The Meaning of Psalms 38:10 Explained

Psalms 38:10

KJV: My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

YLT: My heart is panting, my power hath forsaken me, And the light of mine eyes, Even they are not with me.

Darby: My heart throbbeth, my strength hath left me; and the light of mine eyes, it also is no more with me.

ASV: My heart throbbeth, my strength faileth me: As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

My heart  panteth,  my strength  faileth  me: as for the light  of mine eyes,  it  also is gone  from me. 

What does Psalms 38:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 38:1-22 - The Cry Of The Needy Penitent
A long drawn-out sigh of pain. Some think it should be classed with Psalms 32:1-11; Psalms 51:1-19, as belonging to the time of David's fall and repentance. It is filled with a sense of God's judgments and the profound consciousness of sin. Perhaps David was suffering physically, or he may be describing his spiritual maladies in terms borrowed from that source. His friends stood apart and his enemies were near. But it was wise to refrain from man and to wait only on God. When we are buffeted and derided, the true attitude is our Lord's. As the dumb sheep before her shearers, He opened not His mouth!
In Psalms 38:15 the tone becomes calmer. The soul begins to recover its center of gravity in God. Notice the fourfold repetition of For, Psalms 38:15-18. Faith marshals her arguments. Out of "stony griefs" she builds "Bethels." Like Samson, she finds honey in the lion's carcass. But God will not forsake. He never for a moment withdraws His close attention. The Refiner sits by the crucible, and will cool down the heat the moment it has done its work. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 38

1  David moves God to take compassion on his pitiful case

What do the individual words in Psalms 38:10 mean?

My heart pants fails me my strength and as for the light of my eyes also they [are] not with me
לִבִּ֣י סְ֭חַרְחַר עֲזָבַ֣נִי כֹחִ֑י וְֽאוֹר־ עֵינַ֥י גַּם־ הֵ֝֗ם אֵ֣ין אִתִּֽי

לִבִּ֣י  My  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
סְ֭חַרְחַר  pants 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָחַר  
Sense: to go around, go about, travel about in, go about in trade.
עֲזָבַ֣נִי  fails  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
כֹחִ֑י  my  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: כֹּחַ 
Sense: strength, power, might.
וְֽאוֹר־  and  as  for  the  light 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular construct
Root: אֹור  
Sense: light.
עֵינַ֥י  of  my  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, first person common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
גַּם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
אֵ֣ין  [are]  not 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
אִתִּֽי  with  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.