Psalms 6:7 — Word Study
WLCעָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה מִכַּ֣עַס עֵינִ֑י עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה בְּכָל־ צוֹרְרָֽי׃
BSAbecause of allkôl [every one of]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה | it has wasted away | Verb, Qal, perfect third person feminine singular |
| מִכַּ֣עַס | from grief | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| עֵינִ֑י | eye my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה | it has grown weak | Verb, Qal, perfect third person feminine singular |
| בְּכָל־ | with all | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| צוֹרְרָֽי׃ | opposers my | Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | My eyes fail from grief; they grow dim because of all my foes. |
| KJV | Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies. |
| ASV | Mine eye wasteth away because of grief; It waxeth old because of all mine adversaries. |
| YLT | Old from provocation is mine eye, It is old because of all mine adversaries, |
| WEB | My eye wastes away because of grief. It grows old because of all my adversaries. |
| BBE | My eyes are wasting away with trouble; they are becoming old because of all those who are against me. |
Translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse, with minor variations in the rendering of specific words.
The main clause expresses the psalmist's emotional state, supported by phrases that explain the cause and reason for his condition.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbיָגֵעַ
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 6:7
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 — The Lament of the Psalmistgenerated
Psalm 6:7 captures the psalmist's deep emotional turmoil, where he expresses his grief and the impact of his adversaries on his well-being. This verse is situated in a larger context of lament, where the psalmist seeks relief from his suffering, as seen in the preceding verses where he weeps through the night. The emotional weight of the text reflects a universal human experience of distress and sorrow in the face of opposition.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 31:9–10 | Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes fail from sorrow, my soul and body as well. |
| 2 | Psalm 38:10 | My heart pounds, my strength fails, and even the light of my eyes has faded. |
| 3 | Psalm 88:9 | My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You. |
| 4 | Job 17:7 | My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow. |
| 5 | Lamentations 5:17 | Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim— |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה, 'a.she.Shahgenerated
The verb עָשְׁשָׁה ('a.she.Shah) means to waste away or fail, indicating a state of deterioration. It is a perfect tense verb, which suggests that the action has been completed in the past but has ongoing effects. Here, it describes the psalmist's eyes as consumed by grief, emphasizing the physical manifestation of his emotional pain.
This word conveys a sense of being overwhelmed, as it is often used in contexts of deep sorrow or affliction. The psalmist's use of this verb highlights the intensity of his feelings, suggesting that his emotional state has led to a physical decline.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the phrase fail from grief.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb in this verse is עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה, it has wasted away, which governs the subject עֵינִ֑י, my eyes, and is followed by a prepositional phrase מִכַּ֣עַס, from grief, and another verb עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה, it has grown weak.
The structure emphasizes the psalmist's eyes as the subject of the action, highlighting how his emotional state directly affects his physical condition. The arrangement of the phrases illustrates the cause-and-effect relationship between grief and the dimming of his eyes.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה with ἐκοπίασα (ekopiasa), meaning I have labored, suggesting an interpretation of the psalmist's emotional state as one of exhaustion from his grief.
This choice of word indicates a widening of the meaning, as it emphasizes not only the physical aspect of being worn out but also the emotional toll that grief takes on the individual.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 6:7 expresses the psalmist's deep sorrow, stating that his eyes have grown dim from grief due to his enemies. The verse illustrates how emotional pain can affect one's physical state.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist is expressing that his emotional pain and sorrow have taken such a toll that it affects his physical ability to see clearly.
The foes represent the external sources of his grief, highlighting the struggles and opposition he faces that contribute to his emotional distress.
This verse encapsulates the theme of lament and sorrow, showing how the psalmist's emotional state is intertwined with his experiences of opposition and grief.
The psalmist's honesty about his emotional struggles encourages us to acknowledge our own feelings of sorrow and seek help in times of distress.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced emotional pain that has affected my physical health?
- How do I respond to opposition or challenges in my life, similar to the psalmist?
- What practices can I adopt to express my grief in a healthy way?
- How can I support others who are going through difficult times, as the psalmist does in his lament?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers have commented on this verse, reflecting on the nature of grief and the struggles faced by the faithful.
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;Early Church Fathers on Psalms 6 →
"My eye is disordered by anger" [Psalms 6:7]: is it by his own, or God's anger, in which he makes petition that he might not be reproved,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 6 →
Listen to the psalmist tell how anger clouds the eye of the heart: “My eyes are dimmed,” he says, “with sorrow.”Early Church Fathers on Psalms 6 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 6:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleMine eye is consumed because of grief,.... Either by reason of the affliction he laboured under, which could not he joyous, but grievous; or because, of the sin that was in him, and those that he had
Read John Gill on Psalms 6 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryMine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies. Mine eye ... waxeth old. The eye generally indicates the state of the body and mind, whether affected with illness or not so.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 6 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleConsumed; or, grown dim or dull, through plenty of salt tears which I shed; or through the decay of my spirits. Because of grief, i.e. my grief arising from mine enemies, as the next clause interprets it, and from the consideration of their multitude, and rage, and falseness.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 6 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 6:7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.Ver. 7. Mine eye is consumed] Heb. gnawn, moth eaten. That eye of his that had looked and lusted after his neighbour’ s wife is now dimmed and darkened with grief and indignation, he had wept himself almost blind; as it is stated of Faustus, the son of King Vortigern by his own daughter, that he wept himself stark blind for the abominable incest of his parents (Prideaux’ s Introduct. to Hist. p. 289). It waxeth old] Or, Is sunk in my head. Doth not do its office, but is become like an old dusty window that lets in little light. A heavy affliction to those whose eyes have been loop holes of lust and…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 6 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(7) Consumed—i.e., sunken; literally, fallen away. The LXX. use the same word employed to render vexed in Psalms 6:2. Grief has brought the signs of premature age (Job 17:7; Psalms 31:9, and Note there). (See Homer’s Odyssey, xix. 360, “Quickly do mortals grow old from trouble.”)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 6 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 7. Mine eye is consumed] עששה asheshah, is blasted, withered, sunk in my head.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 6 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges7. Mine eye Is wasted away because of provocation; It is waxed old because of all mine adversaries. With the first clause comp. Psalms 31:9. The look of the eye is a sure indication of the state of health, mental and bodily. The word rendered adversaries means literally them that distress me. Cp. Psalms 7:4; Psalms 7:6; and the cognate words in Psalms 3:1, Psalms 4:1.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 6 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleMine eye is consumed - The word here rendered “consumed” - עשׁשׁ ‛âshêsh - means properly to fall in, to fall away, and is applied here to the “eye” as pining or wasting away from care, anxiety, and sorrow.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 6 →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
My eyes fail from grief; they grow dim because of all my foes.
My eye wastes away because of grief. It grows old because of all my adversaries.
My eyes fail from grief; they grow dim because of all my foes.
My eyes grow dim from suffering; they grow weak because of all my enemies.
Tyndale line
Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
Mine eye wasteth away because of grief; It waxeth old because of all mine adversaries.
Mine eye wasteth away because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine adversaries.
My eye is consumed because of grief; it groweth old because of all my enemies.
Mine eye is dimmed for despight, and sunke in because of all mine enemies.
Strictly literal
Mine eye wasteth away through grief; it hath grown old because of all mine oppressors.
Old from provocation is mine eye, It is old because of all mine adversaries,
My eye is old from provocation, || It is old because of all my adversaries,
(6:8) My eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all my assailants.
My eyes grow dim from grief; they grow weak because of all my adversaries.
From the Latin
I have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears.
Simplified
With all my crying I can hardly see; my eyes grow weak because of the trouble my enemies cause me.
My eyes are wasting away with trouble; they are becoming old because of all those who are against me.
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 עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה מִכַּ֣עַס עֵינִ֑י עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה בְּכָל־ צוֹרְרָֽי׃, and the Septuagint matches all six words, indicating agreement between these ancient witnesses.
עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה מִכַּ֣עַס עֵינִ֑י עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה בְּכָל־ צוֹרְרָֽי׃
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.
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 6:7
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.
עָשֵׁשׁ (ashesh) is a Hebrew word that means to waste away or fail. It is a primitive root that conveys the idea of shrinking or being consumed. The entries consistently focus on the notion of deterioration or decline.
[עָשֵׁשׁ] waste away
base
H6244 [עָשֵׁשׁ] waste away
6244 `ashesh aw-shaysh'
a primitive root; probably to shrink, i.e. fail:--be
consumed.
עָשֵׁשׁ (a.shesh) — to waste.
(Qal) to waste away, fail
HVqp3fs — Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singularHVqp3fs
כַּ֫עַס (ka.as) refers to feelings of vexation and anger, encompassing grief and provocation. It is derived from a root that suggests a sense of irritation or sorrow. The word appears in contexts relating to both human and divine emotions, indicating a range of feelings from frustration to wrath.
כַּ֫עַס n.m. vexation, anger
base
כַּ֫עַשׂ n.m.
vexation, grief
vexation, anger
base
H3708a כַּ֫עַס vexation, anger H3708b כַּ֫עַשׂ . vexation, grief
. vexation, anger
3708 ka`ac kah'-as
or (in Job) kaoas {kah'-as}; from 3707; vexation: -anger,
angry, grief, indignation, provocation, provoking, X sore,
sorrow, spite, wrath.
see HEBREW for 03707
כַּ֫עַס (ka.as) — vexation.
anger, vexation
Also means: ka.as (כַּ֫עַשׂ "vexation" H3708B)
כַּ֫עַשׂ (ka.as) — vexation.
1) anger, vexation, provocation, grief
1a) vexation
1a1) of men
1a2) of God
1b) vexation, grief, frustration
HR/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
The Hebrew word עַ֫יִן (*'ayin*) means 'eye' and can refer to both the physical organ and its figurative uses, such as mental qualities and desires. It also denotes a 'spring' or 'fountain' of water. The entries highlight various phrases and contexts, including appearances and expressions of emotion, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.
עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye
lit. as physical organ
eyes as showing mental qualities
desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
Transferred mngs.:
visible surface of earth
appearance
gleam, sparkle
Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
base
עַ֫יִן n.f. spring (of water). Particular springs are:
ע׳ חֲרֹר Ju 7:1
ע׳ הַקּוֹרֵא (partridge-spring) Ju 15:19
ע׳ רֹגֵל near Jerus.
ע׳ הַתַּנִּין (dragon-spring)
base
H5869a עַ֫יִן eye . lit. as physical organ
. . eyes as showing mental qualities
. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
. Transferred mngs.: . visible surface of earth
. appearance
. gleam, sparkle
. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
H5869b עַ֫יִן spring (of water)
5869 `ayin ah'-yin
probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or
figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the
landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, +
think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, +
displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour,
fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble,
knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please,
presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, +
think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye.
: eye
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain (Gate).
§ spring, fountain
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain of.
§ spring, fountain
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: seeing.
: seeing
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: appearance.
: appearance
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: before(the eyes).
: before(the_eyes)
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: sin.
: sin
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
HNcfsc/Sp1bs — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs
עָתַק (athaq) is a Hebrew verb meaning to move, proceed, or advance. It can refer to physical movement or the figurative sense of growing old or being removed. The entries indicate uses in both the Qal and Hiphil stems, with the Hiphil form also meaning to transcribe or copy out. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
עָתַק move, proceed, advance
Qal
move
advance
Hiph.
move forward
he who removeth mountains
very late transcribe (remove from one book or roll to another)
base
H6275 עָתַק move, proceed, advance .. move
. advance
. . move forward
. he who removeth mountains
. very late transcribe (remove from one book or roll to another)
6275 `athaq aw-thak'
a primitive root; to remove (intransitive or transitive)
figuratively, to grow old; specifically, to transcribe:--copy
out, leave off, become (wax) old, remove.
עָתַק (a.taq) — to proceed.
1) to move, proceed, advance, move on, become old, be removed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to move
1a2) to advance (in years), grow old and weak
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to move forward, proceed, move on
1b2) to remove
1b3) to transcribe
HVqp3fs — Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singularHVqp3fs
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
The Hebrew word צָרַר (tsarar) is built from a primitive root meaning to bind or confine. It covers a range of meanings including to besiege, cause distress, and show hostility. The word can also denote making a rival-wife. Notably, it appears in Leviticus 18:18.
צוּר vb. confine, bind, besiege
base
צָרַר vb. bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, cramped
trans.
Qal bind or tie up
Pu. tied up (mended by tying)
intrans.
Qal be scant, cramped, in straits
Hiph. make narrow for, press hard upon, cause distress to
base
[צָרַר] vb. denom. Hiph. suffer distress
base
צָרַר vb. shew hostility toward, vex
base
[צָרַר] vb. denom. make a rival-wife;—Qal Lv 18:18
ref
H6887a צוּר confine, bind, besiege H6887b צָרַר bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, cramped H6887c צָרַר vb. denom. Hiph. suffer distress H6887d צָרַר shew hostility toward, vex H6887e צָרַר vb. denom. make a rival-wife
6887 tsarar tsaw-rar'
a primitive root; to cramp, literally or figuratively,
transitive or intransitive (as follows):--adversary, (be in)
afflict(-ion), beseige, bind (up), (be in, bring) distress,
enemy, narrower, oppress, pangs, shut up, be in a strait
(trouble), vex.
צָרַר (tsa.rar) — to confine.
to confine, besiege
Another spelling of tsur (צוּר "to confine" H6696A)
צָרַר (tsa.rar) — to constrain.
1) to bind, be narrow, be in distress, make narrow, cause distress, besiege, be straitened, be bound
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bind, tie up, shut up
1a2) to be scant, be cramped, be in straits
1b) (Pual) to be bound, be tied up
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to make narrow for, cause distress to, press hard upon
צָרַר (tsa.rar) — to distress.
to suffer distress
צָרַר (tsa.rar) — to vex.
to show hostility toward, vex
צָרַר (tsa.rar) — to rival.
to make a rival-wife
HVqrmpc/Sp1bs — Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffixHVqrmpc/Sp1bs