Psalms 9:13

13 Have mercy on me, LORD. See my affliction by those who hate me, And lift me up from the gates of death;

Psalms 9:13 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 9:13

Have mercy upon me, O Lord
The psalmist proceeds to petitions on his own account in this verse: the ends he proposes by the fulfilling of them are mentioned in the next. A good man, a man called by the grace of God, though he has obtained mercy of the Lord, yet still stands in need of more, of fresh discoveries of pardoning grace and mercy, of merciful supplies, of merciful support, and merciful deliverances from enemies, inward and outward: and such an one flees to God, and not to the creature; and pleads, not his own dignity, righteousness, or merit, but the mercy of God;

consider, my trouble [which I suffer] of them that hate me;
or "see my affliction because of mine enemies" ^F12; look upon me under it with an eye of pity and compassion, and help and deliver me; and look upon mine enemies that give me this trouble, and take vengeance on them;

thou that liftest me up from the gates of death;
the house appointed for all living; that is, from the power of it, when just upon the brink of it; when near it, as a person is to an house, when he is at the gates of it; either through sickness, or some violent distemper of body, as Hezekiah was; or through some imminent danger in battle, as David was when engaged with Goliath; when everyone thought, as Kimchi observes, that he should fall by his hand: or it may be this may have respect to his being raised up from the death of sin, and delivered from the power of darkness; to his being brought out of the horrible pit and miry clay of an unregenerate state, and set upon the rock of salvation; which is a lifting up indeed, an exaltation from a very low to a very high estate: and this the psalmist takes notice of to encourage his faith; and makes use of it as an argument with God, that as he had dealt so graciously and bountifully with him, he would still show mercy to him, and look upon him under his affliction.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F12 (yanwvm yyne har) "intuere afflictionem meum propter osores meos", Gejerus.

Psalms 9:13 In-Context

11 Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Tziyon, And declare among the people what he has done.

12 For he who avenges blood remembers them. He doesn't forget the cry of the afflicted.

13 Have mercy on me, LORD. See my affliction by those who hate me, And lift me up from the gates of death;

14 That I may show forth all your praise. In the gates of the daughter of Tziyon I will rejoice in your salvation.

15 The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made; In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken.