Psalms 102:5

102:5 Because of the anxiety that makes me groan,

my bones protrude from my skin. ¹ 

Psalms 119:25

ד (Dalet)

119:25 I collapse in the dirt. ² 

Revive me with your word! ³ 

Psalms 44:25

44:25 For we lie in the dirt,

with our bellies pressed to the ground. ⁴ 

Psalms 63:8

63:8 My soul ⁵  pursues you; ⁶ 

your right hand upholds me.

[102:5]  ¹ tn Heb “from the sound of my groaning my bone[s] stick to my flesh.” The preposition at the beginning of the verse is causal; the phrase “sound of my groaning” is metonymic for the anxiety that causes the groaning. The point seems to be this: Anxiety (which causes the psalmist to groan) keeps him from eating (v. 4). This physical deprivation in turn makes him emaciated – he is turned to “skin and bones,” so to speak.

[119:25]  ² tn Heb “my soul clings to the dirt.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).

[119:25]  ³ tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural “your words.”

[44:25]  ³ tn Heb “for our being/life sinks down to the dirt, our belly clings to the earth.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, life”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.

[63:8]  ⁴ tn Or “I.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).

[63:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “clings after.” The expression means “to pursue with determination” (see Judg 20:45; 1 Sam 14:22; 1 Chr 10:2; Jer 42:16).