Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just say "I'm sad"; it describes grief as physically consuming him, impacting his eyesight, his very soul, and his whole body. This isn't just emotional pain, but a deep, visceral suffering that touches every part of his being.
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Psalmist is crying out to God because he's in a deep state of suffering and despair. His enemies are surrounding him, mocking him and plotting against his life, making him feel like a worthless, forgotten object. This intense pressure and the betrayal he feels have taken a devastating toll, physically and emotionally, leaving him utterly broken and desperate for divine intervention.
Have you ever felt like your emotions are physically consuming you? David's words here paint a powerful picture of suffering that goes beyond tears.
David isn't just feeling sad; he's describing a total bodily and emotional breakdown.
In the midst of such intense suffering, what is the first thing David cries out for? It's not an explanation or a solution, but a plea.
David's opening line, 'Be gracious to me, O LORD,' is crucial. It sets the tone for the entire psalm and reveals a fundamental truth about approaching God in our darkest hours:
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Understand the original words
chanan · Hebrew Verb
An active plea for divine favor and unmerited kindness. It is a request for God to act based on His compassionate nature rather than human merit.
ka'as · Hebrew Noun
Deep mental or emotional anguish that causes physical exhaustion and decline. It is often associated with the weight of sin, trial, or loss.
This passage describes a similar state of physical and emotional exhaustion due to sorrow, with the psalmist's eye being affected by weeping and his whole being worn out, directly paralleling the imagery in Psalms 31:9.
Psalms 102:11This verse speaks of life passing away like a shadow and fading away, echoing the psalmist's sense of his life and years being consumed by grief and sorrow in Psalms 31:9.
Lamentations 3:16-18Jeremiah's lament shares the profound distress and suffering described in Psalms 31:9, noting that his joy is gone, hope has perished from the Lord, and his soul is bowed down by affliction.
Job 30:15-16Job's experience of deep suffering includes physical anguish and a sense of being destroyed, much like the psalmist's description of his eye, soul, and body being consumed by distress.
2 Corinthians 7:10This verse distinguishes between godly sorrow, which leads to salvation, and worldly sorrow, which leads to death. Psalms 31:9 likely reflects a deep, perhaps overwhelming, sorrow that, while painful, drives the psalmist to seek God's mercy rather than despair.
calvinPsalms 31:9-13: "Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly."
- Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah! for I am in trouble: mine eye, my soul, and my belly, are consumed by reason of anger. 10. For my life is wasted by reason of grief, and my years with groaning; my strength faileth in my sorrow, and my bones are consumed. 11. I was a reproach by reason of all mine enemies, yea, exceedingly to my neighbors, and a fear to my acquaintances…
clarkePsalms 31:9: "Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly."
Mine eye is consumed - He now returns, and speaks of his present situation. Grief had brought many tears from his eyes, many agonies into his soul, and many distressful feelings into his whole frame. My soul and my belly - The belly is often taken for the whole body. But the term belly or bowels, in such as case as this, may be the most proper; for in distress and misery,…
The verse doesn't just say "I'm sad"; it describes grief as physically consuming him, impacting his eyesight, his very soul, and his whole body. This isn't just emotional pain, but a deep, visceral suffering that touches every part of his being.
The Psalmist is crying out to God because he's in a deep state of suffering and despair. His enemies are surrounding him, mocking him and plotting against his life, making him feel like a worthless, forgotten object. This intense pressure and the betrayal he feels have taken a devastating toll, physically and emotionally, leaving him utterly broken and desperate for divine intervention.
The Psalmist is crying out to God because he's in a deep state of suffering and despair. His enemies are surrounding him, mocking him and plotting against his life, making him feel like a worthless, forgotten object. This intense pressure and the betrayal he feels have taken a devastating toll, physically and emotionally, leaving him utterly broken and desperate for divine intervention.
"Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also." — The verse doesn't just say "I'm sad"; it describes grief as physically consuming him, impacting his eyesight, his very soul, and his whole body. This isn't just emotional pain, but a deep, visceral s…
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Last reviewed October 2026