What is the meaning of Psalm 102:13?

You will rise up

“You will arise…” (Psalm 102:13a)

• The psalmist expects the LORD to stand and take action, echoing earlier cries like “Arise, O LORD; save me” (Psalm 3:7).

• God is never passive about His covenant; when He rises, deliverance follows (Psalm 12:5; Isaiah 33:10).

• This movement pictures a King leaving His throne to defend His people, assuring us that heaven does not ignore earth’s distress (Psalm 44:26).

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and have compassion on Zion

“…and have compassion on Zion…” (Psalm 102:13b)

• “Zion” points first to Jerusalem, representing the nation God chose (2 Samuel 5:7; Isaiah 14:1).

• Compassion means tender, gut-level mercy that moves God to restore (Lamentations 3:22–23).

• Prophets foretold the same mercy: “My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion” (Zechariah 1:17).

• The promise stands: God’s heart is toward His covenant people and, by extension, all who are grafted in through faith in Messiah (Romans 11:17-24).

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for it is time to show her favor

“…for it is time to show her favor…” (Psalm 102:13c)

• “Time” here speaks of a season God Himself schedules (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

• Favor means undeserved grace—exactly what the exiles needed then and what sinners need now (Ephesians 2:8-9).

• Isaiah foresaw it: “In a time of favor I will answer you” (Isaiah 49:8), a passage Paul links to the gospel age—“Now is the favorable time” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

• When God declares the season of grace, no enemy, circumstance, or personal failure can cancel it (Jeremiah 30:18-19).

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the appointed time has come

“…the appointed time has come.” (Psalm 102:13d)

• God works by appointments, not accidents (Habakkuk 2:3).

• The exile had an expiration date, just as the world’s sorrow will cease at Christ’s return (Acts 3:19-21).

• The phrase reminds us of the precision of redemption: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son” (Galatians 4:4).

• Every promise—including final restoration for Israel (Romans 11:26) and resurrection for believers (1 Corinthians 15:52)—will arrive right on schedule.

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summary

Psalm 102:13 assures believers that the LORD personally rises to act, pours out compassion on Zion, and does so at the exact moment He has ordained. His timetable is perfect, His mercy certain, and His covenant unbreakable. Whatever captive season we face, we can rest in the same promise: when God’s appointed time dawns, favor floods in and restoration follows.