Chapter Twelve

David, tormented and weakened by persecutions from Saul, with anguished cry turns to the Lord: when will they end? (verses 2-3). Protect me, Lord, do not give the enemy victory over me, grant me the ability to praise You in hymns (verses 4-6).

Psalm 12:2. How long, O Lord, will You forget me—forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? Psalm 12:3. How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? “Forget me forever” means to abandon to ultimate destruction. “Hide Your face” means to turn away Your mercy and refuse help. “Wrestle with my thoughts” means to devise ways of salvation. “Enemy triumph over me” means to gain the advantage. David portrays his situation during the persecutions by Saul as so exhausting and full of such reversals that he loses himself and becomes incapable of devising anything new for his salvation.

Psalm 12:4. Look on me and answer, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; “Give light to my eyes” means to give brightness to my eyes, instill courage and confidence that I will not perish (“or I will sleep in death”).

Psalm 12:5. or my enemy will say, “I have overcome him.” My foes will rejoice if I stumble. Do not allow my enemy to triumph, for such a triumph could serve for him as proof either of his rightness over David, whom God has abandoned to help because of his guilt, or of God’s powerlessness to protect His righteous one.

Psalm 12:6. But I trust in Your mercy; my heart rejoices in Your salvation; I will sing to the Lord, who has dealt bountifully with me, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. The salvation from God, long desired by David, will fill him with jubilation and praise of God in thanksgiving hymns.