Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 102:2
Hide not thy face from me in the day [when] I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day [when] I call answer me speedily.
Hide not thy face from me – The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this, Do not turn away thy face from me. The sense is essentially the same. The prayer is, that God would not refuse to look graciously upon him; that he would turn his attention to him; that he would regard his supplications. See the notes at Psa 10:1; compare Psa 13:1; Psa 27:9; Job 13:24; Job 34:29; Deu 31:17.
In the day when I am in trouble – When sorrows come upon me; when I need thy gracious help. Literally, When there is distress to me.
Incline thine ear unto me – See Psa 5:1, note; Psa 17:6, note; compare Psa 17:1; Psa 55:1; Psa 86:6; Psa 39:12.
In the day when I call, answer me speedily – Grant at once my requests; give me immediate evidence that my prayer is heard. The psalmist believed in an immediate answer to prayer. He often had evidence that his prayer was answered at once; his mind became calm; he had comfort and peace; he obtained the blessing which he earnestly sought. No one can doubt that prayer may be answered at once; no one who prays can fail to find such answers in his own case, in his peace, his calmness, his joy. In multitudes of cases blessings are granted in such a way that there can be no doubt that they have come in answer to prayer. Compare the notes at Dan 9:20-23.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble,…. Thy Shechinah, as the Targum: when God hides his face at any time from his people, it is a trouble to them, and very grievous; but especially when they are in any other trouble besides; it is very afflicting, indeed, when to their outward trouble this is added, which was Job’s case, Job 23:1, incline thine ear unto me; condescend, in great grace and goodness, to stoop and bow thine ear, and listen to the voice of my supplication: in the day when I call, answer me speedily; good men are always for speedy answers of prayer; they would have them the day, the hour, the moment they are calling upon God: sometimes answers are returned as soon,
Isa 65:24, the case of the psalmist was very distressing, and, as he thought at least, required haste, and therefore requests a speedy answer.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2 Hide not thy face from me in the day of my affliction The prayer, that God would not hide his face, is far from being superfluous. As the people had been languishing in captivity for the space of nearly seventy years, it might seem that God had for ever turned away his favor from them. But they are, notwithstanding, commanded, in their extreme affliction, to have recourse to prayer as their only remedy. They affirm that they cry in the day of their affliction, not as hypocrites are accustomed to do, who utter their complaints in a tumultuous manner, but because they feel that they are then called upon by God to cry to him.
Make haste, answer me Having elsewhere spoken more fully of these forms of expression, it may suffice, at present, briefly to observe, that when God permits us to lay open before him our infirmities without reserve, and patiently bears with our foolishness, he deals in a way of great tenderness towards us. To pour out our complaints before him after the manner of little children would certainly be to treat his Majesty with very little reverence, were it not that he has been pleased to allow us such freedom. I purposely make use of this illustration, that the weak, who are afraid to draw near to God, may understand that they are invited to him with such gentleness as that nothing may hinder them from familiarly and confidently approaching him.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) This verse may be better arranged, Hide not . . . in the day of my trouble. Incline . . . in the day when I call. Answer me speedily.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 102:2 Hide not thy face from me in the day [when] I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day [when] I call answer me speedily.
Ver. 2. Hide not thy face from me ] For this would be worse than all the rest. See Jer 16:13 , “I will cast you out of this land, and I will show you no favour.” This last was a cutting speech, and far worse than their captivity; and yet,
Non exul curae dicitur esse Deo.
Answer me speedily ] Festina, responde. In our earnest prayers we may press for expedition in general, not tying God to any particular time, as those Bethulians did in the Book of Judith.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Hide: Psa 13:1, Psa 27:9, Psa 69:17, Psa 88:14, Psa 104:29, Psa 143:7, Job 34:29, Isa 8:17, Isa 43:2, 1Co 10:13
incline: Psa 71:2, Psa 88:2-18
in the day: Psa 22:19, Psa 40:13, Psa 70:1, Job 7:21, Isa 65:24, Act 12:5-25
Reciprocal: 1Ki 8:59 – nigh Psa 31:2 – deliver Psa 77:2 – In the