Psalm 13 - Who is it Written for Anyway?

ByRis Golden-Sieradski

תהילים י״ג:א׳-ו׳

(א) לַמְנַצֵּחַ מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד. (ב) עַד אָנָה יקוק תִּשְׁכָּחֵנִי נֶצַח

עַד אָנָה תַּסְתִּיר אֶת פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי.

(ג) עַד אָנָה אָשִׁית עֵצוֹת בְּנַפְשִׁי יָגוֹן בִּלְבָבִי יוֹמָם

עַד אָנָה יָרוּם אֹיְבִי עָלָי.

(ד) הַבִּיטָה עֲנֵנִי יקוק אֱלֹהָי הָאִירָה עֵינַי פֶּן אִישַׁן הַמָּוֶת. (ה) פֶּן יֹאמַר אֹיְבִי יְכָלְתִּיו צָרַי יָגִילוּ כִּי אֶמּוֹט. (ו) וַאֲנִי בְּחַסְדְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי יָגֵל לִבִּי בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ אָשִׁירָה לַיקוק כִּי גָמַל עָלָי.

Psalms 13:1-6

(1) For the Leader. A Psalm of David. (2) How long, O LORD, will You forget me for ever? How long will You hide Your face from me? (3) How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart by day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? (4) Behold You, and answer me, O LORD my God; Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; (5) Lest my enemy says: 'I have prevailed against him'; Lest my adversaries rejoice when I am moved. (6) But as for me, in Your mercy do I trust; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

Radak on Psalms 13:1

For the leader a Psalm of David - this is the psalm that David said in the moment of his distress from his enemies; or it is said in the language of exile, and this is correct.

Radak on Psalms 13:2 - ...Rabbi Yitzchak said: "an eye for an eye (Midah K'neged Midah). Hakadosh Baruch Hu said: 'I said ad ana four times accordingly...'" (See verses below for the sources brought here)....

שמות ט״ז:כ״ח

(כח) וַיֹּאמֶר יקוק אֶל מֹשֶׁה עַד אָנָה מֵאַנְתֶּם לִשְׁמֹר מִצְו‍ֹתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי.

Exodus 16:28

(28) And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘How long refuse ye to keep My commandments and My laws?

במדבר י״ד:י״א

(יא) וַיֹּאמֶר יקוק אֶל מֹשֶׁה עַד אָנָה יְנַאֲצֻנִי הָעָם הַזֶּה וְעַד אָנָה לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ בִי בְּכֹל הָאֹתוֹת אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ.

Numbers 14:11

(11) And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘How long will this people despise Me? and how long will they not believe in Me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them?

במדבר י״ד:כ״ז

(כז) עַד מָתַי לָעֵדָה הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה מַלִּינִים עָלָי אֶת תְּלֻנּוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה מַלִּינִים עָלַי שָׁמָעְתִּי.

Numbers 14:27

(27) ’How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, that keep murmuring against Me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they keep murmuring against Me.

Radak on Psalms 13:2 (continued)

It is this future that I wanted to pass on to you through the four kingdoms, and you cried out to me four times: How long, O LORD, will You forget me for ever? - in Babylonia; How long will You hide Your face from me? - in Persia; How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart by day? - in Greece; How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? - in Rome.