My heart throbs, my strength fails me; And the light of my eyes, even that has 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.
- KJV My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from 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.
- 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 6:7My eye wastes away because of grief. It grows old because of all my adversaries.
- Ps 88:9My eyes are dim from grief. I have called on you daily, Yahweh. I have spread out my hands to you.
- Ps 69:3I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
- Lam 5:16–17The crown is fallen from our head: Woe to us! for we have sinned.
- Ps 119:123My eyes fail looking for your salvation, for your righteous word.
- Ps 119:81–83My soul faints for your salvation. I hope in your word.
- Ps 31:10For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away.
- Ps 42:1For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God.
- Lam 2:11My eyes fail with tears, my heart is troubled; My liver is poured on the earth, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, Because the young children and the infants swoon in the streets of the city.
- 1 Sam 14:27–29But Jonathan didn’t hear when his father commanded the people with the oath. Therefore he put out the end of the rod who was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened.
- Isa 21:4My heart flutters. Horror has frightened me. The twilight that I desired has been turned into trembling for me.
- Ps 143:4–7Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me. My heart within me is desolate.
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 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.