Psalms 102
102
PSALM 102
Common Meter: 8,6,8,6
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord.
1O Lord, unto my pray'r give ear,
my cry let come to thee;
2And in the day of my distress
hide not thy face from me.
Give ear to me; what time I call,
to answer me make haste:
3For, as an hearth, my bones are burnt,
my days, like smoke, do waste.
4My heart within me smitten is,
and it is withered
Like very grass; so that I do
forget to eat my bread.
5By reason of my groaning voice
my bones cleave to my skin.
6Like pelican in wilderness
forsaken I have been:
I like an owl in desert am,
that nightly there doth moan;
7I watch, and like a sparrow am
on the house-top alone.
8My bitter en'mies all the day
reproaches cast on me;
And, being mad at me, with rage
against me sworn they be.
9For why? I ashes eaten have
like bread, in sorrows deep;
My drink I also mingled have
with tears that I did weep.
10Thy wrath and indignation
did cause this grief and pain;
For thou hast lift me up on high,
and cast me down again.
11My days are like unto a shade,
which doth declining pass;
And I am dry'd and withered,
ev'n like unto the grass.
12But thou, Lord, everlasting art,
and thy remembrance shall
Continually endure,
and be to generations all.
13Thou shalt arise, and mercy have
upon thy Sion yet;
The time to favour her is come,
the time that thou hast set.
14For in her rubbish and her stones
thy servants pleasure take;
Yea, they the very dust thereof
do favour for her sake.
15So shall the heathen people fear
the Lord's most holy name;
And all the kings on earth shall dread
thy glory and thy fame.
16When Sion by the mighty Lord
built up again shall be,
In glory then and majesty
to men appear shall he.
17The prayer of the destitute
he surely will regard;
Their prayer will he not despise,
by him it shall be heard.
18For generations yet to come
this shall be on record:
So shall the people that shall be
created praise the Lord.
19He from his sanctuary's height
hath downward cast his eye;
And from his glorious throne in heav'n
the Lord the earth did spy;
20That of the mournful prisoner
the groanings he might hear,
To set them free that unto death
by men appointed are:
21That they in Sion may declare
the Lord's most holy name,
And publish in Jerusalem
the praises of the same;
22When as the people gather shall
in troops with one accord,
When kingdoms shall assembled be
to serve the highest Lord.
23My wonted strength and force he hath
abated in the way,
And he my days hath shortened:
24Thus therefore did I say,
My God, in mid-time of my days
take thou me not away:
From age to age eternally
thy years endure and stay.
25The firm foundation of the earth
of old time thou hast laid;
The heavens also are the work
which thine own hands have made.
26Thou shalt for evermore endure,
but they shall perish all;
Yea, ev'ry one of them wax old,
like to a garment, shall:
Thou, as a vesture, shalt them change,
and they shall changed be:
27But thou the same art,
and thy years are to eternity.
28The children of thy servants shall
continually endure;
And in thy sight, O Lord, their seed
shall be establish'd sure.
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Psalms 102
102
Psalm 102#sn Psalm 102. The psalmist laments his oppressed state, but longs for a day when the Lord will restore Jerusalem and vindicate his suffering people.
The prayer of an oppressed man, as he grows faint and pours out his lament before the Lord.
1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my cry for help!#tn Heb “and may my cry for help come to you.”
2 Do not ignore me in my time of trouble!#tn Heb “do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble.” The idiom “to hide the face” can mean “to ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “to reject” (see Pss 29:7; 30:7; 88:14).
Listen to me!#tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
When I call out to you, quickly answer me!
3 For my days go up in smoke,#tn Heb “for my days come to an end in smoke.”
and my bones are charred like a fireplace.#tn The Hebrew noun מוֹ־קֵד (mo-qed, “fireplace”) occurs only here, in Isa 33:14 (where it refers to the fire itself), and perhaps in Lev 6:2.
4 My heart is parched#tn Heb “struck, attacked.” and withered like grass,
for I am unable#tn Heb “I forget.” to eat food.#sn I am unable to eat food. During his time of mourning, the psalmist refrained from eating. In the following verse he describes metaphorically the physical effects of fasting.
5 Because of the anxiety that makes me groan,
my bones protrude from my skin.#tn Heb “from the sound of my groaning my bone[s] stick to my flesh.” The preposition at the beginning of the verse is causal; the phrase “sound of my groaning” is metonymic for the anxiety that causes the groaning. The point seems to be this: Anxiety (which causes the psalmist to groan) keeps him from eating (v. 4). This physical deprivation in turn makes him emaciated – he is turned to “skin and bones,” so to speak.
6 I am like an owl#tn The Hebrew term קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). Modern translations have frequently rendered this as some type of owl (NIV, REB “desert owl”; NRSV “owl”). in the wilderness;
I am like a screech owl#tn The Hebrew term כוֹס (khos) refers to a bird (see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16), probably a type of owl (cf. NIV, REB “owl”; NRSV “little owl”). among the ruins.#sn By comparing himself to a screech owl among the ruins, the psalmist may be highlighting his loneliness (see v. 7), though he may also be comparing his cries for help to the owl’s screech.
7 I stay awake;#tn This probably refers to the psalmist’s inability to sleep. Another option is to translate, “I keep watch,” in which case it might refer to watching for a response from the Lord (see vv. 1-2).
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who mock me use my name in their curses.#tn Heb “by me they swear.” When the psalmist’s enemies call judgment down on others, they hold the psalmist up as a prime example of what they desire their enemies to become.
9 For I eat ashes as if they were bread,#sn Mourners would sometimes put ashes on their head or roll in ashes as a sign of mourning (see 2 Sam 13:19; Job 2:8; Isa 58:5).
and mix my drink with my tears,#tn Heb “weeping.”
10 because of your anger and raging fury.
Indeed,#tn Or “for.” you pick me up and throw me away.
11 My days are coming to an end,#tn Heb “my days [are] like an extended [or “lengthening”] shadow,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness.
and I am withered like grass.
12 But you, O Lord, rule forever,#tn Heb “sit” (i.e., sit enthroned, see Ps 9:7). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.
and your reputation endures.#tn Heb “and your remembrance [is] for a generation and a generation.”
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion.#tn The imperfect verbal forms are understood as expressing the psalmist’s confidence in God’s intervention. Another option is to take them as expressing the psalmist’s request or wish, “You, rise up and have compassion!”
For it is time to have mercy on her,
for the appointed time has come.
14 Indeed,#tn Or “for.” your servants take delight in her stones,
and feel compassion for#tn The Poel of חָנַן (khanan) occurs only here and in Prov 14:21, where it refers to having compassion on the poor. the dust of her ruins.#tn Heb “her dust,” probably referring to the dust of the city’s rubble.
15 The nations will respect the reputation of the Lord,#tn Heb “will fear the name of the Lord.” To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for his revealed reputation which in turn motivates one to obey God’s commands (see Ps 86:11).
and all the kings of the earth will respect#tn The verb “will fear” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line). his splendor,
16 when the Lord rebuilds Zion,
and reveals his splendor,
17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute,#tn The Hebrew adjective עַרְעָר (’arar, “destitute”) occurs only here in the OT. It is derived from the verbal root ערר (“to strip oneself”).
and does not reject#tn Heb “despise.” their request.#tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 16-17 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 15.
18 The account of his intervention#tn The Hebrew text has simply “this,” referring to the anticipated divine intervention on behalf of Zion (vv. 13, 16-17). The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. will be recorded for future generations;
people yet to be born will praise the Lord.
19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above;#tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”
from heaven the Lord will look toward earth,#tn The perfect verbal forms in v. 19 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 18.
20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,
and to set free those condemned to die,#tn Heb “the sons of death.” The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 79:11) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.
21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,
and praise him#tn Heb “his praise.” in Jerusalem,#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
22 when the nations gather together,
and the kingdoms pay tribute to the Lord.#tn “and the kingdoms to serve the Lord.”
23 He has taken away my strength in the middle of life;#tn Heb “he has afflicted my strength in the way.” The term “way” refers here to the course of the psalmist’s life, which appears to be ending prematurely (vv. 23b-24).
he has cut short my days.
24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life!#tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”
You endure through all generations.#tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”
25 In earlier times you established the earth;
the skies are your handiwork.
26 They will perish,
but you will endure.#tn Heb “stand.”
They will wear out like a garment;
like clothes you will remove them and they will disappear.#tn The Hebrew verb חָלַף (khalaf) occurs twice in this line, once in the Hiphil (“you will remove them”) and once in the Qal (“they will disappear”). The repetition draws attention to the statement.
27 But you remain;#tn Heb “you [are] he,” or “you [are] the one.” The statement may echo the Lord’s affirmation “I am he” in Isa 41:4; 43:10, 13; 46:10; 48:12. In each of these passages the affirmation emphasizes the fact that the Lord transcends time limitations, the very point being made in Ps 102:27.
your years do not come to an end.
28 The children of your servants will settle down here,
and their descendants#tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.” will live securely in your presence.”#tn Heb “before you will be established.”
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