TRV
Translation
King James Version
Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
American Standard Version
Mine eye wasteth away because of grief; It waxeth old because of all mine adversaries.
World English Bible Messianic
My eye wastes away because of grief. It grows old because of all my adversaries.
Young's Literal Translation
Old from provocation is mine eye, It is old because of all mine adversaries,
In the KJVVerse 13,993 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 6 verses 1–7
1 ¶ To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?
4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
These verses speak the language of a heart truly humbled under humbling providences, of a broken and contrite spirit under great afflictions, sent on purpose to awaken conscience and mortify corruption. Those heap up wrath who cry not when God binds them; but those are getting ready for mercy who, under God's rebukes, sow in tears, as David does here. Let us observe here,
I. The representation he makes to God of his grievances. He pours out his complaint before him. Whither else should a child go with his complaints, but to his father? 1. He complains of bodily pain and sickness (Psa 6:2): My bones are vexed. His bones and his flesh, like Job's, were touched. Though David was a king, yet he was sick and pained; his imperial crown could not keep his head from aching. Great men are men, and subject to the common calamities of human life. Though David was a stout man, a man of war from his youth, yet this could not secure him from distempers, which will soon make even the strong men to bow themselves. Though David was a good man, yet neither could his goodness keep him in health. Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. Let this help to reconcile us to pain and sickness, that it has been the lot of some of the best saints, and that we are directed and encouraged by their example to show before God our trouble in that case, who is for the body, and takes cognizance of its ailments. 2. He complains of inward trouble: My soul is also sorely vexed; and that is much more grievous than the vexation of the bones. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, if that be in good plight; but, if that be wounded, the grievance is intolerable. David's sickness brought his sin to his remembrance, and he looked upon it as a token of God's displeasure against him; that was the vexation of his soul; that made him cry, I am weak, heal me. It is a sad thing for a man to have his bones and his soul vexed at the same time; but this has been sometimes the lot of God's own people: nay, and this completed his complicated trouble, that it was continued upon him a great while, which is here intimated in that expostulation (Psa 6:3), Thou, O Lord! how long? To the living God we must, at such a time, address ourselves, who is the only physician both of body and mind, and not to the Assyrians, not to the god of Ekron.
II. The impression which his troubles made upon him. They lay very heavily; he groaned till he was weary, wept till he made his bed to swim, and watered his couch (Psa 6:6), wept till he had almost wept his eyes out (Psa 6:7): My eye is consumed because of grief. David had more courage and consideration than to mourn thus for any outward affliction; but, when sin sat heavily upon his conscience and he was made to possess his iniquities, when his soul was wounded with the sense of God's wrath and his withdrawings from him, then he thus grieves and mourns in secret, and even his soul refuses to be comforted. This not only kept his eyes waking, but kept his eyes weeping. Note, 1. It has often been the lot of the best of men to be men of sorrows; our Lord Jesus himself was so. Our way lies through a vale of tears, and we must accommodate ourselves to the temper of the climate. 2. It well becomes the greatest spirits to be tender, and to relent, under the tokens of God's displeasure. David, who could face Goliath himself and many another threatening enemy with an undaunted bravery, yet melts into tears at the remembrance of sin and under the apprehensions of divine wrath; and it was no diminution at all to his character to do so. 3. True penitents weep in their retirements. The Pharisees disguised their faces, that they might appear unto men to mourn; but David mourned in the night upon the bed where he lay communing with his own heart, and no eye was a witness to his grief, but the eye of him who is all eye. Peter went out, covered his face, and wept. 4. Sorrow for sin ought to be great sorrow; so David's was; he wept so bitterly, so abundantly, that he watered his couch. 5. The triumphs of wicked men in the sorrows of the saints add very much to their grief. David's eye waxed old because of his enemies, who rejoiced in his afflictions and put bad constructions upon his tears. In this great sorrow David was a type of Christ, who often wept, and who cried out, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, Heb 5:7.
III. The petitions which he offers up to God in this sorrowful and distressed state. 1. That which he dreads as the greatest evil is the anger of God. This was the wormwood and the gall in the affliction and the misery; it was the infusion of this that made it indeed a bitter cup; and therefore he prays (Psa 6:1), O Lord! rebuke me not in thy anger, though I have deserved it, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. He does not pray, "Lord, rebuke me not; Lord, chasten me not;" for, as many as God loves he rebukes and chastens, as a father the son in whom he delights. He can bear the rebuke and chastening well enough if God, at the same time, lift up the light of his countenance upon him and by his Spirit make him to hear the joy and gladness of his loving-kindness; the affliction of his body will be tolerable if he have but comfort in his soul. No matter though sickness make his bones ache, if God's wrath do not make his heart ache; therefore his prayer is, "Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath; let me not lie under the impressions of that, for that will sink me." Herein David was a type of Christ, whose sorest complaint, in his sufferings, was of the trouble of his soul and of the suspension of his Father's smiles. He never so much as whispered a complaint of the rage of his enemies - "Why do they crucify me?" or the unkindness of his friends - "Why do they desert me?" But he cried with a loud voice, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Let us thus deprecate the wrath of God more than any outward trouble whatsoever and always beware of treasuring up wrath against a day of affliction. 2. That which he desires as the greatest good, and which would be to him the restoration of all good, is the favour and friendship of God. He prays, (1.) That God would pity him and look upon him with compassion. He thinks himself very miserable, and misery is the proper object of mercy. Hence he prays, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord! in wrath remember mercy, and deal not with me in strict justice." (2.) That God would pardon his sins; for that is the proper act of mercy, and is often chiefly intended in that petition, Have mercy upon me. (3.) That God would put forth his power for his relief: "Lord, heal me (Psa 6:2), save me (Psa 6:4), speak the word, and I shall be whole, and all will be well." (4.) That he would be at peace with him: "Return, O Lord! receive me into thy favour again, and be reconciled to me. Thou hast seemed to depart from me and neglect me, nay, to set thyself at a distance, as one angry; but now, Lord, return and show thyself nigh to me." (5.) That he would especially preserve the inward man and the interests of that, whatever might become of the body: "O Lord! deliver my soul from sinning, from sinking, from perishing for ever." It is an unspeakable privilege that we have a God to go to in our afflictions, and it is our duty to go to him, and thus to wrestle with him, and we shall not seek in vain.
IV. The pleas with which he enforces his petitions, not to move God (he knows our cause and the true merits of it better than we can state them), but to move himself. 1. He pleads God's mercy; and thence we take some of our best encouragements in prayer: Save me, for thy mercies' sake. 3. He pleads God's glory (Psa 6:5): "For in death there is no remembrance of thee. Lord, if thou deliver me and comfort me, I will not only give thee thanks for my deliverance, and stir up others to join with me in these thanksgivings, but I will spend the new life thou shalt entrust me with in thy service and to thy glory, and all the remainder of my days I will preserve a grateful remembrance of thy favours to me, and be quickened thereby in all instances of service to thee; but, if I die, I shall be cut short of that opportunity of honouring thee and doing good to others, for in the grave who will give the thanks?" Not but that separate souls live and act, and the souls of the faithful joyfully remember God and give thanks to him. But, (1.) In the second death (which perhaps David, being now troubled in soul under the wrath of God, had some dreadful apprehensions of) there is no pleasing remembrance of God; devils and damned spirits blaspheme him and do not praise him. "Lord, let me not lie always under this wrath, for that is sheol, it is hell itself, and lays me under an everlasting disability to praise thee." Those that sincerely seek God's glory, and desire and delight to praise him, may pray in faith, "Lord, send me not to that dreadful place, where there is no devout remembrance of thee, nor are any thanks given to thee." (2.) Even the death of the body puts an end to our opportunity and capacity of glorifying God in this world, and serving the interests of his kingdom among men by opposing the powers of darkness and bringing many on this earth to know God and devote themselves to him. Some have maintained that the joys of the saints in heaven are more desirable, infinitely more so, than the comforts of saints on earth; yet the services of saints on earth, especially such eminent ones as David was, are more laudable, and redound more to the glory of the divine grace, than the services of the saints in heaven, who are not employed in maintaining the war against sin and Satan, nor in edifying the body of Christ. Courtiers in the royal presence are most happy, but soldiers in the field are more useful; and therefore we may, with good reason, pray that if it be the will of God, and he has any further work for us or our friends to do in this world, he will yet spare us, or them, to serve him. To depart and be with Christ is most happy for the saints themselves; but for them to abide in the flesh is more profitable for the church. This David had an eye to when he pleaded this, In the grave who shall give thee thanks? Psa 30:9; Psa 88:10; Psa 115:17; Isa 38:18. And this Christ had an eye to when he said, I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world.
We should sing these verses with a deep sense of the terrors of God's wrath, which we should therefore dread and deprecate above any thing; and with thankfulness if this be not our condition, and compassion to those who are thus afflicted: if we be thus troubled, let it comfort us that our case is not without precedent, nor, if we humble ourselves and pray, as David did, shall it be long without redress.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
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John ChrysostomAD 407
COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 6:5
Our life is a struggle, and our existence beset with countless foes who prove to be stronger when we fall into sin. Hence we should do everything to escape their clutches and never come to terms with them; this, after all, is the surest path to insecurity. Paul touches on the horde of those enemies in saying, “Our wrestling is not with flesh and blood but with the powers and the authorities and the cosmic rulers of darkness of this age.” Since, then, the horde of enemies is of this kind, we must constantly be on the alert and avoid the assault of sin.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 6
"My eye is disordered by anger" [Psalm 6:7]: is it by his own, or God's anger, in which he makes petition that he might not be reproved, or chastened? But if anger in that place intimate the day of judgment, how can it be understood now? Is it a beginning of it, that men here suffer pains and torments, and above all the loss of the understanding of the truth; as I have already quoted that which is said, "God gave them over to a reprobate mind"? [Romans 1:28] For such is the blindness of the mind. Whosoever is given over thereunto, is shut out from the interior light of God: but not wholly as yet, while he is in this life. For there is "outer darkness," [Matthew 25:30] which is understood to belong rather to the day of judgment; that he should rather be wholly without God, whosoever while there is time refuses correction. Now to be wholly without God, what else is it, but to be in extreme blindness? If indeed God "dwell in inaccessible light," [1 Timothy 6:16] whereinto they enter, to whom it is said, "Enter into the joy of your Lord." It is then the beginning of this anger, which in this life every sinner suffers. In fear therefore of the day of judgment, he is in trial and grief; lest he be brought to that, the disastrous commencement of which he experiences now. And therefore he did not say, my eye is extinguished, but, "my eye is disordered by anger." But if he mean that his eye is disordered by his own anger, there is no wonder either in this. For hence perhaps it is said, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath;" [Ephesians 4:26] because the mind, which, from her own disorder, is not permitted to see God, supposes that the inner sun, that is, the wisdom of God, suffers as it were a setting in her.
Caesarius of ArlesAD 542
SERMON 148:2
Listen to the psalmist tell how anger clouds the eye of the heart: “My eyes are dimmed,” he says, “with sorrow.”
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
LETTER 11:46
In quarrels the very light of the soul, the light of good intent, is blocked. Whence the psalmist says, “My eye is troubled because of anger.”
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
LETTER 11:64
There are many things that are allowed and legitimate, and yet we are to some extent defiled in the doing of them; as often we attack faults with anger and disturb the tranquility of our own mind. And, though what is done is right, yet it is not to be approved that the mind is therein disturbed. For instance, he had been angry against the vices of transgressors who said, “My eye is disturbed because of anger.” For, since the mind cannot, unless it is tranquil, lift itself up to the light of contemplation, he grieved that his eye was disturbed in anger, because, though assailing evil doings from above, he still could not help being confused and disturbed from contemplation of the highest things. And therefore his anger against vice is laudable, and yet it troubles him, because he felt that he had incurred some guilt in being disturbed.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 6:7 is a profound lament from the psalmist, likely King David, expressing the debilitating physical and emotional toll exacted by overwhelming grief and relentless opposition. It vividly portrays a state of utter exhaustion and premature aging, where the very organ of sight, often a symbol of vitality and perception, is depicted as wasting away under the crushing weight of sorrow and the constant pressure from adversaries. This verse encapsulates the deep human experience of being utterly spent by suffering and conflict, highlighting the holistic impact of distress on body, mind, and spirit.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 6:7 employs several potent literary devices to convey the psalmist's intense suffering. Metaphor is central, as the "eye" is used to represent the psalmist's entire being, its "consumption" and "aging" serving as metaphors for his overall physical and emotional decline. This is further amplified by hyperbole, where the extreme language ("consumed," "waxeth old") exaggerates the extent of his distress to emphasize its overwhelming and debilitating nature. Additionally, a subtle form of personification is present, as the eye is described as undergoing human-like experiences of wasting away and aging due to external and internal pressures, lending a vivid and relatable quality to the psalmist's anguish. These devices combine to paint a visceral picture of a soul and body utterly depleted by sorrow and conflict.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 6:7 profoundly connects to the biblical understanding of suffering, lament, and God's compassionate awareness of human affliction. It validates the reality that deep emotional and spiritual distress can manifest in tangible physical symptoms, demonstrating the holistic nature of human experience before God. The psalmist's raw expression of exhaustion and despair underscores the biblical invitation to bring our deepest hurts and vulnerabilities directly to the Lord, trusting that He sees and hears our cries, even when we feel utterly consumed. This verse reminds us that suffering, while painful, is often a crucible through which faith is refined, and it sets the stage for God's redemptive intervention, as seen throughout salvation history, affirming that God is attentive to the cries of His afflicted people.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 6:7 offers profound insights for believers navigating their own seasons of grief, opposition, or overwhelming exhaustion. It provides a sacred space for the validation of suffering, assuring us that it is not only permissible but spiritually healthy to articulate our deepest weariness and despair to God. This verse reminds us that our emotional and spiritual states are intricately linked to our physical well-being; unresolved grief, chronic stress, or relentless conflict can indeed "consume" and "age" us. In a world that often pressures us to maintain a facade of strength, the psalmist's raw vulnerability encourages us to be authentic with our pain before the Lord. It calls us to bring our depleted selves to the One who understands all suffering, trusting that He sees our affliction, hears our cries, and ultimately offers comfort and renewal, even when we feel utterly spent and our strength has failed. This passage serves as a powerful reminder that true spiritual strength often begins with honest confession of weakness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "Mine eye is consumed" refer to literal blindness or just extreme fatigue?
Answer: While the verse describes a profound physical impact, "Mine eye is consumed" (Hebrew: עָשַׁשׁ, ʻâshêsh') primarily refers to the eye growing dim, losing its luster, or becoming exhausted, rather than literal blindness. It signifies a deep weariness and fading vitality that affects the ability to see clearly or with vigor, reflecting the psalmist's overall state of debilitating grief and exhaustion. It's a powerful metaphor for the profound physical and emotional toll that suffering takes on the entire person, making them feel as though their very life force is draining away. This kind of physical manifestation of inner turmoil is common in biblical laments, such as when Job describes his eyes growing dim from sorrow in Job 17:7, or when the prophet Jeremiah laments, "My eyes fail with tears" in Lamentations 2:11.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 6:7, with its poignant depiction of suffering and physical decay due to grief and enemies, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the psalmist cries out in personal anguish, Jesus, the perfect Son of God, truly bore the full weight of human grief and the relentless opposition of spiritual and earthly enemies. In Gethsemane, His soul was "very sorrowful, even to death," to the point where His sweat became like "great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Matthew 26:38; Luke 22:44). His physical body, like the psalmist's eye, was consumed and aged by the immense burden of humanity's sin and the direct assault of the powers of darkness. He was "despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3), ultimately allowing Himself to be consumed by the wrath due to sin, enduring the cross where He was mocked and opposed by all His enemies. Yet, unlike the psalmist who still awaited deliverance, Jesus' suffering culminated in a glorious resurrection, conquering grief, sin, and all enemies, offering eternal rest and renewed vision to all who believe in Him, fulfilling the promise that "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Revelation 21:4) and that in Him, all things are made new (Revelation 21:5).