Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
-The Second division of the Second part. Prayer for God's mercy as the source to us of joy, and of the establishment of our work.
Verse 13. Return - from the wrath which now lies upon us. So Exodus 32:12.
How long? - how long wilt thou be angry with us?
And let it repent thee concerning thy servants. Parallel to the Pentateuch, "The Lord shall repent Himself for His servants;" on which rests Psalms 135:14. God is said to repent when, having first vindicated His justice in punishing sin, He then gives the sinner joy instead of sadness. The language is phenomenal, and relates to things as they appear to us. God is the same unchanging God of justice and of love alike when He comforts as when He punishes.
Verse 14. O satisfy us early with thy mercy. "Early" - literally, in the morning, as in Psalms 46:5.
Verse 15. Make us glad according to the days ... the years wherein we have seen evil. A special Hebrew form of termination for "days" occurs here, as also in Deuteronomy 32:7, and in both places in connection with years" х yªmowt (H3117) ... shªnowt (H8141): the connection suggested the special ending]; an undesigned coincidence and proof of Moses' authorship of this psalm. 'In proportion as thou hast for many days and years afflicted us, so for many days and years gladden us.' God does infinitely better for His people. "For your shame ye shall have double" (Isaiah 61:7).
Verse 16. Let thy work appear unto thy servants - thy work of saving and gladdening us (Psalms 90:15; Psalms 92:4; Habakkuk 3:2).
And thy glory unto their children - thy glorious power as the source of joyful deliverance.
Verse 17. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us - (see note, Psalms 26:4) - His beautiful dealing toward His people in grace, wisdom, and love.
And establish thou the work of our hands upon us - give success to all that we undertake in our temporal and spiritual concerns (cf. Deuteronomy 24:19). The words, "upon us," imply that the blessing upon our work must come from above.