Psalmen 119:83

83 Want ik ben geworden als een lederen zak in den rook; doch Uw inzettingen heb ik niet vergeten.

Psalmen 119:83 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 119:83

For I am become like a bottle in the smoke
Like a bottle made of the skins of beasts, as was usual in those times and countries: hence we read of old and new bottles, and of their rending, ( Judges 9:13 ) ( Matthew 9:17 ) . Now such a bottle being hung up in a smoky chimney, would be dried and shrivelled up, and be good for nothing; so Jarchi's note is,

``like a bottle made of skin, which is dried in smoke;''

and the Targum is,

``like a bottle that hangs in smoke.''

It denotes the uncomfortable condition the psalmist was in, or at least thought himself to be in; as to be in the midst of smoke is very uncomfortable, so was he, being in darkness, and under the hidings of God's face; black and sooty, like a bottle in smoke, with sin and afflictions; like an empty bottle, had nothing in him, as he was ready to fear; or was useless as such an one, and a vessel in which there was no pleasure; like a broken one, as he elsewhere says, despised and rejected of men. It may also have respect unto the form of his body, as well as the frame of his mind; be who before was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance, now was worn out with cares and old age, was become pale and wrinkled, and like a skin bottle shrivelled in smoke;

[yet] do I not forget thy statutes;
he still attended to the word, worship, ways and ordinances of the Lord; hoping in due time to meet with comfort there, in which he was greatly in the right.

Psalmen 119:83 In-Context

81 Caph. Mijn ziel is bezweken van verlangen naar Uw heil; op Uw woord heb ik gehoopt.
82 Mijn ogen zijn bezweken van verlangen naar Uw toezegging, terwijl ik zeide: Wanneer zult Gij mij vertroosten?
83 Want ik ben geworden als een lederen zak in den rook; doch Uw inzettingen heb ik niet vergeten.
84 Hoe vele zullen de dagen Uws knechts zijn? Wanneer zult Gij recht doen over mijn vervolgers?
85 De hovaardigen hebben mij putten gegraven, hetwelk niet is naar Uw wet.
The Dutch Staten Vertaling translation is in the public domain.