Psalm 102:13 kjv
Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
Psalm 102:13 nkjv
You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come.
Psalm 102:13 niv
You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.
Psalm 102:13 esv
You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come.
Psalm 102:13 nlt
You will arise and have mercy on Jerusalem ?
and now is the time to pity her,
now is the time you promised to help.
Psalm 102 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 60:1 | Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. | Echoes the 'arise' for Zion's glory. |
| Psa 102:12 | But you, LORD, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures... | Contrasts human frailty with God's eternal reign. |
| Psa 147:2 | The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. | Direct mention of God building up Jerusalem. |
| Isa 40:1 | "Comfort, comfort my people," says your God. "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem..." | Prophecy of comfort for Jerusalem, showing favor. |
| Jer 29:10 | For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill my good word... | God's appointed time for restoration after exile. |
| Dan 9:24 | "Seventy weeks are decreed concerning your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression..." | Divine timing and appointed period for Jerusalem. |
| Hab 2:3 | For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. | Emphasizes a sure, divinely appointed time. |
| Ecc 3:1 | For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven... | Highlights God's sovereign control over timing. |
| Gal 4:4 | But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son... | God acts precisely at the "appointed time." |
| Acts 1:7 | He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority." | God's authority over specific times and seasons. |
| Psa 68:1 | May God arise, may his enemies be scattered... | God "arises" for active intervention against foes. |
| Isa 33:10 | "Now I will arise," says the LORD, "now I will lift myself up; now I will be exalted." | God's active, decisive self-exaltation. |
| Psa 84:11 | For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor... | God's bestowal of favor on His people. |
| Psa 78:38 | Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquity... | God's compassionate and forgiving nature. |
| Isa 49:13 | Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth... For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. | God's comfort and compassion for His people. |
| Isa 54:7-8 | "For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you." | God's great compassion after a period of abandonment. |
| Zec 8:3 | Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem... | God's return and restoration of Zion. |
| Neh 2:17 | Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins..." | Context of Jerusalem's ruin prior to restoration efforts. |
| Lam 2:2 | The Lord has swallowed up without mercy all the dwellings of Jacob... | The state of utter desolation of Jerusalem before divine intervention. |
| Heb 12:22 | But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... | Fulfillment in the New Covenant and spiritual Zion. |
| Rev 21:2 | And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God... | Ultimate fulfillment in the new heavens and earth. |
Psalm 102 verses
Psalm 102 13 Meaning
Psalm 102:13 is a declaration of unwavering faith that God will act decisively to restore Zion. After expressing deep lament, the psalmist confidently proclaims that the Lord, in His divine sovereignty and tender mercy, will rise up to show favor to Jerusalem and His people because the predetermined moment for His intervention and redemption has arrived. It speaks to a divinely orchestrated restoration after a period of desolation and suffering.
Psalm 102 13 Context
Psalm 102 is categorized as a lament, often reflecting the deep suffering of an individual and, by extension, the collective anguish of the exiled nation of Israel. The first half of the Psalm (vv. 1-11) is a cry from a profoundly afflicted individual, overwhelmed by pain and desolation, seeing his life wasting away. He likens himself to a perishing shadow and groans in solitude. This personal lament then transitions into a powerful affirmation of God's eternal nature and His enduring promises to Zion. Verse 13 marks a pivot point, moving from the present distress to a confident prophetic hope for future divine action. Historically, this Psalm is often understood to echo the feelings of God's people during times of national calamity, particularly the Babylonian exile and the subsequent desolation of Jerusalem, awaiting the time for God to "remember Zion" and rebuild it. The longing for divine favor and the restoration of Zion was central to the exiles' hope.
Psalm 102 13 Word analysis
- You (אַתָּה - Attah): Emphatic pronoun directly addressing God. It underscores the personal and sovereign nature of God's forthcoming action, distinct from any human effort.
- will arise (תָקוּם - takum): From the verb qum, meaning "to stand up, arise, exist." In this context, it signifies a decisive, active movement, implying God's cessation of perceived inaction or patience, initiating a powerful intervention. It suggests God is taking up a position for judgment and redemption.
- and have compassion (תְּרַחֵם - terachem): From the root racham, deeply rooted in the idea of a mother's tender affection or "womb-love." It denotes profound, visceral pity and loving-kindness that leads to saving action, more than just pity; it's a saving mercy stemming from a deep emotional connection.
- on Zion (צִיּוֹן - Tsiyon): Poetic and symbolic name for Jerusalem, specifically Mount Zion where the Temple stood. It represents not only the physical city but also God's dwelling place, His covenant people, and the spiritual center of their national and religious life.
- for it is time (כִּי עֵת - ki et): Ki acts as "because" or "for," introducing the reason for God's arising. Et (time) signifies a specific, opportune, or designated period rather than just chronological passage. It points to a divine moment of readiness.
- to show favor (לְחֶנְנָהּ - leḥannənah): From the verb ḥanan, meaning "to be gracious, show favor, give mercy, be disposed to act kindly." It implies an unearned act of divine grace and benevolence, stemming from God's character rather than Zion's merit.
- the appointed time (מוֹעֵד - mo'ed): Refers to a set time, a fixed festival, or a designated meeting. It carries a strong connotation of divine appointment and sovereign decree, a precise moment within God's predetermined plan that cannot be thwarted.
- has come (בָא - ba): Indicates certainty and arrival. It's not will come, but has come, conveying the immediacy and inevitability of the prophecy.
Words-Group Analysis:
- "You will arise and have compassion on Zion": This phrase portrays God as a powerful, personal agent whose deep, parental love for His people compels Him to stand up and act. It counters any perception of divine indifference or delayed intervention, emphasizing active, compassionate involvement.
- "for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come": This double affirmation underscores the divinely decreed timing. The first "time" (et) suggests an opportune moment has arrived for grace, while the second "appointed time" (mo'ed) emphasizes a specific, pre-determined, sovereignly established moment within God's grand plan for history and redemption. It communicates assurance that God operates according to His own perfect schedule.
Psalm 102 13 Bonus section
The concept of "the appointed time" (mo'ed) for God's favor suggests that human prayers and longings are not unanswered or futile, but are aligned with a greater divine schedule. This tension between earnest human plea and sovereign divine timing is a recurrent theme in Scripture, emphasizing God's control over historical unfolding. This verse thus speaks strongly to God's providence, assuring that even in the deepest despair, there is a fixed point in God's plan for renewal and the display of His grace. It hints at the future messianic hope and the New Testament fulfillment where the spiritual Zion—the Church—is established through Christ's coming at the "fullness of time." The rebuilding of Zion here is not just physical bricks and mortar, but the spiritual and redemptive work of gathering and comforting God's people.
Psalm 102 13 Commentary
Psalm 102:13 moves from profound individual and national lament to an expression of unshakeable faith in God's future redemptive work. The verse serves as a turning point in the psalm, a declaration that the period of desolation will end because God is sovereign and faithful to His covenant promises. "You will arise" portrays God not as a passive observer but as an active, initiating force ready to intervene. This "arising" is prompted by His deep "compassion," a tender, womb-like affection that propels Him to restore. Zion, representing the devastated Jerusalem and His afflicted people, is the object of this divine mercy. The pivotal assertion is "for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come." This is not a humanly determined season, but a divinely ordained "appointed time" (mo'ed), a set occasion known only to God, for His grace (favor) to be poured out. This theological certainty provides immense comfort to those suffering, reminding them that their affliction has a decreed end, and God's restoration, while perhaps delayed from a human perspective, is never uncertain and will occur at His perfect, sovereignly appointed moment.