Psalms 102:6
Psalms 102:6 in Multiple Translations
I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.
I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl of the waste places.
I am like a bird living by itself in the waste places; like the night-bird in a waste of sand.
I'm like a desert owl, like a little owl among the ruins.
I am like a pelicane of the wildernesse: I am like an owle of the deserts.
I have been like to a pelican of the wilderness, I have been as an owl of the dry places.
I am like a pelican of the wilderness. I have become as an owl of the waste places.
I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
The Lord doth mercies, and judgment for all that suffer wrong.
I am like a lonely and despised vulture in the desert, like an owl by itself in the abandoned ruins of a building/city.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 102:6
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 102:6 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
מִ/קּ֥וֹל
אַנְחָתִ֑/י
דָּבְקָ֥ה
עַ֝צְמִ֗/י
לִ/בְשָׂרִֽ/י
מִ/קּ֥וֹל
qôwl
H6963
voice
Prep | N-ms
אַנְחָתִ֑/י
ʼănâchâh
H585
sighing
N-fs | Suff
דָּבְקָ֥ה
dâbaq
H1692
to cleave
V-Qal-Perf-3fs
עַ֝צְמִ֗/י
ʻetsem
H6106
bone
N-fs | Suff
לִ/בְשָׂרִֽ/י
bâsâr
H1320
flesh
Prep | N-ms | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 102:6
מִ/קּ֥וֹל
qôwl
H6963
"voice"
Prep | N-ms
A voice or sound, it can refer to the sound of a person speaking, an animal, or a musical instrument. In the Bible, it is often used to describe God's voice or the sound of praise and worship.
Definition: : sound/noise 1) voice, sound, noise 1a) voice 1b) sound (of instrument)
Usage: Occurs in 436 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ([phrase] out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, [phrase] hold peace, (pro-) claim, proclamation, [phrase] sing, sound, [phrase] spark, thunder(-ing), voice, [phrase] yell. See also: Genesis 3:8; Judges 5:11; Job 4:10.
אַנְחָתִ֑/י
ʼănâchâh
H585
"sighing"
N-fs | Suff
This word describes the sound of someone sighing or groaning, often because they're sad or in pain. It's used in Exodus 2:23 to describe the Israelites' cries of distress.
Definition: sighing, groaning (expression of grief or physical distress)
Usage: Occurs in 11 OT verses. KJV: groaning, mourn, sigh. See also: Job 3:24; Psalms 102:6; Psalms 6:7.
דָּבְקָ֥ה
dâbaq
H1692
"to cleave"
V-Qal-Perf-3fs
To cleave means to cling or stick to something, like pursuing something closely. It's used in the Bible to describe following God or others.
Definition: 1) to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cling, cleave to 1a2) to stay with 1b) (Pual) to be joined together 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to cleave to 1c2) to pursue closely 1c3) to overtake 1d) (Hophal) to be made to cleave Aramaic equivalent: de.vaq (דְּבֵק "to cleave" H1693)
Usage: Occurs in 52 OT verses. KJV: abide fast, cleave (fast together), follow close (hard after), be joined (together), keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take. See also: Genesis 2:24; 2 Samuel 20:2; Psalms 22:16.
עַ֝צְמִ֗/י
ʻetsem
H6106
"bone"
N-fs | Suff
In the original Hebrew, this word refers to a bone or the body, and can also mean the substance or essence of something. It is used in many parts of the Bible, including in the book of Genesis and Psalms, to describe the physical body.
Definition: : bone/limb 1) bone, essence, substance 1a) bone 1a1) body, limbs, members, external body 1b) bone (of animal) 1c) substance, self
Usage: Occurs in 108 OT verses. KJV: body, bone, [idiom] life, (self-) same, strength, [idiom] very. See also: Genesis 2:23; Job 33:19; Psalms 6:3.
לִ/בְשָׂרִֽ/י
bâsâr
H1320
"flesh"
Prep | N-ms | Suff
The Hebrew word for flesh refers to the body or a person, and can also describe living things or animals. In the Bible, it is used to describe humans and animals, as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Definition: 1) flesh 1a) of the body 1a1) of humans 1a2) of animals 1b) the body itself 1c) male organ of generation (euphemism) 1d) kindred, blood-relations 1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God) 1f) all living things 1g) animals 1h) mankind Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321)
Usage: Occurs in 241 OT verses. KJV: body, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin. See also: Genesis 2:21; Numbers 11:21; Psalms 16:9.
Study Notes — Psalms 102:6
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 102:6 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 102:6
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 102:6
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 102:6
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 102:6
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 102:6
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 102:6
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 102:6
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 102:6
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 102:6
- Sermons on Psalms 102:6
Context — The Prayer of the Afflicted
4My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread.
5Through my loud groaning my skin hangs on my bones.
6I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.
7I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop. 8All day long my enemies taunt me; they ridicule me and curse me.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zephaniah 2:14 | Herds will lie down in her midst, creatures of every kind. Both the desert owl and screech owl will roost atop her pillars. Their calls will sound from the window, but desolation will lie on the threshold, for He will expose the beams of cedar. |
| 2 | Isaiah 38:14 | I chirp like a swallow or crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak as I look upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.” |
| 3 | Isaiah 34:11–15 | The desert owl and screech owl will possess it, and the great owl and raven will dwell in it. The LORD will stretch out over Edom a measuring line of chaos and a plumb line of destruction. No nobles will be left to proclaim a king, and all her princes will come to nothing. Her towers will be overgrown with thorns, her fortresses with thistles and briers. She will become a haunt for jackals, an abode for ostriches. The desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and one wild goat will call to another. There the night creature will settle and find her place of repose. There the owl will make her nest; she will lay and hatch her eggs and gather her brood under her shadow. Even there the birds of prey will gather, each with its mate. |
| 4 | Job 30:29–30 | I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches. My skin grows black and peels, and my bones burn with fever. |
| 5 | Revelation 18:2 | And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast. |
| 6 | Micah 1:8 | Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and mourn like an ostrich. |
Psalms 102:6 Summary
In Psalms 102:6, the psalmist says he feels like a desert owl, which means he feels alone and isolated, like he's living in a barren and empty land. This image helps us understand that even in our darkest moments, God is aware of our emotions and is present with us, just as Jesus says in Matthew 6:26 that God feeds the birds and will also provide for us. The psalmist's comparison to an owl among the ruins also reminds us that God can bring hope and restoration to even the most devastated areas of our lives, as promised in Isaiah 61:4. By trusting in God's presence and care, we can find comfort and strength, even when we feel like we're living in a desert or among ruins.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be like a desert owl in Psalms 102:6?
Being like a desert owl signifies a state of isolation and desolation, much like the feelings of loneliness and abandonment expressed in Psalms 38:6 and Job 30:29, where the psalmist and Job felt like they were living in a barren and desolate land, separated from others.
Why does the psalmist compare himself to an owl among the ruins?
The comparison to an owl among the ruins in Psalms 102:6 emphasizes the psalmist's feelings of devastation and destruction, much like the devastation described in Jeremiah 9:11, where the land is left desolate and empty.
How does this verse relate to the psalmist's emotional state?
The psalmist's comparison to a desert owl and an owl among the ruins in Psalms 102:6 highlights his emotional state of sadness, isolation, and despair, which is also reflected in his physical condition, as described in Psalms 102:4-5, where he says his heart is afflicted and his flesh clings to his bones.
What can we learn from the psalmist's use of animal imagery in this verse?
The psalmist's use of animal imagery, such as the desert owl, in Psalms 102:6 teaches us that even in our darkest moments, we can find comfort in the fact that God is aware of our emotions and is present with us, as expressed in Matthew 6:26, where Jesus says that God feeds the birds and will also provide for us.
Reflection Questions
- How have you felt like a desert owl in your own life, isolated and alone, and how did you find comfort in God's presence?
- What are some 'ruins' in your life that you feel like you are living among, and how can you trust God to rebuild and restore them, just as He promises in Isaiah 61:4?
- In what ways can you identify with the psalmist's feelings of sadness and despair, and how can you use this verse to pray for comfort and strength?
- How can you use the image of the owl to remind yourself of God's presence and care in your life, even in the darkest moments, and what Bible verses can you use to support this reminder, such as Psalms 23:4 or Romans 8:28?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 102:6
I am like a pelican of the wilderness,.... It may be so called, to distinguish it from another of the same name that lives upon the waters; which has the name of "pelican" in the Greek tongue, as is
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 102:6
I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. I am like a pelican of the wilderness - (Isaiah 34:11, margin) Expressive of his misery.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 102:6
Pelican; or, bittern, as the same word is translated, . It is a solitary and mournful bird, as also the owl here following is.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 102:6
Psalms 102:6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.Ver. 6. I am like a pelican] Or bittern, which liveth in lonely places, and crieth out dolefully, Isaiah 34:11 Zephaniah 2:14. I am like an owl in the desert] Avis lucifuga, a night bird, a night raven, the Vulgate hath it; others, a bat, a cuckoo, but mostly an owl, that noctis monstrum, as Pliny, lib. 10, cap. 12, speaketh of her, nec cantu aliquo vocales sed gemitu, hated of all other fowls, which never come near her, but to keep a wondering at her.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 102:6
(6) Pelican.—See Leviticus 11:18. “It has been objected that the pelican is a water-bird, and cannot, therefore, be the kâath of the Scriptures—“the pelican of the wilderness”—as it must of necessity starve in the desert; but a midbar (wilderness) is often used to denote a wide open space, cultivated or uncultivated, and is not to be restricted to barren spots destitute of water; moreover, as a matter of fact, the pelican after filling its capacious pouch with fish, molluscs, &c, often does. retire to places far inland, where it consumes what it has captured. Thus, too, it breeds on the great sandy wastes near the mouths of the Danube. The expression ‘pelican in the wilderness,’ in the psalmist’s pitiable complaint, is a true picture of the bird as it sits in apparently melancholy mood with its bill resting on its breast (Bible Educator, iv. 8). Owl.—Heb., khôs. (See Leviticus 11:17.) The bird is identified with the “owl” by the Hebrew in this passage, which should be rendered, “owl of the ruins.” Some, however, would identify this bird with the pelican, since khôs means “cup,” rendering “the pelican, even the pouch-bird.” (See Bible Educator, ii. 346.) LXX., Aquila, Theodotion, all have “screech-owl;” Symmachus, the “hoopoe.”
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 102:6
Verse 6. I am like a pelican of the wilderness] It may be the pelican or the bittern. The original, קאת kaath, is mentioned Leviticus 11:18, and is there described. See the note. See Clarke on Leviticus 11:18. Owl of the desert.] כוש cos, some species of owl; probably the night raven. See the notes referred to above.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 102:6
6. He compares himself to solitude-loving birds which haunt desolate places and ruins, uttering weird and mournful cries. Cp. Isaiah 34:11; Zephaniah 2:14 (A.V. cormorant). Render the second line, I am become as an owl in desolate places. The owl is called by the Arabs “mother of ruins,” and “in the tombs or on the ruins, among the desolate heaps which mark the sites of ancient Judah, on the sandy mounds of Beersheba, or on the spray-beaten fragments of Tyre, his low wailing note is sure to be heard at sunset.” Tristram’s Nat. Hist. of the Bible, p. 194.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 102:6
I am like a pelican of the wilderness - A bird in the midst of desolation becomes a striking image of loneliness and distress.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 102:6
6. Like a pelican of the wilderness—The idea is solitariness.
Sermons on Psalms 102:6
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Soul Trouble by Thomas Bradbury | Thomas Bradbury preaches on the spiritual instruction found in John 12:27, where Jesus expresses His soul's trouble and submission to the Father's will. Bradbury emphasizes the dee |
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The Oppressed Soul Seeking Divine Interposition. by Edward Payson | Edward Payson preaches about the need for someone to undertake for us in various aspects of life, including supporting and comforting us through trials, guiding us, assisting in ov |
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The Sick Man's Prayer and the Sinner's Cry by J.C. Philpot | J.C. Philpot preaches on the deep reliance of God's people on Him alone for help and deliverance, emphasizing the need for a spiritual understanding of the malady of sin, the knowl |
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(The Word for Today) Isaiah 20:1 - Part 3 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith discusses the importance of standing up for righteousness in a fallen world. He introduces his new book, "Standing Up in a Fallen World," which i |
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The Word in a Recession by Zac Poonen | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of placing our confidence solely in God, rather than in worldly possessions or external factors. He warns against being foole |
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(Isaiah) Judgment of the Nations by David Guzik | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the fall of Babylon as described in the book of Isaiah. He emphasizes the vividness and power of God's word, which conveys the panic and terr |
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Are You One of the Chosen Ones? by Paris Reidhead | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of understanding the influence of ideas and philosophy in shaping our society. He points out that in today's generation, ther |