Devotional Short Note on Psalm 13: David
is writing here a poem using four times the same expression. In Daniel 8:13
there is an ad-matay question meaning: “Until when…” Scholars did not know in
this case what to do since it reads ad-anah. So they suggested “How long?”
Actually, the word anah is not what the Rabbis of the Middle Ages made it to
be, namely a fusion or crasis between Ah and nah. It is the Late Egyptian word ìnḫ
meaning “to surround, to envelop, to enclose, to encompass, to hem-in”. The
idea is for David here, “Until the enclosing [of his tomb], will You forget me,
the end?” The word “end” is used to translate the Hebrew word nṣḥ but
again the option are many, so another one will be added from the Late Egyptian
nsḳ meaning “pointed speech”. “Will You forget me, the [pointed speech]?” He
desires a strong relationship with God between now and his funeral [or
enclosing in a tomb]. “Until the enclosing [of his tomb], I will take counsel
in my soul” (13:3). “Having sorrow in my heart daily” (13:13b). He wants the
Lord to look at him and answer him (13:4a). He wants the Lord to lighten his
eyes lest he sleep the sleep of death (13:4b). The Bible view death as a sleep.
In the Talmud it was stated that “sleep is a sixtieth part of death” and “the
incomplete experience of death is sleep”. Lest his enemies will rejoice over
him (13:5). However, in His mercy he trusts, his heart shall rejoice in His
salvation (13:6b). He will sing to the Lord because of all the deeds to him
(13:6d).