The Meaning of Psalms 123:2 Explained

Psalms 123:2

KJV: Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

YLT: Lo, as eyes of men-servants Are unto the hand of their masters, As eyes of a maid-servant Are unto the hand of her mistress, So are our eyes unto Jehovah our God, Till that He doth favour us.

Darby: Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are directed to Jehovah our God, until he be gracious unto us.

ASV: Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid unto the hand of her mistress; So our eyes look unto Jehovah our God, Until he have mercy upon us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, as the eyes  of servants  [look] unto the hand  of their masters,  [and] as the eyes  of a maiden  unto the hand  of her mistress;  so our eyes  [wait] upon the LORD  our God,  until that he have mercy  upon us. 

What does Psalms 123:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Psalms 123

1  The godly profess their confidence in God
3  And pray to be delivered from contempt

What do the individual words in Psalms 123:2 mean?

Behold as the eyes of servants [look] to the hand of their masters as the eyes of a maidservant to of her mistress so our eyes [look] Yahweh our God Until He has mercy on us
הִנֵּ֨ה כְעֵינֵ֪י עֲבָדִ֡ים אֶל־ יַ֤ד אֲ‍ֽדוֹנֵיהֶ֗ם כְּעֵינֵ֣י שִׁפְחָה֮ אֶל־ גְּבִ֫רְתָּ֥הּ כֵּ֣ן עֵ֭ינֵינוּ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ עַ֝֗ד שֶׁיְּחָנֵּֽנוּ

הִנֵּ֨ה  Behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
כְעֵינֵ֪י  as  the  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
עֲבָדִ֡ים  of  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֶל־  [look]  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יַ֤ד  the  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֲ‍ֽדוֹנֵיהֶ֗ם  of  their  masters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
כְּעֵינֵ֣י  as  the  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
שִׁפְחָה֮  of  a  maidservant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׁפְחָה  
Sense: maid, maid-servant, slavegirl.
גְּבִ֫רְתָּ֥הּ  of  her  mistress 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: גְּבֶרֶת  
Sense: lady, queen.
כֵּ֣ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
עֵ֭ינֵינוּ  our  eyes  [look] 
Parse: Noun, cdc, first person common plural
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
עַ֝֗ד  Until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
שֶׁיְּחָנֵּֽנוּ  He  has  mercy  on  us 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: חָנַן 
Sense: to be gracious, show favour, pity.