Mazmur 77:4

77:4 You held my eyelids open; ¹ 

I was troubled and could not speak. ² 

Mazmur 129:2

129:2 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,

but they have not defeated me.

[77:4]  ¹ tn Heb “you held fast the guards of my eyes.” The “guards of the eyes” apparently refers to his eyelids. The psalmist seems to be saying that God would not bring him relief, which would have allowed him to shut his eyes and get some sleep (see v. 2).

[77:4]  ² tn The imperfect is used in the second clause to emphasize that this was an ongoing condition in the past.