my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O LORD; I spread out my hands to you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights a profound, yet often overlooked, aspect of deep suffering: the sheer physical toll it takes. The "eye grows dim" isn't just a poetic metaphor for sadness; it suggests that sorrow has become so debilitating it's literally dimming his vision, a visible, physical manifestation of his inner pain.
my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O LORD; I spread out my hands to you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is deep in suffering, feeling abandoned by friends and overwhelmed by God's wrath, to the point that his physical vision is failing from sorrow. Despite this profound despair, he continues to cry out to God daily, stretching out his hands in prayer, as if to grasp for help that seems unattainable in his pit of darkness. This verse is part of a psalm characterized by intense lament and a sense of God's overwhelming presence, yet it also highlights the persistent, even if desperate, act of prayer.
Imagine your vision blurring, not from age or tiredness, but from overwhelming sorrow. This is the raw picture the psalmist paints, showing how deeply suffering can impact our very senses.
More Than Just Sadness
The psalmist uses the phrase 'my eye grows dim' (or 'mourneth,' 'fadeth,' 'pineth' in various translations). This isn't just poetic exaggeration; it describes a physical and emotional exhaustion so profound that it affects his sight.
This imagery reminds us that the Bible doesn't shy away from the real, physical, and emotional weight of suffering. It acknowledges that affliction can impact us down to our very senses.
He's hurting, his vision is failing, his friends are gone, and God seems silent. Yet, he keeps praying. What does this relentless calling tell us about faith?
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The Act of Faith When The Answer Isn't Seen
This verse highlights a crucial aspect of faith: persistence, even in the face of what feels like unanswered prayer. The psalmist declares:
Commentators note that this prayer might feel 'without effect' to the psalmist, as he doesn't immediately receive an answer or deliverance. However, the act of praying itself is significant. It's an expression of trust that God exists and is the ultimate source of help, even when that help isn't immediately visible or felt. It's faith refusing to be silenced by suffering.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God revealed to Israel; it signifies the self-existent, eternal, and faithful One who enters into relationship with His people.
This passage echoes the psalmist's overwhelming sorrow and feeling of being trapped, noting how the soul can be so afflicted that it speaks out in distress and yearns for rest.
Psalm 6:6Here, the psalmist describes a similar physical manifestation of grief, with eyes growing dim from weeping and sorrow, directly linking physical weariness to emotional pain.
Lamentations 3:8This verse speaks to the feeling of being shut in and unable to cry out, reflecting the psalmist's sense of helplessness and isolation even while attempting to pray.
Romans 8:26This New Testament passage offers a powerful parallel, suggesting that when words fail and the spirit is weak from suffering, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, even in our deepest distress.
pulpitPsalms 88:9: "Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee."
Verse 9. - Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction; or, "mine eye hath grown feeble" (comp. Job 17:7). Lord, I have called daily upon thee; or, "all day." I have stretched out my hands unto thee. The attitude of earnest prayer (comp. Job 11:13; Psalm 68:31, etc.).
ellicottPsalms 88:9: "Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee."
(9) Mourneth. —Rather, fadeth, or pineth. So a Latin poet of the effects of weeping:— “Mæsta neque assiduo tabescere lumina fletu. Cessarent, tristique imbre madere genæ.” CATULLUS: xxviii. 55.
This verse highlights a profound, yet often overlooked, aspect of deep suffering: the sheer physical toll it takes. The "eye grows dim" isn't just a poetic metaphor for sadness; it suggests that sorrow has become so debilitating it's literally dimming his vision, a visible, physical manifestation of his inner pain.
The psalmist is deep in suffering, feeling abandoned by friends and overwhelmed by God's wrath, to the point that his physical vision is failing from sorrow. Despite this profound despair, he continues to cry out to God daily, stretching out his hands in prayer, as if to grasp for help that seems unattainable in his pit of darkness. This verse is part of a psalm characterized by intense lament and a sense of God's overwhelming presence, yet it also highlights the persistent, even if desperate, act of prayer.
The psalmist is deep in suffering, feeling abandoned by friends and overwhelmed by God's wrath, to the point that his physical vision is failing from sorrow. Despite this profound despair, he continues to cry out to God daily, stretching out his hands in prayer, as if to grasp for help that seems unattainable in his pit of darkness. This verse is part of a psalm characterized by intense lament and a sense of God's overwhelming presence, yet it also highlights the persistent, even if desperate, act of prayer.
"my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O LORD; I spread out my hands to you." — This verse highlights a profound, yet often overlooked, aspect of deep suffering: the sheer physical toll it takes. The "eye grows dim" isn't just a poetic metaphor for sadness; it suggests that sorr…
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Last reviewed October 2026