Psalms 109:23
Psalms 109:23 in Multiple Translations
I am fading away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust.
I am fading away like an evening shadow; I am like a locust that is shaken off.
I depart like the shadowe that declineth, and am shaken off as the grashopper.
As a shadow when it is stretched out I have gone, I have been driven away as a locust.
I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust.
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
I think that my time to remain alive is short, like an evening shadow that will soon disappear [SIM]. I will be blown away like a locust/grasshopper is blown by the wind.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 109:23
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 109:23 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
כְּ/צֵל
כִּ/נְטוֹת֥/וֹ
נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי
נִ֝נְעַ֗רְתִּי
כָּֽ/אַרְבֶּֽה
כְּ/צֵל
tsêl
H6738
shadow
Prep | N-ms
כִּ/נְטוֹת֥/וֹ
nâṭâh
H5186
to stretch
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a | Suff
נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי
hâlak
H1980
to go
V-Niphal-Perf-1cs
נִ֝נְעַ֗רְתִּי
nâʻar
H5287
to shake
V-Niphal-Perf-1cs
כָּֽ/אַרְבֶּֽה
ʼarbeh
H697
locust
Prep | N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 109:23
כְּ/צֵל
tsêl
H6738
"shadow"
Prep | N-ms
A shadow refers to a dark area, often providing shade or protection, like the shadow of a tree in Isaiah 4:6. It can also symbolize the fleeting nature of life, as mentioned in Psalm 102:11.
Definition: 1) shadow, shade 1a) shadow (on dial) 1b) shadow, shade (as protection) 1c) shadow (symbolic of transitoriness of life) Also means: tse.lel (צֵלֶל "shadow" H6752)
Usage: Occurs in 47 OT verses. KJV: defence, shade(-ow). See also: Genesis 19:8; Ecclesiastes 7:12; Psalms 17:8.
כִּ/נְטוֹת֥/וֹ
nâṭâh
H5186
"to stretch"
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a | Suff
To stretch or spread out, often used to describe physical movement, but also moral deflection, as seen in the story of Israel's decline in the book of Judges.
Definition: 1) to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to stretch out, extend, stretch, offer 1a2) to spread out, pitch (tent) 1a3) to bend, turn, incline 1a3a) to turn aside, incline, decline, bend down 1a3b) to bend, bow 1a3c) to hold out, extend (fig.) 1b) (Niphal) to be stretched out 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to stretch out 1c2) to spread out 1c3) to turn, incline, influence, bend down, hold out, extend, thrust aside, thrust away
Usage: Occurs in 207 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] afternoon, apply, bow (down, -ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away), wrest, cause to yield. See also: Genesis 12:8; Psalms 31:3; Psalms 17:6.
נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי
hâlak
H1980
"to go"
V-Niphal-Perf-1cs
Means to walk or go, used in many different contexts in the Bible. It can describe physical movement, but also spiritual or emotional journeys. Appears in various forms, such as 'to go' or 'to walk'.
Definition: : walk/move 1) to go, walk, come 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away 1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.) 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to walk 1b2) to walk (fig.) 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to traverse 1c2) to walk about 1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk
Usage: Occurs in 473 OT verses. KJV: (all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, [phrase] be eased, enter, exercise (self), [phrase] follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), [phrase] greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead, march, [idiom] more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away), be at the point, quite, run (along), [phrase] send, speedily, spread, still, surely, [phrase] tale-bearer, [phrase] travel(-ler), walk (abroad, on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax, (way-) faring man, [idiom] be weak, whirl. See also: Genesis 2:14; Judges 4:9; 1 Kings 13:12.
נִ֝נְעַ֗רְתִּי
nâʻar
H5287
"to shake"
V-Niphal-Perf-1cs
To shake or tremble is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which is used in various forms throughout the Old Testament. It can describe physical shaking, like an earthquake, or emotional turmoil. The prophet Isaiah used this word to describe God's judgment.
Definition: 1) to shake, shake out or off 1a) (Qal) to shake out, show emptiness 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be shaken 1b2) to shake oneself 1c) (Piel) to shake off or out 1d) (Hithpael) to shake oneself
Usage: Occurs in 9 OT verses. KJV: shake (off, out, self), overthrow, toss up and down. See also: Exodus 14:27; Psalms 109:23; Psalms 136:15.
כָּֽ/אַרְבֶּֽה
ʼarbeh
H697
"locust"
Prep | N-ms
The Hebrew word for locust, which rapidly multiplies, is also used figuratively to describe sudden disappearance or insignificance, as seen in the Bible.
Definition: 1) a kind of locust, locust swarm (coll) 2) (CLBL) 2a) sudden disappearance (fig.) 2b) insignificance (fig.) 2c) activity (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 21 OT verses. KJV: grasshopper, locust. See also: Exodus 10:4; 2 Chronicles 6:28; Psalms 78:46.
Study Notes — Psalms 109:23
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 109:23 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 109:23
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 109:23
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 109:23
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 109:23
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 109:23
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 109:23
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 109:23
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 109:23
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 109:23
- Sermons on Psalms 109:23
Context — The Song of the Slandered
21But You, O GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me for the sake of Your name; deliver me by the goodness of Your loving devotion.
22For I am poor and needy; my heart is wounded within me.
23I am fading away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
24My knees are weak from fasting, and my body grows lean and gaunt. 25I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 10:19 | And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind that carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained anywhere in Egypt. |
| 2 | 1 Chronicles 29:15 | For we are foreigners and strangers in Your presence, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. |
| 3 | Psalms 102:10–11 | because of Your indignation and wrath, for You have picked me up and cast me aside. My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass. |
| 4 | Job 14:2 | Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure. |
| 5 | Psalms 144:4 | Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. |
| 6 | Ecclesiastes 6:12 | For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun? |
| 7 | James 4:14 | You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. |
| 8 | Ecclesiastes 8:13 | Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow. |
| 9 | Exodus 10:13 | So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts. |
Psalms 109:23 Summary
In Psalms 109:23, the psalmist is feeling weak and insignificant, like a shadow that is fading away, and he's also feeling like he's being shaken off or brushed away like a locust. This is a powerful reminder that it's okay to not be okay, and that we can bring our true selves before God, just as the psalmist does. The psalmist's honesty and vulnerability serve as an example for us to follow, as we see in Psalms 102:11, where the psalmist's days are like a shadow, and in Matthew 4:4, where Jesus says that man shall not live by bread alone. By being honest about our weaknesses and vulnerabilities, we can deepen our relationship with God and find comfort in His presence, as seen in Psalms 109:21, where the psalmist asks God to deal kindly with him for the sake of His name.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be 'fading away like a lengthening shadow' in Psalms 109:23?
This phrase is a metaphor for the psalmist's feeling of being weak and insignificant, much like a shadow that grows longer as the day wears on, symbolizing the fleeting nature of human life, as seen in Psalms 102:11, where the psalmist's days are like a shadow.
Why does the psalmist compare himself to a locust in Psalms 109:23?
The comparison to a locust, which is often shaken off or brushed away, highlights the psalmist's feeling of being powerless and vulnerable, much like the Israelites in Exodus 10:4-5, who were threatened by the locusts that devoured their crops.
How does the psalmist's emotional state in Psalms 109:23 relate to his physical state in Psalms 109:24?
The psalmist's emotional pain and feeling of being 'shaken off' is reflected in his physical weakness, as seen in Psalms 109:24, where his knees are weak from fasting, illustrating the connection between spiritual and physical well-being, as mentioned in Matthew 4:4, where Jesus says that man shall not live by bread alone.
What can we learn from the psalmist's expression of vulnerability in Psalms 109:23?
The psalmist's willingness to express his vulnerability and weakness serves as a reminder that it is okay to not be okay, and that we can bring our true selves before God, just as the psalmist does in Psalms 109:21, where he asks God to deal kindly with him for the sake of His name.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I feel like I am 'fading away' or being 'shaken off', and how can I bring those feelings before God?
- How do I respond when I feel weak or powerless, and what can I learn from the psalmist's example in Psalms 109:23?
- In what ways can I identify with the psalmist's feeling of being 'poor and needy', as mentioned in Psalms 109:22, and how can I surrender those feelings to God?
- What are some ways that I can practice vulnerability and honesty with God, just as the psalmist does in Psalms 109:23, and how can that deepen my relationship with Him?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 109:23
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth,.... When the sun is setting, and the shadow is going off; man's life is often compared to a shadow, because fleeting, momentary, and soon gone, 1
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 109:23
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 109:23
I am gone, Heb. I am made to go; either, 1. From place to place; which was David’ s case, when he was persecuted by Saul and by Absalom; and Christ’ s case upon earth, where he had no certain place where to lay his head: . Or, 2. Into the grave, as this phrase is used, , and oft elsewhere. Declineth; towards the evening, when, the sun setting, it vanisheth instantly, and irrecoverably, until the sun rise again, which it never will do to me in this world, when once I am gone out of it. As the locust; which of itself is unstable, continually skipping from place to place, and is easily driven away with every wind; so am I exposed to perpetual and successive changes within myself, and to a thousand violences and mischiefs from other persons and things.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 109:23
Psalms 109:23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.Ver. 23. I am gone like the shadow] Abii, perii, evanui, I vanish, as the long shadows do so soon as the sun setteth. As the locust] Leapeth from hedge to hedge, so do I from place to place, being tossed from post to pillar, αστατουμεν, 1 Corinthians 4:11
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 109:23
(23) Shadow when it declineth.—Literally, a lengthened shade. (Comp. Psalms 102:11, and see Note. Son 2:17.) When the day declines the shadow lengthens, it becomes longer and longer, till it vanishes in the universal darkness. Thus does the life of the suffering generation pass away. Tossed up and down.—Better, tossed or shaken out, as from the lap. So LXX. and Vulg. (See Nehemiah 5:13, where the same verb is three times used.) The grasshopper was an emblem of timidity (Job 39:20).
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 109:23
Verse 23. I am gone like the shadow] "I have walked like the declining shadow,"-I have passed my meridian of health and life; and as the sun is going below the horizon, so am I about to go under the earth. I am tossed up and down as the locust.] When swarms of locusts take wing, and infest the countries in the east, if the wind happen to blow briskly, the swarms are agitated and driven upon each other, so as to appear to be heaved to and fro, or tossed up and down. Dr. Shaw, who has seen this, says it gives a lively idea of the comparisons of the psalmist.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 109:23
23. Like a shadow when it declines or is stretched out towards evening (Psalms 102:11), and is about to disappear altogether, so am I made to depart: the form of the verb implies compulsion from without. I am tossed up and down] Or, driven away. The point of comparison is the helplessness of the locust swept along by the wind (Exodus 10:19; Joe 2:20).
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 109:23
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth - See the notes at Psalms 102:11. I am tossed up and down as the locust - Agitated, moved, driven about, as a cloud of locusts is by the wind.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 109:23
23. Gone like the shadow—Like a disappearing evening shadow, till its form and outline are lost in the darkness. I am tossed up and down—I am shaken out. I have been violently cast out of home and country.
Sermons on Psalms 109:23
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Locust by Harriet N. Cook | Harriet N. Cook delves into the destructive nature of locusts as described in the Bible, particularly during the plague in Egypt where they devoured all vegetation, leaving the lan |
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(Exodus) Exodus 10:12-20 by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the eighth plague that God sent upon Egypt, which was a swarm of locusts. Unlike the previous plagues, the locusts did not appear miraculousl |
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Redemption by G.W. North | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the theme of redemption and the significance of the Passover in the Bible. He emphasizes that God's love for Israel led him to redeem them c |
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Integrity of Heart by Erlo Stegen | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of David and how he tried to cover up his sins until God exposed him. The preacher then shares a story about a little girl who had |
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Rev. 12:6. Strangership and Pilgrimage by Horatius Bonar | Horatius Bonar emphasizes the Christian's identity as a stranger and pilgrim in this world, drawing parallels between the journey of the Church and the experiences of biblical figu |
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Our Days on the Earth Are as a Shadow, And by F.B. Meyer | F.B. Meyer reflects on the transient nature of human life, comparing it to shadows and fleeting moments, yet emphasizes that even brief lives can leave a lasting impact. He draws o |
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Epistle 405 by George Fox | George Fox encourages his friends to actively engage in spreading the truth of the Gospel, emphasizing the importance of not hiding their gifts and talents. He urges them to be dil |