Psalms 69:10
When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Psalms 69:10
When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The most striking thing here is that David's deep spiritual disciplines – weeping and fasting to humble himself before God – actually became the very thing his enemies mocked him for. His earnest devotion, meant to draw him closer to God, instead made him a target for ridicule.
The psalmist is deeply distressed by the enemies of God and godliness, expressing his profound sorrow and grief over their wickedness. In his anguish and desire for reconciliation, he engaged in acts of deep mourning and repentance, like weeping and fasting, but instead of finding solace, these expressions of piety were met with ridicule and scorn from those around him. These enemies even twisted his devotion into a source of mockery, turning his sincere spiritual disciplines into a byword and a song of derision.
When the Psalmist describes his emotional state, it's not just sadness, but a profound self-emptying. What does it mean to 'weep away your soul'?
The Hebrew phrasing here is incredibly powerful. It doesn't just say 'I was sad,' but paints a picture of someone so overwhelmed by grief and repentance that their very being seems to dissolve in sorrow. The concept of "chastening my soul with fasting" highlights a deliberate act of self-denial and humbling before God. This wasn't a casual Tuesday fast; it was a deep, soul-wrenching discipline born out of intense spiritual distress and a desire for reconciliation with God.
What happens when your deepest acts of devotion become the very thing your community mocks? This verse reveals a painful reality for those who stand apart in faith.
The core tragedy here is that the Psalmist's sincere acts of devotion—weeping, fasting, humbling himself—were twisted into reasons for mockery by others. Instead of seeing a soul seeking God, they saw weakness, foolishness, or even hypocrisy.
Understand the original words
anah · Hebrew Verb
To bring oneself low in submission to God; it involves self-denial and the recognition of one's dependence on the Almighty, often accompanied by grief or repentance.
tsom · Hebrew Noun
A spiritual discipline of abstaining from food to focus entirely on prayer, repentance, or seeking God's intervention, expressing total reliance on Him.
This Psalm reflects the intense personal suffering David endured. His acts of devotion, like fasting and weeping, were not only misunderstood but actively used by his enemies as a reason to mock him, highlighting a deep spiritual opposition to righteousness.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David's Reign as King of Israel
David, a man after God's own heart, faced numerous challenges, rebellions, and enemies throughout his long reign.
c. 1000 BC - 960 BC
David's Psalms Written
During his life, David composed many psalms reflecting his deep emotional and spiritual experiences, including times of great distress and persecution.
Throughout David's Life
Opposition and Mockery Faced
David, and later his descendants, faced intense opposition from enemies and even mockery from those within his own society for their devotion.
This passage describes a people mourning for their sins with sackcloth and ashes, a practice similar to the fasting and humbling mentioned in Psalms 69:10, highlighting a shared theme of public penitence and its potential for mockery.
Luke 10:25In this passage, Jesus is asked a question about eternal life, and His response points to the Law. This connects to the idea in Psalms 69:10 that devotion to God and His ways, even when expressed through fasting and sorrow, can be met with criticism or legalistic questioning from others.
1 Peter 4:4This verse directly addresses how non-believers might speak maliciously of those who live differently, finding it strange that believers no longer plunge into the same excesses. This mirrors the reproach David faced in Psalms 69:10 for his acts of devotion.
Philippians 3:18Paul warns about enemies of the cross of Christ who often live as enemies of God's people. This resonates with Psalms 69:10, where the Psalmist's piety led to him becoming a reproach, indicating a spiritual opposition faced by those devoted to God.
pulpitPsalms 69:10: "When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach."
Verse 10. - When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. David's practice of fasting appears both here and also in Psalm 35:13; Psalm 109:24; 2 Kings 12:16, 22. As fasting was not enjoined by the Law, he might be reproached for over-righteousness, and perhaps also for ostentation, on account of it.
jfbPsalms 69:10: "When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach."
- wept (and chastened) my soul—literally, "wept away my soul," a strongly figurative description of deep grief.
The most striking thing here is that David's deep spiritual disciplines – weeping and fasting to humble himself before God – actually became the very thing his enemies mocked him for. His earnest devotion, meant to draw him closer to God, instead made him a target for ridicule.
The psalmist is deeply distressed by the enemies of God and godliness, expressing his profound sorrow and grief over their wickedness. In his anguish and desire for reconciliation, he engaged in acts of deep mourning and repentance, like weeping and fasting, but instead of finding solace, these expressions of piety were met with ridicule and scorn from those around him. These enemies even twisted his devotion into a source of mockery, turning his sincere spiritual disciplines into a byword and a song of derision.
The psalmist is deeply distressed by the enemies of God and godliness, expressing his profound sorrow and grief over their wickedness. In his anguish and desire for reconciliation, he engaged in acts of deep mourning and repentance, like weeping and fasting, but instead of finding solace, these expressions of piety were met with ridicule and scorn from those around him. These enemies even twisted his devotion into a source of mockery, turning his sincere spiritual disciplines into a byword and a song of derision.
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"When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach." — The most striking thing here is that David's deep spiritual disciplines – weeping and fasting to humble himself before God – actually became the very thing his enemies mocked him for. His earnest d…