Psalms 119:82

My eyes fail for your word. I say, “When will you comfort me?”

World English Bible

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Other translations

WEBBE

My eyes fail for your word. I say, “When will you comfort me?”

BSB

My eyes fail, looking for Your promise; I ask, “When will You comfort me?”

KJV

Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?

ASV

Mine eyes fail for thy word, While I say, When wilt thou comfort me?

BBE

My eyes are full of weariness with searching for your word, saying, When will you give me comfort?

Original Hebrew

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כָּלוּ ka·lu they are exhausted H3615 עֵינַי 'ei·nai eyes my H5869 לְאִמְרָתֶךָ le·'im·ra·te·kha for word your H565 לֵאמֹר le·mor (to) saying H559 מָתַי ma·tai when H4970 תְּנַחֲמֵנִי te·na·cha·me·ni will you comfort me H5162

The early church

"Mine eyes," he saith, "have failed for Thy word, saying, O when wilt Thou comfort me?" (ver. 82). Behold that praiseworthy and blessed failing, in the eyes again, but his inner eyes, not arising from infirmity of mind, but from the strength of his longing for the promise of God: for this he saith, "for Thy word." But in what sense can such eyes say, "When wilt Thou comfort me?" save when we pray and groan with such earnestness and ardent expectation? For the tongue, not the eyes, is wont to speak: but in some sense the voice of the eyes is the longing of prayer. But in the words, "When wilt Thou comfort me?" he showeth that he endureth as it were delay. Whence is this also, "How long, Lord, wilt Thou punish me?" And this is done either that the happiness may be the sweeter when deferred, or this is the sentiment of those who long, since the space of time, which may be short to Him who cometh to their aid, is tedious to the loving. But God knoweth what He doth and when, for He "hath ordered all things in measure and number and weight."

Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Expositions on the Psalms

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 81–88

The psalmist sought deliverance from his sins, his foes, and his fears. Hope deferred made him faint; his eyes failed by looking out for this expected salvation. But when the eyes fail, yet faith must not. His affliction was great. He was become like a leathern bottle, which, if hung up in the smoke, is dried and shrivelled up. We must ever be mindful of God's statutes. The days of the believer's mourning shall be ended; they are but for a moment, compared with eternal happiness. His enemies used craft as well as power for his ruin, in contempt of the law of God. The commandments of God are true and faithful guides in the path of peace and safety. We may best expect help from God when, like our Master, we do well and suffer for it. Wicked men may almost consume the believer upon earth, but he would sooner forsake all than forsake the word of the Lord. We should depend upon the grace of God for strength to do every good work. The surest token of God's good-will toward us, is his good work in us.

Read Matthew Henry on Psalm 119 →

Cross-references

Topics

Afflictions And Adversities

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.