Psalms 109:24

My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.

My knees {H1290} are weak {H3782} through fasting {H6685}; and my flesh {H1320} faileth {H3584} of fatness {H8081}.

My knees are weak from lack of food, my flesh wastes away for lack of nourishment.

My knees are weak from fasting, and my body grows lean and gaunt.

My knees are weak through fasting; And my flesh faileth of fatness.

Commentary

Psalms 109:24 (KJV): "My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness."

Context

Psalm 109 is a passionate and often intense prayer of a psalmist, traditionally attributed to King David, who is suffering under the unjust accusations and malicious attacks of his enemies. The preceding verses detail the curses and deceitful words hurled against him, and his desperate plea for God's intervention and justice. Verse 24 shifts focus from the external persecution to the internal, physical toll this distress has taken on the psalmist's body, highlighting the depth of his suffering and his earnest devotion in seeking divine help.

Key Themes

  • Profound Suffering and Physical Decline: This verse vividly portrays the psalmist's extreme physical deterioration. The "weak knees" and "flesh faileth of fatness" (meaning a loss of healthy vigor and robust physique) indicate emaciation and severe physical exhaustion, a direct result of the immense emotional and spiritual anguish he endures.
  • Fasting as a Mark of Earnest Prayer: The weakness is explicitly linked to "fasting," a practice of self-denial and abstinence from food often undertaken in biblical times during periods of intense mourning, repentance, or fervent prayer. It signifies a complete absorption in seeking God's face, to the exclusion of even basic physical needs. This underscores the psalmist's desperation and unwavering commitment to his plea. For example, consider Daniel's fasting in Daniel 9:3 when seeking understanding from God.
  • Reliance on God in Weakness: This physical state, though dire, implicitly communicates the psalmist's absolute reliance on God. His body is failing, but his spirit is directed towards the Almighty. This weakness underscores that his deliverance must come from a source beyond himself, emphasizing divine strength in human frailty, a concept echoed in passages like 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "fatness" (deshen) in this context refers not to obesity, but to a healthy, robust, and well-nourished state. Thus, "my flesh faileth of fatness" means his body has lost its vitality and strength, becoming gaunt and weak. The phrase "weak through fasting" (kar'ay kashlu miαΊ“αΊ“om) directly links his physical decline to the discipline of fasting, indicating a profound and sustained period of self-affliction in prayer.

Practical Application

Psalms 109:24 offers several timeless insights:

  • Empathy for Suffering: It reminds us that spiritual and emotional struggles can manifest in profound physical ways. It encourages empathy for those undergoing intense distress, recognizing that their suffering is real and can be all-consuming.
  • The Power of Earnest Prayer: The psalmist's fasting highlights the depth of his spiritual devotion. While not every distress calls for fasting, it illustrates the commitment and earnestness with which we should approach God in times of crisis, laying bare our needs before Him. Jesus also taught about the spirit of fasting in Matthew 6:16.
  • Finding Strength in Weakness: Even when our physical and emotional resources are depleted, this verse points us towards a spiritual source of strength. It is in our moments of greatest weakness that we are often most compelled to rely entirely on God, allowing His power to be perfected in us.
Note: Commentary was generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please remember that only the commentary section is AI-generated. The main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are sourced from trusted and verified materials.

Cross-References

  • Psalms 32:3

    When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

  • Psalms 32:4

    For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

  • Psalms 22:14

    I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

  • Matthew 4:2

    And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

  • Hebrews 12:12

    Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

  • Job 19:20

    My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

  • Psalms 35:13

    But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing [was] sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
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