Psalm 102:1-3

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 102:1

The prayer of the afflicted. It is uncertain whether in this psalm we have an expression of personal feeling in a time of personal suffering, or an idealizing of the afflicted nation. If we take the former view, personal and national views must be regarded as blended. If we take the latter view, we may give heed to Bishop Wordsworth's suggestion, that the psalm was composed by Nehemiah when he went by night to examine the walls of Jerusalem, and was so deeply affected by the ruinous... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 102:1-11

Affliction. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous"— even of the righteous, and sometimes these are almost, if not altogether, overwhelming. We expect to find suffering and sorrow among the guilty, but experience teaches us that it is— I. THE OCCASIONAL PORTION OF THE GODLY . Seldom, indeed, is the good man reduced to such distress as that described in the text; yet it does occur; troubles do sometimes accumulate where they seem least deserved or least necessary. But... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 102:1-28

The psalm consists of three main portions: first, a complaint, prefaced by an appeal to God for aid (verses 1-11); secondly, a confident expression of an assured hope and trust in a speedy deliverance (verses 12-22); and thirdly, a contrast between human weakness and God's strength and unchangeableness, resulting in a conviction that, whatever becomes of the writer, the seed of Israel will be preserved and established before God forever (verses 23-28). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 102:1-28

Light arising in darkness. The authorship and therefore the date of this psalm cannot be certainly fixed, or whether it be a national or an individual utterance; probably it is the latter. The alternations of thought and feeling are very noteworthy. We have— I. EARNEST PRAYER . ( Psalms 102:1 , Psalms 102:2 .) There is an ascending scale, reaching to a climax. 1 . That the Lord would hear. "Hear, O Lord." 2 . For close access. "Let my cry come unto thee." Do not... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 102:2

Hide not thy face from me (so in Psalms 27:9 ; Psalms 69:17 ; Psalms 143:7 ). As the "light of God's countenance" is the greatest of all goods ( Psalms 4:6 ), so its withdrawal is the worst of evils. In the day when I am in trouble; literally, in the day of my trouble, or of my straits. Incline thine ear unto me (comp. Psalms 17:6 ; Psalms 71:2 ; Psalms 88:2 , etc.). In the day when I call, answer me speedily. Compare the versicles of our Prayer book, "O God, make... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 102:3

For my days are consumed like smoke; or, according to another reading ( בעשׁר , instead of כעשׁר ), "are consumed into smoke," i.e. "disappear, pass away into nothingness." And my bones are burned as an hearth. Dr. Kay translates, "My bones smoulder like a firebrand, " which is better (compare the Prayer book Version, and see Le Psalms 6:2 and Isaiah 33:14 ). (For the sentiment, see Psalms 31:10 ; Psalms 32:3 ; Psalms 42:10 .) read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 102:3-5

The depression attending bodily pain. The point of this pathetic complaint on which we just now dwell is given in Psalms 102:4 . "My heart is smitten, and withered like grass." There may be pain of body, and sorrow of circumstance, but these only become seriously distressing when they affect our minds, our spirits. "As the smitten flower no longer drinks in the dew, or draws up nutriment from the soil, so a heart parched with intense grief often refuses consolation for itself, and... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 102:1

Hear my prayer, O Lord - The prayer which I offer in view of my personal trials; the prayer which I offer as one of an afflicted people. Compare Psalms 4:1; Psalms 17:1; Psalms 18:6.And let my cry come unto thee - My prayer, accompanied with an outward expression of my earnestness. It was not a silent, or a mental prayer; it was a loud and earnest cry. Psalms 5:2; Psalms 18:6, Psalms 18:41; Psalms 30:2; Psalms 72:12; Job 35:9; Job 36:13. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 102:2

Hide not thy face from me - The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this, “Do not turn away thy face from me.” The sense is essentially the same. The prayer is, that God would not refuse to look graciously upon him; that he would turn his attention to him; that he would regard his supplications. See the notes at Psalms 10:1; compare Psalms 13:1; Psalms 27:9; Job 13:24; Job 34:29; Deuteronomy 31:17.In the day when I am in trouble - When sorrows come upon me; when I need thy gracious help.... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 102:3

For my days are consumed like smoke - Margin, “into smoke.” Literally, “in smoke.” That is, They vanish as smoke; they pass away and become nothing; they are spent in affliction, and seem to accomplish nothing. The idea is, that in his affliction he seemed to accomplish none of the ends of life. His life seemed to be wasted. This is often the feeling in trial: and yet in trial a man may be more useful, he may do more to accomplish the real ends of life, he may do more to illustrate the power... read more

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