Psalms 89:46
in Psalms 89How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath keep burning like fire?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
How long, O Jehovah? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? How long shall thy wrath burn like fire?
KJV
How long, Lord? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?
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This verse in Psalms 89
Commentary
7 notes on this verseHow long, Lord? The appeal is to Jehovah, and the argument is the length of the affliction endured. Chastisement with a rod is not a lengthened matter, therefore he appeals to God to cut short the time of tribulation. Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? Hast thou not promised to appear for thor servant—wilt thou then for ever forsake him? Shall thy wrath burn like fire? Shall it go on and on evermore till it utterly consume its object? Be pleased to set a bound! How far wilt thou go?
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Let us therefore see whether God fulfils His promises. After these stern penalties which have been recorded as having been inflicted upon this people and kingdom, that God might not be supposed to have fulfilled His promises in it, and so not to grant another kingdom in Christ, of which kingdom there shall be no end; the Prophet addresses Him in these words, "Lord, how long wilt Thou hide Thyself unto the end?" (ver. 46). For possibly it was not from them and to the end; because "blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, and so all Israel shall be saved." But in the mean while "shall Thy wrath burn like fire."
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The shortness of life, and the certainty of death: "Lord, let thy anger cease, and return thou, in mercy to us, remembering how short my time is and how sure the period of my time. Lord, since my life is so transitory, and will, ere long, be at an end, let it not be always so miserable that I should rather choose no being at all than such a being." Job pleads thus, ch. x.
How long, Lord, wilt thou hide thyself? for ever?....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
How long, Lord? The appeal is to Jehovah, and the argument is the length of the affliction endured. Chastisement with a rod is not a lengthened matter, therefore he appeals to God to cut short the time of tribulation. Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? Hast thou not promised to appear for thor servant—wilt thou then for ever forsake him? Shall thy wrath burn like fire? Shall it go on and on evermore till it utterly consume its object? Be pleased to set a bound! How far wilt thou go? Wilt thou burn up the throne which thou hast sworn to perpetuate? Even thus we would entreat the Lord to remember the cause of Christ in these days. Can he be so angry with his church as to leave her much longer? How far will he suffer things to go? Shall truth die out, and saints exist no more? How long will he leave matters to take their course? Surely he must interpose soon, for, if he do not, true religion will be utterly consumed, as it were, with fire.
How long, Lord? - The promise cannot utterly fail. When then, O Lord, wilt thou restore the kingdom to Israel?
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
How long, Lord? - How long is this to continue? Can it be that this is to continue always? Is there to be no change for the better? Are the promises which have been made, never to be fulfilled? Compare Psa 13:1, note; Psa 77:7-9, notes. Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? - Thy favor. Wilt thou never come forth and manifest thyself as the Helper of those who trust in thee? Shall thy wrath burn like fire? - Fire which entirely consumes; fire which never ceases as long as there is anything to burn; fire which never puts itself out, but which wholly destroys that on which it preys.
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| מָ֣ה | mah | when? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| יְ֭הוָה | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| תִּסָּתֵ֣ר | tisater | will you hide yourself? | H5641 → | 80 times |
| לָנֶ֑צַח | lanetzach | to perpetuity | H5331 → | 43 times |
| תִּבְעַ֖ר | tivar | will it burn? | H1197 → | 94 times |
| כְּמוֹ־ | kemov- | like | H3644 → | 143 times |
| אֵ֣שׁ | ʾesh | a fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| חֲמָתֶֽךָ׃ | chamatekha | anger your | H2534 → | 125 times |
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
מָ֣הwhen?
mahH4100 →752 times
יְ֭הוָהO Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
תִּסָּתֵ֣רwill you hide yourself?
tisaterH5641 →80 times
לָנֶ֑צַחto perpetuity
lanetzachH5331 →43 times
תִּבְעַ֖רwill it burn?
tivarH1197 →94 times
כְּמוֹ־like
kemov-H3644 →143 times
אֵ֣שׁa fire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
חֲמָתֶֽךָ׃anger your
chamatekhaH2534 →125 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 8:17I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him.
it leads to
- Hebrews 10:36–39
You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.
- Habakkuk 2:3
For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay.
- Isaiah 25:9
And in that day it will be said, “Surely this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited. Let us…
- Lamentations 3:25–26
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
- Psalms 33:20
Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.
- Hebrews 10:36–39
Through
Isaiah 45:15Truly You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.
it leads to
- Psalms 44:24
Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 8:17
I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him.
- Psalms 44:24
Through
Psalms 88:14Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
it leads to
- Job 13:24
Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy?
- Job 13:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 89; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.