Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:82
Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?
82. saying ] R.V. while I say.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Mine eyes fail for thy word – The same word in Hebrew as in the previous verse and in Psa 73:26. The idea here is that of looking out for a thing – of straining the eyes – so that their power becomes exhausted. The language expresses a longing desire – a waiting – an intense wish – for a thing, as when we look for a ship long expected, or for a friend long absent, or for help when in danger. Such a desire the psalmist had for the word of God, for divine truth.
Saying, When wilt thou comfort me? – How long shall I be compelled to wait for comfort? How often in the Psalms do the expressions occur, When, and How long! How often in the life of the believer now are similar expressions appropriate! God often seems greatly to try the faith and patience of his people by mere delay; and the strength of faith and the power of religion are shown in such circumstances by persevering faith in the divine promises, even when there seems to be no evidence that he will interpose.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 82. Mine eyes fail] With looking up for the fulfilment of thy promise, as my heart fails in longing after thy presence.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Mine eyes fail, with looking hither and thither, and to thee for help.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
82. Mine eyes fail for thy wordthatis, with yearning desire for Thy word. When the eyes fail, yet faithmust not.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Mine eyes fail for thy word,…. Either with looking for the Messiah, the essential Word, that was to be, and afterwards was made flesh, and dwelt among men; or for the fulfilment of the word of promise, on which he was made to hope; but that being deferred; and he believing in hope against hope, and looking out continually till it was accomplished, his eyes grew weary, and failed him, and he was just ready to give up all expectation of it; see Ps 77:8;
saying, when wilt thou comfort me? The people of God are sometimes very disconsolate, and need comforting, through the prevalence of sin, the power of Satan’s temptations, the hidings of God’s face, and a variety of afflictions; when they apply to God for comfort, who only can comfort them, and who has his set times to do it; but they are apt to think it long, and inquire, as David here, when it will be.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
82 My eyes have waxed dim in looking for thy word This verse is very similar to the preceding, — transforming to the eyes what had been said before concerning the soul. The only difference is, that, instead of longing after salvation or help, the expression, longing after God’s word compromise, is here used; for salvation is an act, as it is termed; that is to say, it consists in effect, whereas a promise keeps us suspended in expectation. God may not, all at once, openly perform what he has promised; and, in this case, it being only in his word that he promises us help, there is no other way by which we can hope for help, than by our reposing on his word. As, then, the word precedes, in order, the help which God affords, or, rather, as it is the manner in which it is represented to our view, the prophet, when sighing after salvation, very properly declares that he kept his eyes fixed on the Divine word, until his sight failed him. Here we have presented to us the wonderful and incredible power of patience, under the infirmity of the flesh, when, being faint and deprived of all rigor, we have recourse to God for help, even while it is hidden from us. In short, the prophet, to prevent it from being supposed that he was too effeminate and faint-hearted, intimates that his fainting was not without cause. In asking God, When wilt thou comfort me? he shows, with sufficient plainness, that he was for a long time, as it were, cast off and forsaken.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(82) Mine eyes fail.The failing of the eyes is here evidently to be understood of the effort of straining to catch or keep sight of a distant object, not, as so frequently in the Psalms (see Psa. 6:7, &c), from sickness or even grief. Comp.
I would have broke my eye-strings, cracked them, but
To look upon him.SHAKESPEARE: Cymbeline.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 119:82. Mine eyes fail That is with attentively looking around me, to see from whence that promised deliverance will come. A bottle in the smoke, Psa 119:83 means a bottle of skin or leather, (the only bottles then in use,) which being hung up in the smoke, and by that means parched and dry, aptly represents one worn out and dried up with long suspence and expectation. The author of the Observations, however, gives a different interpretation. He observes, that leathern bottles were a necessary part of the furniture of an Arab tent; and out of them they frequently drink. These are very uncouth drinking vessels, in comparison of cups of silver or gold, such as were anciently used in the courts of princes; agreeably to what we read in 1Ki 10:21 where we are told that the magnificence of Solomon suffered no drinking-vessels in his palace which were not of gold; none of silver, it being nothing accounted of in his days; whereas it should seem in the preceding reigns, cups of silver, as well as of gold, were used in the royal houses. And to the difference between these vessels of silver or of gold, and these goat-skin bottles, the Psalmist seems to refer when he says, I am become like a bottle in the smoke; “My appearance in my present state is as different from what it was when I dwelt at court, as the furniture of a palace differs from that of a poor Arab’s tent, among whom I dwell (and which was remarkably smoky).” Just thus the prophet laments that the precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, or vessels of fine gold, sunk in their estimation, and were considered as no better than earthen pitchers, the works of the hands of the potter. Lam 4:2.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 119:82 Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?
Ver. 82. Mine eyes fail ] God sometimes deferreth to help till men have stopped looking: Luk 18:8 , “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith?” hardly. This he doth to commend his favours to us, and to set a price on them.
Saying, When wilt thou comfort me?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
fail. Same word as “fainteth”, in Psa 119:81.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
eyes: Psa 119:123, Psa 69:3, Deu 28:32, Pro 13:12, Isa 38:11
When wilt: Psa 86:17, Psa 90:13-15
Reciprocal: Job 31:16 – the eyes Psa 51:8 – Make Psa 73:26 – flesh Psa 123:2 – so our eyes Isa 38:14 – mine eyes Rom 8:26 – with