Mazmur 6:7

6:7 My eyes ¹  grow dim ²  from suffering;

they grow weak ³  because of all my enemies. ⁴ 

Mazmur 31:9

31:9 Have mercy on me, for I am in distress!

My eyes grow dim ⁵  from suffering. ⁶ 

I have lost my strength. ⁷ 

Mazmur 69:3

69:3 I am exhausted from shouting for help;

my throat is sore; ⁸ 

my eyes grow tired of looking for my God. ⁹ 

[6:7]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text has the singular “eye” here.

[6:7]  ² tn Or perhaps, “are swollen.”

[6:7]  ³ tn Or perhaps, “grow old.”

[6:7]  ⁴ sn In his weakened condition the psalmist is vulnerable to the taunts and threats of his enemies.

[31:9]  ⁵ tn Or perhaps, “are swollen.”

[31:9]  ⁶ tn Cf. Ps 6:7, which has a similar line.

[31:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “my breath and my stomach [grow weak].” Apparently the verb in the previous line (“grow dim, be weakened”) is to be understood here. The Hebrew term נפשׁ can mean “life,” or, more specifically, “throat, breath.” The psalmist seems to be lamenting that his breathing is impaired because of the physical and emotional suffering he is forced to endure.

[69:3]  ⁸ tn Or perhaps “raw”; Heb “burned; enflamed.”

[69:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “my eyes fail from waiting for my God.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision.