My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
Parallel translations
- WEB My heart throbs. My strength fails me. As for the light of my eyes, it has also left me.
- BSB My heart pounds, my strength fails, and even the light of my eyes has faded.
- NKJV My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
- NASB My heart throbs, my strength fails me; And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me.
- NLT My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, and I am going blind.
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
David's heart pounds, his strength fails, and even the light of his eyes has gone. He is at the end of his physical and emotional resources.
Overview
David describes total exhaustion, a racing heart, failing strength, and dimmed sight, the signs of one utterly depleted. He has nothing left in himself. Such complete weakness throws him entirely on God's mercy, the very posture the gospel commends, for God's power is made perfect in our weakness and our help is found in Christ alone (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ps 6:7Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
- Ps 88:9Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
- Ps 69:3I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
- Lam 5:16–17The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
- Ps 119:123Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness.
- Ps 119:81–83My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.
- Ps 31:10For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.
- Ps 42:1As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
- Lam 2:11Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.
- 1 Sam 14:27–29But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
- Isa 21:4My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
- Ps 143:4–7Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 38:10 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.