Psalms 32:4

4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.[a]

Psalms 32:4 in Other Translations

KJV
4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
ESV
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
NLT
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude
MSG
4 The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up.
CSB
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer's heat. Selah

Psalms 32:4 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 32:4

For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me
Meaning the afflicting hand of God, which is not joyous, but grievous, and heavy to be borne; especially without his gracious presence, and the discoveries of his love: this continued night and day, without any intermission; and may design some violent distemper; perhaps a fever; since it follows,

my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.
That is, the radical moisture in him was almost dried up, as brooks in the summer season; his body was parched, as it were, with the burning heat of the disease; or with an apprehension of the wrath of God under it, or both: and so he continued until be was brought to a true sense of sin, and an acknowledgment of it, when he had the discoveries of pardoning love, as is expressed in ( Psalms 32:5 ) . The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions read, "I am turned into distress, through a thorn being fixed"; and so Apollinarius paraphrases the words,

``I am become miserable, because thorns are fixed in my skin;''

reading (Uwq) for (Uyq) ; and which Suidas F15 interprets "sin", that being like the thorn, unfruitful and pricking; see ( 2 Corinthians 12:7 ) .

Selah; on this word, (See Gill on Psalms 3:2).


FOOTNOTES:

F15 In voce (akanya) .

Psalms 32:4 In-Context

2 Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.

Cross References 2

  • 1. 1 Samuel 5:6; S Job 9:34; Psalms 38:2; Psalms 39:10; Job 33:7
  • 2. Psalms 22:15

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. The Hebrew has "Selah" (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 7.
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