Psaume 73:26

26 Ma chair et mon cœur défaillaient; mais Dieu est le rocher de mon cœur et mon partage à toujours.

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Psaume 73:26 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 73:26

My flesh and my heart faileth
Either through vehement desires of communion with God deferred, see ( Psalms 84:2 ) or through afflictive dispensations of Providence, being smitten and chastened continually, ( Psalms 73:14 ) , or through inward trials and exercises, by reason of indwelling sin, temptations, and desertions: or rather the words are expressive of the body being emaciated by sickness and diseases; and the heart fainting through fear of death, or rather failing at it, being at the point of death; the heart being, as philosophers say, the first that lives, and the last that dies:

but God is the strength of my heart,
or "the rock of my heart" F8; when overwhelmed with distress through outward trouble, or in the lowest condition with respect to spiritual things; when grace is weak, corruptions strong, temptations prevail, and afflictions are many; then does the Lord support and sustain his people, and strengthens them with strength in their souls; and in the moment of death, by showing them that its sting is taken away, and its curse removed; that their souls are going to their Lord, and about to enter into his joy; and that their bodies will rise again glorious and incorruptible:

and my portion for ever;
both in life and at death, and to all eternity; this is a very large portion indeed; such who have it inherit all things; yea, it is immense and inconceivable; it is a soul satisfying one, and is safe and secure; it can never be taken away, nor can it be spent; it will last always; see ( Psalms 142:5 ) ( Lamentations 3:24 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F8 (ybbl rww) "rupes cordis mei", Montanus, Musculus, Piscator, Cocceius, "petra cordis mei", Tigurine version, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth.

Psaume 73:26 In-Context

24 Tu me conduiras par ton conseil, puis tu me recevras dans la gloire.
25 Quel autre que toi ai-je au ciel? Je ne prends plaisir sur la terre qu'en toi.
26 Ma chair et mon cœur défaillaient; mais Dieu est le rocher de mon cœur et mon partage à toujours.
27 Car voici: ceux qui s'éloignent de toi périront. Tu retranches tous ceux qui se détournent de toi.
28 Mais pour moi, m'approcher de Dieu, c'est mon bien; j'ai placé mon refuge dans le Seigneur, l'Éternel, afin de raconter toutes tes œuvres.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.