Psalms 38:10

My heart pounds, my strength fails, and even the light of my eyes has faded.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The psalmist addresses the Lord during a period of acute physical decline and social abandonment, immediately after noting that his inner anguish is fully known to God.

The words — The Hebrew verb סְחַרְחַר (se.char.char) literally means "it palpitates," describing the heart's violent pounding, while עֲזָבַנִי ('a.za.vani) translates as "it has left me," indicating the departure of his strength.

The thread — The motif of failing eyesight from grief appears in Psalms 6:7, Psalms 88:9, and Psalms 69:3, where physical exhaustion mirrors spiritual distress.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge that profound suffering manifests in tangible bodily collapse, demanding honest presentation of physical limits before God.

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

לִבִּ֣יli.B/iheart/ my סְ֭חַרְחַרSe.char.charit palpitates עֲזָבַ֣נִי'a.za.Va./niit has left/ me כֹחִ֑יkho.Ch/istrength/ my וְֽאוֹר־ve./'or-and/ [the] light of עֵינַ֥י'ei.Na/ieyes/ my גַּם־gam-also הֵ֝֗םHemthey אֵ֣ין'einnot אִתִּֽי׃'i.T/i[are] with/ me

King James Version

My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

Cross-references

Psalms 6:7 My eyes fail from grief; they grow dim because of all my foes.
Psalms 88:9 My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You.
Psalms 69:3 I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
Psalms 119:123 My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, and for Your righteous promise.
Lamentations 5:16 The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!
1 Samuel 14:27 Jonathan, however, had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath. So he reached out the end of the staff in his hand, dipped it into the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.
Psalms 31:10 For my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning; my iniquity has drained my strength, and my bones are wasting away.
Psalms 42:1 For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God.
Psalms 119:81 My soul faints for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.
Psalms 143:4 My spirit grows faint within me; my heart is dismayed inside me.