Psalm 31 (30):11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

My existence is rooted in declaring Your name, yet it falters under the weight of anguish when the adversary proclaims, “May they suffer until they renounce Him.” My days are filled with lamentation. The time I dwell in this life does not strip me of death; rather, it lingers and is consumed in sighs. My vigor has been diminished by necessity. I crave the vitality of this flesh, yet I am gripped by unbearable torment; I long for the release of death, yet it delays its arrival, and in this void, my assurance has waned. My bones are unsettled, and my courage has been disturbed.

I will allow my health to deteriorate due to illness. This reveals the distress of the spirit. Deprivation of life’s essentials has drained my physical strength, for Siba and Beersheba brought to David grains, flour, legumes, honey, and many other supplies, along with bedding and carpets; they delivered these provisions, stating that the people were famished and parched in the wilderness. I have dedicated my years to lamentation, grieving over my afflictions. My stronghold is burdened by want. Stripped of Your assistance because of transgressions, I find myself exhausted. My bones ache. The term 'bones' here signifies mental fortitude.

My strength has diminished due to illness, and my years are spent in lamentation. The prophet declares that his entire existence has been consumed by affliction and sorrow. My vigor is depleted from destitution, and my bones feel as though they have been shattered. The strain of deprivation has drained my physical being. Concerning this lack, the account recounts that Uesvius, son of Naasov, an Ammonite, along with Verzelius the Gileadite, brought supplies such as wheat, barley, flour, beans, and other provisions to David and his followers; they recognized that the people were famished and exhausted while dwelling in the wilderness (2 Sam. 17:27-29).

Even though my health fails and my days are spent in mourning, the essential appeal remains that I beseech the Lord for mercy. In articulating this, I express that my life has become diminished due to profound grief and distress, and thus the years of my life have been consumed by sorrowful lament. Both phrases convey the same sentiment. It is characteristic of Scripture to state, I have perished amidst deep sorrows and tribulations, referring to the frailty and near-death of physical vitality resulting from intense anguish. My strength has been diminished by destitution, and the phrase ‘I perished’ here illustrates the body's weakness brought about by fasting and lack of sustenance.

Encourage your children to embrace a Christian education, teaching them the profound strength of humility before God, the essence of pure love in His sight, and the beauty and greatness of fearing God, which is redemptive for all who live righteously with a sincere heart. For He examines our innermost thoughts and intentions; His spirit resides within us, and when He chooses, He may withdraw it.

As David approached the twilight of his life, it is appropriate that he would express, “My life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing.” Throughout the initial thirty years, he faced relentless persecution; upon ascending to the throne, he battled against Saul's descendants for the first seven years. Following that, he engaged in conflicts with neighboring nations and even fought against his own son. Furthermore, the burdens of leadership, when undertaken with diligence and reverence toward God, often lead to deep sorrow. Added to these tribulations was the profound anguish of poverty and destitution, which drained him of his former vigor. He laments, “My strength fails me,” referring to his physical vitality as represented by his bones and strength.

The Lord Christ experienced the profound agony of the flesh when He uttered the words, ‘I thirst’ (John 19:28). The souls of Adam and others endured a long period of sorrow in hell until the arrival of Christ. During His earthly ministry, the Lord was wearied by destitution as He toiled for the salvation of humanity, having nowhere to rest His head (Luke 9:58). On the cross, His bones were distressed as the spear pierced His side (John 19:34).