John Calvin Commentary Psalms 13:5

"But I have trusted in thy lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation." — Psalms 13:5 (ASV)

The Psalmist does not yet feel how much he has benefited from praying. However, relying on the hope of deliverance, which God's faithful promise enabled him to hold, he uses this hope as a shield to repel those temptations whose terror might greatly distress him.

Therefore, although he is severely afflicted, and a multitude of cares urge him to despair, he nevertheless declares his resolution to remain firm in his reliance on God's grace and in the hope of salvation. All the godly ought to be equipped and sustained with this very same confidence, so that they may properly persevere in prayer.

From this, we also gather what I have previously pointed out: that it is by faith we grasp God's grace, which is hidden from and unknown to carnal understanding.

Since the verbs the Psalmist uses are not in the same tense, different meanings can be drawn from them. However, I have no doubt that David here wishes to testify that he remained firm in the hope of the deliverance promised to him, and would continue to do so even to the end, however heavy the burden of temptations that might press upon him.

Accordingly, the word exult is put in the future tense to denote the continued expression of the emotion spoken of, and to show that no affliction will ever shake the joy of faith from his heart. It should be observed that he places God's goodness first as the cause of his deliverance: I will sing unto the Lord. I translate this in the future tense.

It is true that David had not yet obtained what he earnestly desired. However, being fully convinced that God was already near to grant him deliverance, he pledges to give thanks to God for it. And surely, it is fitting for us to engage in prayer in such a frame of mind that we are at the same time ready to sing God's praises; this is impossible unless we are fully persuaded that our prayers will not be ineffective.

We may not be wholly free from sorrow, but it is nevertheless necessary that this cheerfulness of faith rise above it and put a song in our mouths because of the joy reserved for us in the future, even though we have not yet experienced it. This is just as we see David here preparing himself to celebrate God's grace in songs before he sees the outcome of his troubles.

The Hebrew word גמל (gamal), which others translate as to reward, here signifies nothing other than to bestow a benefit from pure grace, and this is its meaning in many other passages of Scripture. What kind of thanksgiving, I ask you to consider, would that be, to say that God rewarded and gave His servant due recompense?

This is sufficient to refute the absurd and trivial sophistry of those who twist this passage to prove the merit of works. In short, the only thing that remains to be observed is that David, in hastening with eagerness of soul to sing of God’s benefits before he had received them, places the deliverance, which was then apparently at a distance, immediately before his eyes.