תהלים 102:23

Hebrew Modern Translation

ענה בדרך כחו קצר ימי׃

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Aleppo Codex
[102:24] בדרך כחו (כחי) קצר ימי

Biblia Hebrica Stuttgartensia (1967/77)
[102:24] עִנָּ֖ה בַדֶּ֥רֶךְ *כֹּחוֹ **כֹּחִ֗י קִצַּ֥ר יָמָֽי ׃

Westminster Leningrad Codex
[102:24] עִנָּה בַדֶּרֶךְ כֹּחִיכֹּחוֹ| קִצַּר יָמָֽי ׃

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

He weakened: Heb. He afflicted, Psalms 89:38-47, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:1-17, Revelation 11:2-19, Revelation 12:13-17

shortened: Job 21:21

Reciprocal: Job 6:11 - What Ecclesiastes 12:3 - strong Isaiah 38:12 - is removed John 11:52 - gather 1 Corinthians 15:43 - weakness

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He weakened my strength in the way,.... The psalmist here returns to his complaint of his afflictions, weakness, and frailty, which ended Psalms 102:11, after which some hints are given of the latter day glory, which though he despaired of seeing, by reason of his frailty and mortality, yet comforts himself with the eternity and immutability of Christ, and that there would be a succession of the church, a seed of true believers, who would see and enjoy it: as for himself, he says that God (for he is that "He", and not the enemy, as some) had "weakened" his "strength in the way", by afflictions, as the word e signifies; which weakens the strength and vigour of the mind, and discourages and dispirits it, and enfeebles the body: many are the afflictions which the people of God meet with in the course of their life, in their way to heaven, which have such an effect upon them; through many tribulations they pass to enter the kingdom, as the Israelites in their way to Canaan, and Christ to glory: some think the psalmist represents the Jews in their return from the Babylonish captivity, meeting with difficulties and discouragements in the way; rather the church of God, in the expectation of the Messiah, who, because his coming was delayed, grew feeble in their faith and hope, had weak hands and feeble knees, which needed strengthening by fresh promises: though it may be, best of all, the people of God, waiting for latter day glory, enfeebled by the persecutions of antichrist, or grown weak in the exercises of their grace, faith, hope, and love; which will be their case before these glorious times, and now is, see Revelation 3:2,

he shortened my days; which he thought he should live, and expected he would; and which, according to the course of nature, and the common term of man's life, he might, in all human appearance, have lived; otherwise, with respect to the decree of God, which has fixed the bounds of man's days, they cannot be shorter or longer than they are,

Job 14:5.

e ענה "afflixit", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Musculus, Piscator, Gejerus, Schmidt; so Ainsworth.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He weakened my strength in the way - Margin, as in Hebrew, “afflicted.” The idea is, that God had taken his strength away; he had weakened him - humbled him - brought him low by sorrow. The word “way” refers to the course which he was pursuing. In his journey of life God had thus afflicted - humbled - prostrated him. The psalmist here turns from the exulting view which he had of the future Psalms 102:21-22, and resumes his complaint - the remembrance of his troubles and sorrows Psalms 102:3-11. He speaks, doubtless, in the name of his people, and describes troubles which were common to them all. Perhaps the allusion to his troubles here may be designed, as such a recollection should do, to heighten his sense of the goodness and mercy of God in the anticipated blessings of the future.

He shortened my days - Compare Job 21:21; Psalms 89:45. That is, He seemed to be about to cut me off from life, and to bring me to the grave. The psalmist felt so confident that he would die - that he could not endure these troubles, but must sink under them, that he spoke as if it were already done. Compare Psalms 6:4-5.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 102:23. He weakened my strength in the way — We are brought so low in our captivity by oppression, by every species of hard usage, and by death, that there is now no hope of our restoration by any efforts of our own.