Psalm 102 10

Psalm 102:10 kjv

Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.

Psalm 102:10 nkjv

Because of Your indignation and Your wrath; For You have lifted me up and cast me away.

Psalm 102:10 niv

because of your great wrath, for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.

Psalm 102:10 esv

because of your indignation and anger; for you have taken me up and thrown me down.

Psalm 102:10 nlt

because of your anger and wrath.
For you have picked me up and thrown me out.

Psalm 102 10 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Ps 42:3My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me...Tears are sustenance of grief.
Ps 80:5You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink...God provides sorrow as "food."
Lam 3:15-16He has filled me with bitter herbs and sated me with wormwood. He has...Metaphorical food of bitterness and suffering.
Job 2:8And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while sitting among the ashes.Sitting in ashes as a sign of deep mourning/suffering.
Job 42:6Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.Ashes as a symbol of humility and repentance.
Est 4:1-3...Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes.Sackcloth and ashes for deep distress and national calamity.
Isa 58:5Is such the fast that I choose... to bow down one's head like a reed...Sackcloth and ashes for mourning/humility.
Dan 9:3Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas...Fasting with sackcloth and ashes as an act of prayer/repentance.
Jon 3:6The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne...King covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes in repentance.
Jer 6:26O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth, and roll in ashes; make...Public lament and mourning using ashes.
Jer 9:1Oh that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears...Deep sorrow expressed through overflowing tears.
Lam 2:11My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out...Physical manifestations of extreme sorrow.
Ps 6:6I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears...Soaking with tears due to persistent sorrow.
Ps 31:9-10Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief...Physical wasting away due to affliction.
Ps 38:6I am bowed down and brought very low; all the day I go about mourning.Continuous sorrow and humility.
Ps 69:3I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim...Exhaustion and physical toll from constant lament.
Ps 126:5Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!Tears associated with a season of struggle or suffering.
Isa 53:3He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief...Foreshadows Christ's ultimate suffering and identification with sorrow.
Php 2:8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to...Humiliation and obedience in suffering, echoing the spirit of self-abasement.
Jer 25:34Wail, you shepherds, and cry out; roll in ashes, you leaders of the flock...Command for leaders to mourn and humble themselves in ashes due to judgment.
Ezr 9:3-4As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair...Extreme emotional reaction, akin to those mourning practices.
Job 30:19He has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.Deep debasement, identifying with dirt and insignificance.

Psalm 102 verses

Psalm 102 10 Meaning

Psalm 102:10 graphically depicts a state of extreme, all-consuming suffering and profound grief experienced by the psalmist. The imagery of consuming ashes like daily bread and mixing tears into drink conveys that sorrow and desolation are not just present, but have become the very sustenance of life, altering and defining every aspect of existence. It represents a life saturated with distress, self-abasement, and intense lament, where the boundaries between affliction and basic survival are blurred.

Psalm 102 10 Context

Psalm 102 is categorized as a communal lament, specifically "A Prayer of an afflicted person when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord." The speaker is depicted in deep distress, likely facing illness, isolation, and perceived divine wrath. Verses 3-11 graphically detail the psalmist's physical decay and overwhelming sorrow, providing a stark backdrop for verse 10. Historically, this Psalm is often connected with the suffering of God's people during the Babylonian exile or a time of similar national calamity, reflecting profound communal and personal despair before a turning point where the Psalmist pivots to God's eternal faithfulness. The context sets a scene of utter human vulnerability and a desperate cry from the depths of sorrow, emphasizing the severity of the affliction experienced.

Psalm 102 10 Word analysis

  • For I have eaten: The Hebrew verb is אָכַל (’ākāl), meaning "to eat," but here it denotes a complete consumption and internalization. It suggests that this "food" has become part of the very being, indicating total assimilation of suffering.

  • ashes: The Hebrew word is אֵפֶר ('ēpher), referring to the residue of burnt materials, dust, or powdery earth. It is a universal symbol of desolation, death, mourning, extreme grief, repentance, and self-humiliation in ancient Near Eastern cultures (e.g., placing ashes on the head, sitting in ashes, or wearing sackcloth and ashes). Its presence as "food" emphasizes the barrenness of life.

  • like bread: The Hebrew word is לֶחֶם (lechem), bread, the most basic and essential foodstuff for sustenance. The comparison is a striking hyperbole. It portrays an inverted reality where what nourishes life (bread) has been replaced by what symbolizes death and mourning (ashes), implying that the psalmist's entire existence is permeated by sorrow, lacking any true nourishment or joy.

  • and mingled: The Hebrew verb is מָסַךְ (māsak), meaning "to mix," "blend," or "pour out." It implies a thorough, inseparable integration. This isn't just crying while drinking, but tears in the drink, indicating that the tears have become an ingredient, indistinguishable from the beverage itself.

  • my drink: The Hebrew word is שְׁתִי (shĕti), referring to "drink" or "a draught." This signifies basic hydration.

  • with weeping: The Hebrew phrase is בִּבְכִי (bi-vəḵi), "with weeping" or "in weeping." Tears, the physical manifestation of profound sorrow, are literally mixed into the sustenance. This conveys an uninterrupted and pervasive state of grief, where tears are not just shed, but actively consumed as a component of daily living.

  • eaten ashes like bread: This phrase paints a picture of complete destitution and lamentation. It signifies a profound shift from a normal existence where sustenance brings life to one where the very act of living means consuming death and decay. It speaks of utter self-abasement and despair, deeply rooted in ancient mourning rituals.

  • mingled my drink with weeping: This phrase complements the first, illustrating a ceaseless and overwhelming sorrow. Tears, typically shed outwardly, are consumed inwardly, signifying that grief has penetrated the deepest recesses of the being and infused even the most basic necessities of life. It implies both emotional and physical exhaustion due to constant, unremitting anguish.

Psalm 102 10 Bonus section

The hyperbole used in this verse serves to intensely magnify the depth of the psalmist's suffering, making the invisible torment tangible through gruesome imagery. This verse's raw honesty validates human experiences of extreme sorrow, showing that profound lamentation is a permissible and indeed described aspect of a biblical walk with God. It contrasts sharply with God's ultimate intention to wipe away all tears (Rev 21:4), highlighting the current suffering condition of fallen humanity awaiting future redemption. This Psalm, read in a larger biblical context, speaks to a theology of suffering where distress can lead to a deeper reliance on God's unchanging nature and eternal covenant with His people (Ps 102:24-28).

Psalm 102 10 Commentary

Psalm 102:10 powerfully employs metaphors rooted in ancient Near Eastern lament practices to convey the psalmist's extreme and pervasive suffering. The act of "eating ashes like bread" vividly illustrates a life so utterly consumed by grief and desolation that traditional nourishment has been replaced by symbols of death and decay. This is not merely a description of hunger, but an articulation of internal despair where the substance of sorrow has become the daily fare, deeply intertwining affliction with the very fabric of existence. Coupled with "mingling my drink with weeping," the verse portrays a continuous outpouring of grief so profound that tears literally become part of the sustenance, demonstrating an inescapable anguish that permeates every waking moment and every basic act of life. This level of lament signifies deep humility, a complete breakdown of comfort, and a cry born of absolute hopelessness, seeking solace only in pouring out the heart before God.