Psalm 143:7

7 Eilends erhöre mich, Jehova! Es verschmachtet mein Geist. Verbirg dein Angesicht nicht vor mir! Sonst werde ich denen gleich sein, die zur Grube hinabfahren.

Psalm 143:7 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 143:7

Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth
Ready to sink, swoon, and faint away, through the weight of the affliction on him, by reason of the persecution of his enemy, and for want of the divine Presence; hence the Targum renders it,

``my spirit desireth thee;''

see ( Song of Solomon 5:6 ) ( Isaiah 57:16 ) ; and therefore entreats that God would hear and answer him quickly; or, "make haste to answer" him, and not delay, lest he should be quite gone. Wherefore it follows,

hide not thy face from me;
nothing is more desirable to a good man than the "face" or presence of God, the light of his countenance, and sensible communion with him; which may be said to be "hid" when he withdraws his gracious presence, and withholds the discoveries of his love, and the manifestations of his free grace and favour; which he sometimes does on account of sin, and is the case at times of the best of saints; and is consistent with the love of God, though very grieving to them, and therefore here deprecated: the Targum is,

``cause not thy Shechinah to remove from me;''

lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit;
either the house of the grave, as the Targum; look wan and pale, become lifeless and spiritless, or like a dead man; for as in the favour of God is life, his absence is as death: or the pit of hell, the pit of destruction; that is, be in such horror and despair, and under such apprehensions of divine wrath, as the damned feel.

Psalm 143:7 In-Context

5 Ich gedenke der Tage der Vorzeit, überlege all dein Tun; ich sinne über das Werk deiner Hände.

6 Zu dir breite ich meine Hände aus; gleich einem lechzenden Lande lechzt meine Seele nach dir. (Sela.)

7 Eilends erhöre mich, Jehova! Es verschmachtet mein Geist. Verbirg dein Angesicht nicht vor mir! Sonst werde ich denen gleich sein, die zur Grube hinabfahren.

8 Laß mich früh hören deine Güte, denn auf dich vertraue ich; tue mir kund den Weg, den ich wandeln soll, denn zu dir erhebe ich meine Seele!

9 Errette mich, Jehova, von meinen Feinden! Zu dir nehme ich meine Zuflucht.