly are accustomed to do, who see only what is right in front of them and immediately succumb at the first assault. He teaches us, therefore, by his example, to look as far as possible into the future, so that our present grief may not entirely deprive us of hope.