Shared ground
These lines hold two things together: continued prayer and sharp protest. The speaker is still addressing Yahweh by name, and the prayer is pictured as coming into God’s presence “in the morning” (explicit textual claims). At the same time, the speaker describes God as rejecting them and hiding his face, and asks “why” twice (explicit textual claims).
The theology implied by the speech is that lament is still speech to God, not a turning away from God. The speaker assumes Yahweh is the proper listener, even while accusing Yahweh of distance (inference anchored to the pairing of prayer and protest).
Where interpretation differs (only where needed)
Some read “reject my soul” as mainly describing the speaker’s inner experience: they feel pushed away and interpret ongoing suffering as rejection. Others think the wording is meant to describe God’s real stance at that moment: the speaker believes God is actively refusing them, at least for a time.
Some also differ on what “hide your face” means. One reading treats it as God’s silence—no answer, no relief. Another treats it as anger or disfavor. Another treats it as withdrawal of attention without specifying the reason.
Why the disagreement exists
The poem reports the speaker’s complaint directly, without narrating God’s reasons or correcting the speaker. The images (“reject,” “hide your face”) are relational and metaphor-like, so they can describe either an experienced reality (how things feel) or a claimed divine posture (what God is doing), and the verse itself does not settle that.
What this passage clearly contributes
It shows a form of faithfulness that is not calm: the speaker renews prayer at daybreak while still naming God as the source of their felt abandonment. The “morning” detail frames the lament as ongoing and repeated, not a one-time outburst (inference from timing + continued crying). The passage also makes “God’s hidden face” a central way the Psalms talk about divine absence—God is still the addressee even when God’s favor and attention seem missing (explicit language + immediate address to Yahweh).
