Psalm 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; David was under no ordinary distress of mind, arising from some adversity into which he had fallen through the instrumentality of a fellow mortal. David knew that adversity is uniformly attended with one of two results: either a serious consideration of the causes which have brought down these inflictions and a consequent turning to God, or a reckless inattention to and a hardened disregard of the dealings of God's providence, which eventually lead to an utter disregard of Him here, and an eternal separation from His favour and presence hereafter. In the text we have three petitions — 1. That the Lord would condescend to make him the object of His most gracious consideration. He grounds his plea upon a sense of utter helplessness in the sight of God. How blessed are days of adversity, when they bring with them such distrust in ourselves, and such unshaken confidence in the protection of God! 2. That the eyes of his spiritual understanding might be lightened. 3. That he might not be permitted to sleep the sleep of death. By death the Psalmist does not exclusively mean the separation of soul and body. We are inclined to think he is praying for deliverance from that spiritual death in which all, though naturally alive, are involved, on whose heart the spirit of the living God has not wrought a saving work. (James Robertson, A. M.) Parallel Verses KJV: Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;WEB: Behold, and answer me, Yahweh, my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death; |
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