John Calvin Commentary Psalms 69:13

"But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Jehovah, in an acceptable time: O God, in the abundance of thy lovingkindness, Answer me in the truth of thy salvation." — Psalms 69:13 (ASV)

But as for me, my prayer is to thee, O Jehovah! It was a sign of uncommon virtue in David that even this hard treatment could not shake his mind and sink him into despondency. He informs us of the means by which he fortified himself against that terrible stumbling-block.

When the wicked directed against him their witty and scoffing remarks, as if engines of war, to overthrow his faith, the means to which he resorted for repelling all their assaults was pouring out his heart in prayer to God. He was constrained to keep silence before men, and, being thus driven out from the world, he turned to God.

Likewise, although the faithful in the present day may be unable to make any impression upon the wicked, they will ultimately triumph, provided they withdraw from the world and go directly to God to present their prayers before Him. The meaning, in short, is that David, having tried every means in his power and finding that his labor was in vain, stopped dealing with men and dealt with God only.

What follows, a time of thy favor, O God! is explained differently by many interpreters, who read the two clauses of the verse in one sentence, thus: But as for me, I prayed to God in a time of his favor; corresponding to that passage in Isaiah 55:6, “Call ye upon him while he is near.” Others interpret it this way: I prayed that the time of favor might come, and that God would begin to be merciful to me. But David is rather speaking of the consolation which he then received by reflecting that although it was now a time of trouble for him, and although his prayers seemed to be altogether unavailing, yet God’s favor would also have its turn. Thus the Prophet Habakkuk says,

“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will
watch to see what he will say unto me.” (Habakkuk 2:1)

Likewise, Isaiah says, “I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob” (Isaiah 8:17); and Jeremiah says, “We will wait upon thee” (Jeremiah 14:22). The only means by which, in our affliction, we can obtain the victory is by hope shining in us in the midst of darkness, and by the sustaining influence that arises from waiting for the favor of God.

After David has thus fortified himself for continued perseverance in the attitude of waiting, he immediately adds, Answer me in the multitude of thy goodness; and to goodness he joins the truth of salvation, intimating that God’s mercy is proved by indubitable effect when He helps His servants who are reduced to the very depths of despair.

What prompted him to present this prayer was his full persuasion that the darkness in which he was now involved would in due time be dispelled, and that a serene and unclouded season of God’s favor would succeed. This persuasion arose from his recalling all his thoughts to God, lest he should faint because of the harassing treatment he received from the wicked.