Psalms 102:5 — Word Study
WLCמִקּ֥וֹל אַנְחָתִ֑י דָּבְקָ֥ה עַ֝צְמִ֗י לִבְשָׂרִֽי׃
BSAto smitenâkâh vegetationʻeseb to witheryâbêsh heartlêb forkîy to forgetshâkach to eatʼâkal foodlechem
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִקּ֥וֹל | from [the] sound of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| אַנְחָתִ֑י | groaning my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| דָּבְקָ֥ה | it clings | Verb, Qal, perfect third person feminine singular |
| עַ֝צְמִ֗י | bone[s] my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| לִבְשָׂרִֽי׃ | to flesh my | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Through my loud groaning my flesh clings to my bones. |
| KJV | By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. |
| ASV | By reason of the voice of my groaning My bones cleave to my flesh. |
| YLT | From the voice of my sighing Hath my bone cleaved to my flesh. |
| WEB | By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones stick to my skin. |
| BBE | Because of the voice of my sorrow, my flesh is wasted to the bone. |
The translations agree on the rendering of דָּבְקָ֥ה as clings.
The structure features one main clause with three subordinate elements, illustrating the cause and effect of the psalmist's groaning.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbיָבֵשׁ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 102:5
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Lament of Sufferinggenerated
Psalm 102:5 is part of a larger lament where the psalmist expresses his deep sorrow and physical affliction. He describes how his loud groaning reflects his pain, leading to a feeling of his flesh clinging to his bones. This vivid imagery captures the intensity of his suffering, linking his emotional state to his physical condition, as seen in the surrounding verses that detail his distress and isolation.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 6:6–8 | I am weary from groaning; all night I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. |
| 2 | Psalm 32:3–4 | When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. |
| 3 | Psalm 38:8–10 | I am numb and badly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart. |
| 4 | Job 19:20 | My skin and flesh cling to my bones; I have escaped by the skin of my teeth. |
| 5 | Proverbs 17:22 | A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — דָּבְקָ֥ה, da.ve.Kahgenerated
The word דָּבְקָ֥ה (dabaq) is a verb meaning 'to cling' or 'to cleave.' It conveys a sense of attachment or adherence, and in this context, it describes how the psalmist's flesh is so weakened that it clings to his bones, illustrating the depth of his suffering.
This verb is in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action, which emphasizes the ongoing state of his physical condition as a result of his emotional turmoil. The imagery suggests a profound connection between his mental anguish and physical state.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb דָּבְקָ֥ה, it clings, governs the sentence, with a prepositional phrase indicating the source of the action and two noun phrases describing the subject and object. The structure highlights the relationship between the psalmist's groaning and the physical state of his body.
The order of the words emphasizes the cause of his condition, starting with the source of his groaning, followed by the action of clinging, and culminating in the physical description of his body.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates דָּבְקָ֥ה as ἐχηράνθη (echēranthē), which means 'was dried up.' This choice suggests a slightly different nuance, focusing on the state of being dried or weakened rather than the act of clinging, indicating a possible interpretation of the psalmist's physical condition as one of desolation.
The translation reflects a broader understanding of the psalmist's suffering, emphasizing the impact of his emotional distress on his physical state.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 102:5 describes the psalmist's deep sorrow, where he expresses that his loud groaning causes his flesh to cling to his bones. This imagery shows how his emotional pain affects his physical state, making him feel weak and distressed.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This phrase indicates that the psalmist feels so weakened by his emotional distress that it affects his physical body, illustrating a deep connection between his mental and physical suffering.
The loud groaning reflects his intense pain and sorrow, a common expression of grief and distress found in the Psalms.
This verse exemplifies the theme of suffering in the Psalms, where the psalmists often express their anguish and seek comfort from God during their trials.
The psalmist's expression of pain reminds us that it is okay to acknowledge our suffering and seek help, reflecting the human experience of distress and the need for divine support.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced emotional pain that affected my physical health?
- How can I express my feelings of distress in a healthy way, similar to the psalmist?
- What does this verse teach me about the connection between emotional and physical suffering?
- How can I support others who are going through similar struggles as the psalmist?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers, including Augustine of Hippo, have commented on this verse, reflecting on the themes of groaning and suffering.
"For the voice of my groaning, the bones cleave unto my flesh" [Psalms 102:5]. For many groan, and I also groan; even for this I groan, because they groan for a wrong cause.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 102 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 102:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBy reason of the voice of my groaning,.... Under the burden of sin, and pressure of afflictions: my bones cleave to my skin; was quite emaciated, reduced to a skeleton, became nothing but skin and
Read John Gill on Psalms 102 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBy reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. By reason of the voice of my groaning. What is here said of the complaining sufferer is in Psalms 102:20 said of Zion, whom he represents, as being her king (cf.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 102 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleMy flesh being quite consumed with excessive sorrows.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 102 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 102:5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.Ver. 5. By reason of the voice of my groaning] A broken spirit drieth the bones, Proverbs 17:22, and, by drinking up the marrow and radical moisture, casteth all into a consumption.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 102 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5) Skin.—See margin. In Lamentations 4:8, more correctly, “my skin cleaveth to my bones;” a picture of emaciation, the result of fasting.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 102 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5. If the A.V. is retained, the verse will describe the state of emaciation to which he has been reduced by continued sorrow. Cp. Lamentations 4:8. But though the cognate Arabic word means skin, it is doubtful whether the Heb. word bâsâr can bear this sense. Usage requires the rendering of R.V., ‘my bones cleave to my flesh,’ which means apparently that his limbs are swollen and stiff. The phrase seems to be borrowed from Job 19:20, “my bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh,” where Job describes his limbs as partly emaciated, partly abnormally swollen, and stiff with disease. The curious rendering of the P.B.V. “my bones [Coverdale, bone] will scarce cleave to my flesh,” comes from the…
Read Cambridge on Psalms 102 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleBy reason of the voice of my groaning - By suffering and trouble, so great as to produce groaning, my flesh is wasted away.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 102 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible5. Bones cleave to my skin—From emaciation. Job 19:2; Lamentations 4:8.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 102 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Through my loud groaning my flesh clings to my bones.
By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones stick to my skin.
Through my loud groaning my skin hangs on my bones.
Because of the anxiety that makes me groan, my bones protrude from my skin.
Tyndale line
By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.
By reason of the voice of my groaning My bones cleave to my flesh.
By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my flesh.
By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin.
For the voyce of my groning my bones doe cleaue to my skinne.
Strictly literal
By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my flesh.
From the voice of my sighing Hath my bone cleaved to my flesh.
From the voice of my sighing || My bone has cleaved to my flesh.
(102:6) Because of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my flesh.
With my continual groaning, I have become very thin.
From the Latin
Who satisfieth thy desire with good things: thy youth shall be renewed like the eagle’s.
Simplified
All my groaning has worn me out; my bones show through my skin.
Because of the voice of my sorrow, my flesh is wasted to the bone.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads מִקּ֥וֹל אַנְחָתִ֑י דָּבְקָ֥ה עַ֝צְמִ֗י לִבְשָׂרִֽי׃, which aligns with the Septuagint, where all five words are matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q84, however, contain only one word from the original text, with the rest supplied by an editor, indicating significant damage.
מִקּ֥וֹל אַנְחָתִ֑י דָּבְקָ֥ה עַ֝צְמִ֗י לִבְשָׂרִֽי׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[הוכה] [כעשב] [ויבש] לב׳י [כי] [שכחתי] [לחמ׳י] [מאכל]
1 word on the leather — 7 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 102:5
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
קוֹל (qol) primarily means 'voice' or 'sound,' encompassing various contexts such as music, noise, and even thunder. It can also denote lightness or frivolity. The word is built from a root meaning to call aloud and appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, including a reference in Jeremiah 3:9.
ref
H6963a קוֹל sound, voice H6963b קֹל lightness, frivolity
6963 qowl kole
or qol {kole}; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a
voice or sound:--+ aloud, bleating, crackling, cry (+ out),
fame, lightness, lowing, noise, + hold peace, (pro-)claim,
proclamation, + sing, sound, + spark, thunder(-ing), voice, +
yell.
קוֹל (qol) — voice.
: voice/shout/loud
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קֹל (qol) — frivolity.
lightness, frivolity
קוֹל (qol) — voice: sound.
: sound/noise
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: thunder.
: thunder
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: message.
: message/proclaim
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: [sound of].
: [sound_of](THING)
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: listen.
: listen
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
HR/Ncmsc — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
אֲנָחָה (anachah) refers to sighing or groaning, often associated with expressions of grief or physical distress. The term appears in poetic and late contexts, and its usage encompasses both mournful and general sighing. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning.
אֲנָחָה n.f. sighing, groaning (poet. & late)
base
H585 אֲנָחָה sighing, groaning (poet. & late)
585 'anachah an-aw-khaw'
from 585; sighing:--groaning, mourn, sigh.
see HEBREW for 0585
אֲנָחָה (a.na.chah) — sighing.
sighing, groaning (expression of grief or physical distress)
HNcfsc/Sp1bs — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs
דָּבַק, transliterated as dabaq, is a Hebrew verb meaning to cling or cleave. It encompasses a range of actions such as adhering closely, pursuing, and being joined together. The word appears in various forms, including Qal, Pual, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating different nuances of the action. Notably, it can describe both physical and metaphorical closeness.
דָּבַק, דָּבֵק vb. cling, cleave, keep close
Qal
cling, cleave to
cling, cleave to
Pu. of crocodile’s scales, they are joined together
Hiph.
cause to cling or cleave to
pursue closely
overtake
Hoph. and my tongue is made to cleave (to) my gums
base
H1692 דָּבַק, דָּבֵק cling, cleave, keep close
1692 dabaq daw-bak'
a primitive root; properly, to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere;
figuratively, to catch by pursuit:--abide fast, cleave (fast
together), follow close (hard after), be joined (together),
keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take.
דָּבַק (da.vaq) — to cleave.
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)
HVqp3fs — Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singularHVqp3fs
עֶ֫צֶם (etsem) primarily means 'bone' but extends to concepts of substance and self. It can refer to the physical body, limbs, or essence. The word is derived from a root related to strength, indicating a connection between physicality and identity.
עֶ֫צֶם 125 n.f. bone, substance, self
base
H6106 עֶ֫צֶם bone, substance, self
6106 `etsem eh'tsem
from 6105; a bone (as strong); by extension, the body;
figuratively, the substance, i.e. (as pron.) selfsame:--body,
bone, X life, (self-)same, strength, X very.
see HEBREW for 06105
עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone.
: bone/limb
1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self
עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone: same.
: same/very
1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self
עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone: body.
: body
1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self
HNcfsc/Sp1bs — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs
בָּשָׂר (basar) means 'flesh' and encompasses various meanings, including the physical body, kinship, and a euphemism for male genitalia. It can refer to humans, animals, and all living things, highlighting the frailty of man in relation to God. The entries consistently emphasize its bodily and relational aspects.
בָּשָׂר 266 n.m. flesh
of the body
flesh for the body itself
male organ of generation (euphemism)
flesh for kindred, blood-relations
man over against God as frail or erring
base
H1320 בָּשָׂר flesh . of the body
. flesh for the body itself
. male organ of generation (euphemism)
. flesh for kindred, blood-relations
. man over against God as frail or erring
1320 basar baw-sawr'
from 1319; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body,
person; also (by euphem.) the pudenda of a man:--body, (fat,
lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-)kind, + nakedness, self, skin.
see HEBREW for 01319
בָּשָׂר (ba.sar) — flesh.
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)
HR/Ncmsc/Sp1bs — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp1bs