Psalms 123:2

As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — A collective "we" in a Song of Ascents, addressing the LORD between lifting their eyes (v.1) and pleading for mercy against contempt (v.3). The moment is one of sustained waiting, not a single crisis.

The words — עֲבָדִים ('a.va.Dim, "slaves") and שִׁפְחָה (shif.Chah, "a female slave") carry the verse; the BSB's "servants" and "maidservant" soften what is a picture of people with no ownership of their own time or labor.

The thread — The posture of fixed eyes and waiting recurs in Psalms 25:15, Psalms 130:5, and Lamentations 3:25, where the LORD is characterized as good to those who wait for Him.

Why it lands — A slave has no alternative employer, no leverage, no schedule of their own; the verse asks the reader to stop negotiating terms and simply hold the gaze until mercy comes.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הִנֵּ֨הhi.Nehhere!כְעֵינֵ֪יkhe./'ei.Neilike/ [the] eyes of עֲבָדִ֡ים'a.va.Dimslaves אֶל־'el-[which are] to יַ֤דyad[the] hand of אֲֽדוֹנֵיהֶ֗ם'ado.nei./Hemmaster<s>/ their כְּעֵינֵ֣יke./'ei.Neilike/ [the] eyes of שִׁפְחָה֮shif.Chaha female slave אֶל־'el-[which are] to יַ֪דyad[the] hand of גְּבִ֫רְתָּ֥הּge.Vir.Ta/hmistress/ her כֵּ֣ןkenso עֵ֭ינֵינוּ'Ei.nei./nueyes/ our אֶל־'el-[are] to יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ'e.lo.Hei./nuGod/ our עַ֝֗ד'Aduntil שֶׁיְּחָנֵּֽנוּ׃shei./ye.cha.Ne./nuthat/ he will show favor to/ us

King James Version

Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

Cross-references

Psalms 130:5 I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope.
Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
Psalms 25:15 My eyes are always on the LORD, for He will free my feet from the mesh.
Psalms 40:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry.
Genesis 49:18 I await Your salvation, O LORD.
Psalms 119:123 My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, and for Your righteous promise.
Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:
Genesis 32:26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Joshua 10:6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, because all the kings of the Amorites from the hill country have joined forces against us.”
Joshua 9:27 On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers, as they are to this day for the congregation of the LORD and for the altar at the place He would choose.