Verses 9-13 continue to provide reasons why the psalmist petitions the LORD. Unlike the other reasons given, all of which have to do with trust in God, this section is a personal lament, and since it stands out from the overall pattern of the psalm, it may be best to provide it with a separate title; for example, “The psalmist fears his enemies” or “The psalmist suffers from sickness and enemies.”
From a statement of serene confidence and trust (verses 7-8), the psalmist now turns to a description of his pitiable condition and an urgent plea for Yahweh to save him. For Be gracious to me see 4.1c and comments.
It is impossible to know whether the language in these two verses is to be taken literally or is conventional language portraying spiritual and emotional upheaval. The psalmist is in distress and is so completely wasted from weeping that he feels his life has been shortened. For my eye is wasted from grief in verse 9b, see 6.7a and comments, where the same statement is made. The wording of verse 9b-c may suggest that the psalmist’s eye was something separate from his body. This is poetic language, of course, and is a vivid way of portraying how worn out he is. In many languages the passive usage in verses 9 and 10 will require shifting to active constructions. In some languages trouble and sorrow as well as many other emotional and physical states of the body are said to possess or hold the person; for example, “trouble has taken hold of me.”
In verse 10a spent means “exhausted,” worn out. In line b the verb “are spent” is to be understood; Good News Translation has supplied “has shortened.”
In verse 10c the Masoretic text has “in iniquity,” which is preferred by Weiser and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (“C” decision), Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible; the ancient versions translate “in trouble,” which is the text followed by Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New English Bible, New American Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy.
Line d my bones waste away represents a heightening of line a through the use of a metaphor, since the wasting away of bones would only happen to a corpse that is decaying. Although Good News Translation has retained the metaphor, it will probably be better to use a metaphor having to do with bodily weakness. The heightening effect can be translated, as in Good News Translation, with “even.” However, in English it will be more idiomatic to say something like “I am weak from all my troubles; I am even worn to the bone” or “more than that, I am totally exhausted.”
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .