Psalm 102 6

Psalm 102:6 kjv

I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

Psalm 102:6 nkjv

I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert.

Psalm 102:6 niv

I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.

Psalm 102:6 esv

I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places;

Psalm 102:6 nlt

I am like an owl in the desert,
like a little owl in a far-off wilderness.

Psalm 102 verses

Psalm 102 6 Meaning

Psalm 102:6 is a deeply expressive lament where the psalmist vividly portrays his profound desolation, isolation, and anguish by likening himself to solitary birds of desolate regions. He feels utterly abandoned, withdrawn, and separated from normal human interaction and divine favor, residing metaphorically in places of ruin and despair. The comparison highlights his overwhelming physical and emotional suffering, leading to a state of being completely spent and alone.

Psalm 102 6 Context

Psalm 102 is a "Lament of an Afflicted Soul," categorized among the individual laments. The first part of the psalm (v. 1-11) is a profound outpouring of personal distress and anguish before God. The psalmist is suffering intensely, feeling physically wasted away, weary, and consumed by sorrow, likely due to a grave illness or overwhelming affliction that has alienated him from society. This personal lament then transitions dramatically in verses 12-28 to a corporate and timeless hope, as the psalmist contrasts his fleeting existence with God's eternal nature and His enduring promises concerning Zion's restoration. Verse 6 stands squarely within the psalmist's initial plea for divine attention, where he vividly illustrates the depth of his isolation and despair using the metaphor of birds typically associated with desolate ruins. The historical context might involve a Jew during exile or profound national suffering, but the immediate lament is intensely personal, describing a comprehensive breakdown of well-being. The polemical undertone could suggest a reversal of divine blessing, where the psalmist's condition mimics the fate of those forsaken by God or the desolation predicted for nations under divine judgment, challenging contemporary views that only the wicked suffer intensely.

Psalm 102 6 Word analysis

• I am like (דָּמִיתִי, damiti):
  • Significance: This verb emphasizes identification, not mere resemblance. The psalmist feels profoundly, intimately akin to these creatures, mirroring their characteristics in his own being.
  • Meaning: "I have become like," "I am compared to," "I resemble." It underscores a deep, personal reality of the psalmist's state.
• a pelican (לְקָאַת, le-qa'ath):
  • Original Language: קָאַת (qa'ath) refers to a type of desert owl, cormorant, or pelican. While translations vary, the consistent theme is a large, solitary bird, often associated with waterless regions, ruins, or desolate places. In Lev 11:18, qa'ath is listed among the unclean birds, subtly adding a dimension of impurity or rejection.
  • Significance: Represents extreme isolation and desolate existence. Pelicans often inhabit remote, marshy, or desert-edge areas, emphasizing the speaker's removal from inhabited places. Its presence in desolate ruins (Isa 34:11) solidifies the image of decay and abandonment.
• of the wilderness (מִדְבָּר, midbar):
  • Meaning: "Wilderness," "desert," an uncultivated and sparsely inhabited area. Not merely wild but often characterized by scarcity and hardship.
  • Significance: Reinforces the pelican's solitude and the harsh, unfruitful nature of the psalmist's circumstances. He feels like he is dwelling in an empty, life-draining space, stripped of comfort and provision.
• I am like (הָיִיתִי כּוֹס, hayiti kôs):
  • This is a strong reiteration of the comparison. The initial damiti sets the tone; hayiti (I have become) coupled with kôs (owl) continues the specific imagery, cementing the complete transformation into this desolate state.
• an owl (כּוֹס, kôs):
  • Original Language: כּוֹס (kôs) specifically refers to an owl, likely the "little owl" or "screech owl," known for its nocturnal habits and haunting cries. Owls are frequently associated with darkness, ruins, and desolate places in biblical literature (Isa 13:21, 34:15). In Lev 11:17, kôs is also an unclean bird.
  • Significance: Further intensifies the feeling of desolation, not just physical removal but perhaps also emotional or spiritual darkness. The owl's solitary nature and association with darkness and decay (being active when others rest) speak to the psalmist's lonely, miserable state.
• of the desert (חֳרָבוֹת, ḥărabôt):
  • Meaning: "Deserts," "ruins," "desolate places." It refers to places laid waste or utterly uninhabited, often signifying divine judgment or profound destruction.
  • Significance: This phrase complements "wilderness" by emphasizing not just wildness but a state of ruination and decay. The psalmist feels like he inhabits a wasteland, perhaps reflecting his own sense of internal ruin. His home is now desolation itself, mirroring his internal barrenness.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "I am like a pelican of the wilderness": This phrase paints a picture of complete and utter isolation. The pelican, alone in the vast emptiness, symbolizes the psalmist's detachment from human community and any form of comfort. It speaks to a deep, profound loneliness experienced in a harsh, unsympathetic environment.
• "I am like an owl of the desert": This second, parallel phrase reinforces and amplifies the first. The owl, associated with ruins and the darkness of night, adds a dimension of spiritual despondency and an intimate connection with decay and abandonment. The repetition of "I am like" (or implicit in the Hebrew structure) emphasizes the totality of his transformed, isolated state. Both birds are also seen as "unclean" in Levitical law, subtly conveying a sense of defilement or exclusion.

Psalm 102 6 Bonus section

The psalmist's deliberate choice of specific birds (qa'ath and kôs) is significant. These are not general terms for any wild birds, but those with clear associations in the ancient Near East, and especially within Israelite thought, as inhabitants of desolate places and ruins—often places that once thrived but are now laid waste due to judgment (cf. Isa 34:11-15, where these specific birds are indicators of utter destruction). This means the psalmist is not just expressing personal isolation, but also feeling his life reflects the state of something abandoned by God or brought to ruin. This hyperbole in lament serves to effectively communicate the depths of human despair and invites God's profound pity and intervention, echoing how a humble, debased state can draw divine compassion (Psa 102:17-20). The psalmist's identification with these "lowly" or "unclean" creatures demonstrates his complete lack of pride or pretense, truly emptying himself before God in desperate humility.

Psalm 102 6 Commentary

Psalm 102:6 conveys the psalmist's deepest anguish through potent natural imagery. He does not merely feel lonely; he is loneliness personified, embodying the solitary and often ominous birds of the wild. This vivid comparison to a pelican in the wilderness and an owl in desolate ruins expresses a multi-faceted suffering: profound isolation from fellow humans and perhaps even God's immediate presence, emotional emptiness mirroring the desert landscape, and a sense of internal decay akin to a ruined dwelling. The birds mentioned, often associated with ritual uncleanness in Israelite law and places of divine judgment (like Isaiah 34), subtly underline the psalmist's perceived state of being cast out or spiritually desolate. His complaint is that he feels utterly alone and forsaken, watching as life itself seems to withdraw from him, much like these creatures thrive in the absence of thriving life. This lament is an honest outcry of utter despair, yet within a prayer to God, indicating a desperate clinging to hope, even from the abyss.Example: One who feels utterly alone and forgotten during a prolonged illness might echo this verse, feeling their 'social landscape' has become a desolate wilderness. Similarly, one facing immense sorrow after loss might feel their life has become like a ruin, inhabited only by silent grief, much like the owl among the rubble.