Psalms 6:6-7
I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's striking here is the profound exhaustion David feels from his own grief. He's not just sad; his constant groaning and weeping have worn him out, highlighting how deep sorrow can physically drain you. The vivid imagery of a bed swimming with tears shows this isn't just a passing sadness, but an overwhelming, relentless anguish that consumes his nights.
The psalmist, overwhelmed by suffering and perhaps a serious illness, is consumed by grief. He's not just sad; he's exhausted by his constant moaning and weeping throughout the night, to the point where his tears soak his bed and couch. This deep anguish stems from a sense of God's displeasure and likely the painful realities of his life, whether sickness, sin, or the treachery of others.
Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by sadness that you just couldn't go on? David describes a bone-deep weariness born not from physical labor, but from the sheer weight of his sorrow.
The Weight of Weariness
David opens this verse with a powerful declaration: "I am weary with my groaning." This isn't just a sigh of fatigue; it's an exhaustion that seeps into the very core of his being. His groaning, a physical manifestation of his inner anguish, has drained him completely.
This weariness speaks to the profound toll emotional suffering can take. It highlights how deep grief can leave us feeling physically depleted, as if we've run a marathon of pain. The constant, unremitting nature of his sorrow meant there was no rest, only a perpetual state of suffering that led to this profound exhaustion.
Sleep offers rest to most, but for David, the night was a relentless sea of tears. Discover how he uses vivid imagery to express the overwhelming nature of his weeping.
A Torrent of Tears
David doesn't just cry; he floods his bed and drenches his couch with tears. This isn't a gentle weeping but a deluge, a powerful hyperbole designed to convey the sheer immensity of his grief.
This imagery emphasizes that his pain was constant and overwhelming. The night, a time meant for peace and respite, was instead filled with an uncontrollable outpouring of grief. It reveals a soul so consumed by sorrow that it finds no solace, even in the stillness of the dark.
Understand the original words
yaga'ti · Hebrew Verb
A state of physical or spiritual exhaustion, often resulting from prolonged suffering, adversity, or spiritual conflict. It reflects a condition where one's inner resources are depleted, turning the sufferer toward God for renewal.
anachah · Hebrew Noun
A mournful groan, lament, or audible expression of deep distress. In the Psalms, it represents the act of pouring out one's pain before God in times of crisis.
ka'as · Hebrew Noun
The state of internal sorrow or emotional pain, often connected to suffering, bereavement, or the oppression of enemies. It denotes a heavy heart that manifests physically.
tsorer · Hebrew Noun
The psalm's profound expression of weariness, sleeplessness, and overwhelming sorrow powerfully reflects the personal agony David experienced during his son Absalom's rebellion, a time of deep betrayal and political upheaval.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David's Rebellion by Absalom
The biblical narrative recounts Absalom's rebellion against his father, King David, leading to a period of immense grief, turmoil, and separation for David.
c. 1000 BC
David Flees Jerusalem
David is forced to flee the capital city of Jerusalem in haste due to Absalom's advancing forces, causing him profound sorrow and distress.
c. 1000 BC
Grief Over Absalom's Actions
Throughout the rebellion, David experiences deep personal anguish, not only over the political crisis but also the betrayal by his own son, Absalom.
This psalm echoes the deep sorrow and crying out to God found in Psalm 6, showing a consistent theme of profound distress and reliance on the Lord.
Psalms 42:3This verse provides a parallel expression of intense weeping, stating 'My tears have been my food day and night,' which powerfully illustrates the overwhelming grief described in Psalm 6:6.
Jeremiah 9:1The prophet Jeremiah uses similar hyperbole to express his sorrow over the sinfulness of his people, wishing his head were water and his eyes a fountain of tears, highlighting the shared experience of deep lament in the Bible.
Luke 22:44This passage describes Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, in agony, praying more earnestly, and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground, showing a profound sorrow that can manifest physically, much like the weeping in Psalm 6.
barnesPsalms 6:6: "I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears."
I am weary with my groaning - I am exhausted or worn out with it. That is, his sorrows were so deep, and his groaning was so constant, that his strength failed. He became "faint" under the weight of his sorrows. All persons in trouble have experienced this effect - the sense of weariness or exhaustion from sorrow. All the night make I my bed to swim - That is, he wept so much that his…
poolePsalms 6:6: "I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears."
All the night; he mentions this time, by way of aggravation of his misery, because that season, which is to others by God’s appointment a time of rest, was to him very sad and doleful, whether from his disease, which then came upon him more strongly, as it is usual; or from the opportunity which the solitude or silence of the night gave him to think of his own sins, or his enemies’ pe…
What's striking here is the profound exhaustion David feels from his own grief. He's not just sad; his constant groaning and weeping have worn him out, highlighting how deep sorrow can physically drain you. The vivid imagery of a bed swimming with tears shows this isn't just a passing sadness, but an overwhelming, relentless anguish that consumes his nights.
The psalmist, overwhelmed by suffering and perhaps a serious illness, is consumed by grief. He's not just sad; he's exhausted by his constant moaning and weeping throughout the night, to the point where his tears soak his bed and couch. This deep anguish stems from a sense of God's displeasure and likely the painful realities of his life, whether sickness, sin, or the treachery of others.
The psalmist, overwhelmed by suffering and perhaps a serious illness, is consumed by grief. He's not just sad; he's exhausted by his constant moaning and weeping throughout the night, to the point where his tears soak his bed and couch. This deep anguish stems from a sense of God's displeasure and likely the painful realities of his life, whether sickness, sin, or the treachery of others.
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Those who set themselves in opposition to the psalmist, often representing the wicked who oppose God and His anointed. They represent external threats and the spiritual forces of darkness that seek to destroy the righteous.
"I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes." — What's striking here is the profound exhaustion David feels from his own grief. He's not just sad; his constant groaning and weeping have worn him out, highlighting how deep sorrow can physically d…
