Psalms 109:24 — Word Study
WLCבִּ֭רְכַּי כָּשְׁל֣וּ מִצּ֑וֹם וּ֝בְשָׂרִ֗י כָּחַ֥שׁ מִשָּֽׁמֶן׃
BSAMy kneesberek [weakened, feeble] are weakkâshal■ from fastingtsôwm [abstaining from food, spiritual discipline] and my bodybâsâr [flesh, physical form] grows leankâchash■ [lacking fat, emaciated] and gauntshemen [skin and bones, severely weakened]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בִּ֭רְכַּי | knees my | Noun common feminine dual construct, suffix |
| כָּשְׁל֣וּ | they have staggered | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| מִצּ֑וֹם | from fasting | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וּ֝בְשָׂרִ֗י | and flesh my | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| כָּחַ֥שׁ | it has become lean | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| מִשָּֽׁמֶן׃ | from fatness | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | My knees are weak from fasting, and my body grows lean and gaunt. |
| KJV | My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. |
| ASV | My knees are weak through fasting; And my flesh faileth of fatness. |
| YLT | My knees have been feeble from fasting, And my flesh hath failed of fatness. |
| WEB | My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat. |
| BBE | My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones. |
Where they part company is כָּחַשׁ — see How Translations Differ.
Two main clauses connected with a conjunction, showing the relationship between the psalmist's knees and body in their state of weakness.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbכָּשַׁל
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 109:24
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
Psalms 109:24 captures the psalmist's deep physical and emotional distress. He describes how fasting has left him weak and emaciated, reflecting a state of vulnerability and desperation. This lament is part of a larger context where the psalmist seeks divine intervention amidst his suffering, as seen in the surrounding verses that express his anguish and plea for help.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 22:14 | I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me. |
| 2 | Psalm 35:13–14 | Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered. |
| 3 | Psalm 69:10 | I wept and fasted, but it brought me reproach. |
| 4 | Matthew 4:2 | After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. |
| 5 | 2 Corinthians 11:27 | in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כָּחַשׁ, ka.Chashgenerated
The verb כָּחַשׁ (kaChash) means 'to become lean' and is used here to describe the physical state of the psalmist as a result of fasting. It is built from a root that conveys the idea of deception or insufficiency, indicating that his body has been deprived of nourishment.
This verb is in the perfect tense, suggesting a completed action — his body has already become lean due to the fasting. The choice of this word emphasizes not just physical decline but also a spiritual and emotional state of weakness.
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 כָּשְׁל֣וּ (they have staggered) governs the first part of the verse, indicating the subject's weakness due to fasting. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the cause of this weakness, followed by another clause that describes the state of the body.
The sentence is constructed with two main clauses, the first focusing on the knees and the second on the body, which emphasizes the physical toll of fasting on both aspects.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בִּ֭רְכַּי as μου (mou), meaning 'my', indicating a direct and personal connection to the psalmist's suffering.
For כָּחַשׁ, the Greek equivalent is ἠλλοιώθη (ēlloiōthē), which suggests a transformation or change, aligning with the idea of becoming lean due to fasting.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 109:24 shows the psalmist feeling weak from fasting. He says his knees are weak, and his body has become lean and emaciated. This verse is part of a larger lament where he expresses his suffering and calls out to God for help.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist indicates that his physical strength has diminished due to fasting, symbolizing his vulnerability and desperation.
Fasting often signifies a spiritual discipline, seeking closeness to God, repentance, or mourning, which the psalmist is experiencing.
This describes the physical effects of prolonged fasting, indicating a loss of nourishment and vitality.
This verse reflects the themes of suffering, seeking divine assistance, and the physical manifestations of spiritual distress found throughout the Psalms.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced weakness or vulnerability in my own life, and how did I seek help?
- How can fasting or other spiritual disciplines impact my physical and emotional health?
- What does this verse teach me about the relationship between physical suffering and spiritual longing?
- How can I support others who are going through a time of weakness or fasting?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo references this verse to discuss the psalmist's reproach, indicating its significance in understanding suffering and divine aid.
"I became also a reproach unto them" [Psalms 109:24]: through the death of the Cross.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 109 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 109:24 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleMy knees are weak through fasting,..... Either voluntary or forced, through want of food or refreshment; this was verified in Christ, when he kneeled and prayed, and his sweat was as it were great
Read John Gill on Psalms 109 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryMy knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 109 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThrough fasting; either with voluntary fasts, to which the frequency and long continuance of my calamities obliged me; or with forced fasts, sometimes through want of necessary provisions, but most commonly from that loathing of meat, which was occasioned by his excessive sorrows and terrors. See Poole "". Of fatness; or, for want of fatness. See the like Hebrew phrases .
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 109 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 109:24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.Ver. 24. My knees are weak through fasting] Either for lack of meat or stomach to it; genua labant, my knees buckle under me, the strong men bow themselves, Ecclesiastes 12:3. My flesh faileth of fatness] I am lean and low brought. Christ might well cry out, "My leanness, my leanness"; so busy he was for his Father, and so worn out, that they judged him well nigh fifty, when he was not much over thirty, John 8:57.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 109 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(24) Faileth of fatness.—Literally, has failed me from fat, i.e., has dwindled away.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 109 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 24. My knees are weak through fasting] That hunger is as soon felt in weakening the knees, as in producing an uneasy sensation in the stomach, is known by all who have ever felt it. Writers in all countries have referred to this effect of hunger. Thus Tryphioderus Il. Excid. ver 155: - Τειρομενουβαρυθειενατερπεΐγουναταλιμῳ. "Their knees might fail, by hunger's force subdued; And sink, unable to sustain their load." MERRICK. SO PLAUTUS, Curcul, act. ii., scen. 3: - Tenebrae oboriuntur, genua inedia succidunt. "My eyes grow dim; my knees are weak with hunger." And LUCRETIUS, lib. iv. ver. 950: - Brachia, palpebraeque cadunt, poplitesque procumbunt. "The arms, the eyelids fall; the…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 109 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges24. faileth of fatness] Hath grown lean and lost fatness may be the meaning. But more probably, is shrunken for want of oil. In his distress he had no appetite for food (Psalms 102:4), and like a mourner (2 Samuel 14:2) abstained from the use of oil.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 109 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleMy knees are weak through fasting - Hunger; want of food. Strength to stand is connected with firmness in the knee-joints, and hence, weakness and feebleness are denoted by the giving way of the knees. Compare Hebrews 12:12.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 109 →The verse in English, compared — 16 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
My knees are weak from fasting, and my body grows lean and gaunt.
My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat.
My knees are weak from fasting, and my body grows lean and gaunt.
I am so starved my knees shake; I have turned into skin and bones.
Tyndale line
My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
My knees are weak through fasting; And my flesh faileth of fatness.
My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
My knees are weake through fasting, and my flesh hath lost all fatnes.
Strictly literal
My knees are failing through fasting, and my flesh hath lost its fatness;
My knees have been feeble from fasting, And my flesh hath failed of fatness.
My knees have been feeble from fasting, || And my flesh has failed of fatness.
My knees stumble through fasting, and my flesh faileth of fatness.
My knees are weak from fasting; I am turning to skin and bones.
Simplified
I am so weak from lack of food that my legs give way; my body is just skin and bones.
My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.
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 (MT) states, "My knees are weak from fasting, and my body grows lean and gaunt," which is reflected in the Septuagint (LXX) that matches all six words, though its word order differs. The Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q88 and 11Q5) also preserve similar wording, with some words partly restored or supplied by an editor, indicating that they align closely with the MT. Overall, the MT, LXX, and the Dead Sea Scrolls agree on the essential meaning of the verse, with minor variations in wording and restoration.
בִּ֭רְכַּי כָּשְׁל֣וּ מִצּ֑וֹם וּ֝בְשָׂרִ֗י כָּחַ֥שׁ מִשָּֽׁמֶן׃
6 of the 6 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.
[ברכ׳י] [כשלו] [מצום] [ובשר׳י] כחש [משמן]
nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 5 supplied entire by an editor.
ברכ׳י כשלו מצום [ובשר׳י] [כחש] [משמן]
2 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 3 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 109:24
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.
בֶ֫רךְ (berek) means 'knee' in Hebrew, derived from the root for bending. It can also figuratively describe someone who is weak from fear. The Aramaic equivalent is בְּרַךְ (berakh), meaning 'knee' as well.
בֶ֫רךְ n.f. knee
base
H1290 בֶ֫רךְ knee
1290 berek beh'-rek
from 1288; a knee:--knee.
see HEBREW for 01288
בֶּ֫רֶךְ (be.rekh) — knee.
1) knee
2) weak from fear (fig.)
Aramaic equivalent: be.rekh (בְּרַךְ "knee" H1291)
N-fd | Suff — Noun common feminine dual construct · suffixHNcfdc/Sp1bs
כָּשַׁל (kashal) means to stumble or totter, often due to weakness. It can refer to physical stumbling, as well as metaphorical weakness or failure. The verb has various forms, including causing others to stumble or making them weak. The entries suggest a range of meanings from literal stumbling to broader implications of ruin and weakness.
כָּשַׁל vb. stumble, stagger, totter
Qal
stumble at, over, something (lit. by means of)
totter
Niph.
stumble
be tottering, feeble
Pi. only apparent
Hiph.
cause to stumble
make feeble, weak
Hoph. either and let them be ones who have stumbled before thee, i.e. regard them as such, or and let them be ones overthrown before thee
base
H3782 כָּשַׁל stumble, stagger, totter .. stumble at, over, something (lit. by means of)
. totter
. . stumble
. be tottering, feeble
. only apparent
. . cause to stumble
. make feeble, weak
. either and let them be ones who have stumbled before thee, i.e. regard them as such, or and let them be ones overthrown before thee
3782 kashal kaw-shal'
a primitive root; to totter or waver (through weakness of the
legs, especially the ankle); by implication, to falter,
stumble, faint or fall:--bereave (from the margin), cast down,
be decayed, (cause to) fail, (cause, make to) fall
(down, -ing), feeble, be (the) ruin(-ed, of), (be) overthrown,
(cause to) stumble, X utterly, be weak.
כָּשַׁל (ka.shal) — to stumble.
1) to stumble, stagger, totter
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to stumble
1a2) to totter
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to stumble
1b2) to be tottering, be feeble
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to stumble, bring injury or ruin to, overthrow
1c2) to make feeble, make weak
1d) (Hophal) to be made to stumble
1e) (Piel) bereave
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
צוֹם (tsom) refers to fasting or a fast. It is derived from a root meaning related to abstaining from food, as indicated in the entries. The term is used in contexts related to religious observance, though specific verse references are not provided.
צוֹם n.m. fasting, fast
base
H6685 צוֹם fasting, fast
6685 tsowm tsome
or tsom {tsome}; from from 6684; a fast: --fast(-ing).
see HEBREW for 06684
צוֹם (tsom) — fast.
fast, fasting
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
In all ages, and among all nations, fasting has been practiced in times of sorrow, and affliction, Jon 3:5. It may be regarded as a dictate of nature, which under these circumstances refuses nourishment, and suspends the cravings of hunger. In the Bible no example is mentioned of fasting, properly so-called, before Moses. His forty days’ fast, like that of Elijah and of our Lord, was miraculous, De 9:9 1Ki 19:8 Mt 4:2. The Jews often had recourse to this practice, when they had occasion to humble themselves before God, to confess their sins and deprecate his displeasure, Jud 20:26
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)
Conj | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncmsc/Sp1bs
כָּחַשׁ (kachash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to deceive or disappoint. It encompasses a range of actions including lying, failing, and growing lean, with various forms indicating different nuances such as cringing or feigning obedience. The entries highlight its use in contexts of untruthfulness and insufficiency, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
כָּחַשׁ vb. be disappointing, deceive, fail, grow lean
Qal my flesh hath grown lean (away) fr. fatness
Niph. thine enemies shall cringe
Pi.
deceive
act deceptively against
cringe = come cringing
disappoint, fail
Hithp. shall come cringing to me
base
H3584 כָּחַשׁ be disappointing, deceive, fail, grow lean
3584 kachash kaw-khash'
a primitive root; to be untrue, in word (to lie, feign,
disown) or deed (to disappoint, fail, cringe):--deceive, deny,
dissemble, fail, deal falsely, be found liars, (be-)lie,
lying, submit selves.
כָּחַשׁ (ka.chash) — to deceive.
1) to deceive, lie, fail, grow lean, be disappointing, be untrue, be insufficient, be found liars, belie, deny, dissemble, deal falsely
1a) (Qal) to become lean
1b) (Niphal) to cringe, feign obedience
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to deceive, deny falsely
1c2) to act deceptively
1c3) to cringe
1c4) to disappoint, fail
1d) (Hithpael) to cringe, feign obedience
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularHVqp3ms
שֶׁ֫מֶן (shemen) refers to fat or oil, particularly olive oil, and includes meanings related to richness and anointing. It is derived from the root word for grease and can also metaphorically describe fertile land. The entries consistently highlight its use in contexts like medicinal applications and anointing.
שֶׁ֫מֶן 192 n.m. fat, oil
base
H8081 שֶׁ֫מֶן fat, oil
8081 shemen sheh'-men
from 8080; grease, especially liquid (as from the olive,
often perfumed); figuratively, richness:--anointing, X fat
(things), X fruitful, oil((-ed)), ointment, olive, + pine.
see HEBREW for 08080
שֶׁ֫מֶן (she.men) — oil.
1) fat, oil
1a) fat, fatness
1b) oil, olive oil
1b1) as staple, medicament or unguent
1b2) for anointing
1c) fat (of fruitful land, valleys) (metaph)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
fat'-nes (deshen; piotes):
1. Literal:
The translation of deshen (Jud 9:9, "But the olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness?"; Job 36:16 (of food)), "full of fatness"; of chelebh, "fat," "the best part," "the marrow" (Job 15:27; Ps 73:7; Isa 34:6,7); of mishman, "fathess," "fertility" (Ge 27:28, "the fatness of the earth"; Isa 17:4, "the fatness of his flesh"); of shemen, "fatness," "oil" (Ps 109:24); of piotes, "fat," "fatness" (