I believed, therefore I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”
Parallel translations
- WEB I believed, therefore I said, “I was greatly afflicted.”
- KJV I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:
- NKJV I believed, therefore I spoke, “I am greatly afflicted.”
- NASB I believed when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”
- NLT I believed in you, so I said, “I am deeply troubled, Lord.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The psalmist kept believing even while greatly afflicted. It matters because true faith holds onto God in the midst of suffering and speaks honestly to him.
Overview
Faith and affliction coexist here: the psalmist believed and therefore spoke, even from a place of pain. Paul cites this verse as a model of the 'spirit of faith' that speaks God's truth amid trials (2 Cor. 4:13). It teaches that genuine faith does not require pretending all is well, but trusts God through honest lament.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 2 Cor 4:13And in keeping with what is written: “I believed, therefore I have spoken,” we who have the same spirit of faith also believe and therefore speak,
- Heb 11:1Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
- 2 Pet 1:21For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
- Prov 21:28A lying witness will perish, but the man who listens to truth will speak forever.
- 2 Pet 1:16For we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
- Num 14:6–9Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 116:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.