PSALMS 102

READING CYCLE THREE(see “Guide
to Good Bible Reading“)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR’S INTENT AT
PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are
responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in
the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in
interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations
above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original
author’s intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one
and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 102:1-7
 ¹Hear my prayer, O Lord!
 And let my cry for help come
to You.
 ²Do not hide Your
face from me in the day of my distress;
 Incline Your ear to me;
 In the day when I call answer
me quickly.
 ³For my days have
been consumed in smoke,
 And my bones have been
scorched like a hearth.
 ⁴My heart has been
smitten like grass and has withered away,
 Indeed, I forget to eat my
bread.
 ⁵Because of the
loudness of my groaning
 My bones cling to my flesh.
 ⁶I resemble a
pelican of the wilderness;
 I have become like an owl of
the waste places.
 ⁷I lie awake,
 I have become like a lonely
bird on a housetop.

102:1-7 This strophe describes the
psalmist’s situation (i.e., “the day of my distress,” Ps. 102:2,23-26).

1. feels YHWH has hidden His face (i.e., no sense
of His presence)

2. his days are consumed in smoke, Ps. 102:3

3. his bones have been scorched, Ps. 102:3

4. his heart has been smitten, Ps. 102:4

5. he has forgotten to eat because of his loud
groaning, Ps. 102:4b-5a

6. his bones cling to his flesh, Ps. 103:5b

7. he looks like a bird of the wilderness, Ps.
102:6,7b

8. he cannot sleep, Ps. 102:7a

It is possible that what looks like physical illness is really a person
grieving over exile and the loss of the temple (cf. Ps. 102:14,18-22,23-28).

102:1-2 The Psalm opens with a series
of prayer requests.

1. hear my prayer – BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal imperative, cf. Ps. 17:6; 39:12; 54:2; 55:1;
61:1; 64:1; 143:1

2. let my cry for help come to You – BDB 9, KB
112, Qal imperfect used in a
jussive sense

3. do not hide Your face from me – BDB 711, KB
771, Hiphil jussive, cf. Ps. 27:9; 69:17; 143:7

4. incline Your ear to me – BDB 639, KB 692,
Hiphil imperative, cf. Ps. 17:6; 31:2; 71:2; 86:1;
88:2

5. quickly – BDB 554, KB 553, Piel imperative (lit. “be quick,” see NJB, most
English translations translate it as an
adverb [BDB 555])

6. answer me – BDB 772, KB 851, Qal imperative

102:2 “Your face” This is a Hebrew
idiom for the personal presence of YHWH (cf. Ps. 10:11; 13:1; 27:9; 30:7; 44:24;
51:9; 69:17; 80:3,7,19; 88:14; 143:7).

▣ “day” This imagery (BDB 398) is
repeated five times.

1. in the day of my distress, Ps. 102:2a

2. in the day when I call, Ps. 102:2c

3. my days, Ps. 102:3a

4. all day long, Ps. 102:8a

5. my days, Ps. 102:11

SPECIAL
TOPIC: DAY (yom)

▣ “Your ear” This is anthropomorphic
imagery. See SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD DESCRIBED AS HUMAN (ANTHROPOMORPHISM).

102:6 “pelican. . .owl” Often in the
OT, birds and wild animals are used to denote not only abandoned places, but the
presence of the demonic (i.e., Isa. 13:19-22; 34:11-15; Zeph. 2:14). Here the
focus is on the element of abandonment or aloneness.

Also note the birds mentioned are Levitically unclean (cf. Lev.
11:13-19), which is another way to assert the sense of rejection!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 102:8-11
 ⁸My enemies have
reproached me all day long;
 Those who deride me have used
my name as a curse.
 ⁹For I have eaten
ashes like bread
 And mingled my drink with
weeping
 ¹⁰Because of Your
indignation and Your wrath,
 For You have lifted me up and
cast me away.
 ¹¹My days are like a
lengthened shadow,
 And I wither away like grass.

102:8-11 This strophe continues the
description of the hurting psalmist.

1. his enemies (possibly invaders) reproach him
continuously, Ps. 102:8

2. his enemies deride him

3. his enemies use his name as a curse (cf. Isa.
65:15; Jer. 29:22)

4-5. he has eaten ashes and drunk tears (these
were signs of mourning, see SPECIAL TOPIC: GRIEVING RITES, cf. Ps. 42:3; 80:5)

6. his days are like a lengthened shadow (i.e.,
his pain lasts a long time)

7. he withers away like grass (cf. Gen. 6:3; Job
10:4; 14:1-2; Ps. 78:39; 90:5-6; 102:4; 103:15-18; Isa. 40:6; 1 Pet. 1:24-25)

The theological issue is why was he suffering. Psalm 102:10
reveals that he was experiencing divine judgment (cf. Psalm 38). One wonders if
he is a symbol or representative of the nation (cf. Ps. 102:12-17,18-22).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 102:12-17
 ¹²But You, O Lord, abide forever,
 And Your name to all
generations.
 ¹³You will arise
and have compassion on Zion;
 For it is time to be gracious
to her,
 For the appointed time has
come.
 ¹⁴Surely Your
servants find pleasure in her stones
 And feel pity for her dust.
 ¹⁵So the nations
will fear the name of the Lord
 And all the kings of the earth
Your glory.
 ¹⁶For the Lord has built up Zion;
 He has appeared in His glory.
 ¹⁷He has regarded
the prayer of the destitute
 And has not despised their
prayer.

102:12-17 This strophe has a national
emphasis. YHWH has an international purpose for Israel. See
Special Topic:
YHWH’s Eternal Redemptive Plan.

Notice the things the psalmist asserts about YHWH.

1. He sits enthroned forever (cf. Ps. 9:7; 10:16;
29:10; Lam. 5:19)

2. His name (lit. “remembrance,” BDB 271, cf. Ps.
30:4; 97:12) abides to all generations (cf. Exod. 3:15; Ps. 135:13)

3. He acts in grace toward His covenant people

4. He has built up Zion

5. He has appeared (i.e., to Zion) in His glory

6. He regards the prayers of the destitute (BDB
792, occurs only here and Jer. 17:6, where it is used of a tree/scrub; the root
comes from the verb, “to strip
bare”)

The psalmist asks YHWH to act on Israel’s behalf for His greater purpose!

102:13 “You will arise” This verb (BDB 877, KB 1086) has a wide semantic
field. It could denote

1. YHWH rising from His throne to act (cf. Ps.
119:126)

2. YHWH awaking from sleep (metaphor for His lack
of action)

3. YHWH becoming active after a period of
purposeful inactivity

▣ “the appointed time has come” The noun (BDB 417) has the connotation of “an
appointed time” (cf. Ps. 75:2; Dan. 8:19). The concept that YHWH is in control
of time, space, history is central to the character of the one true God (cf.
Ecclesiastes 3).

102:14-17 These verses imply the
destruction of the temple.

1. the nations (i.e., who did this) will fear, Ps.
102:15

2. YHWH will build up Zion and show her His glory,
Ps. 102:16

3. the prayers of the destitute (i.e., the exiled
people of God) will be heard

4. note Ps. 102:18-22

102:14 “Surely Your servants find pleasure in
her stones” This phrase reminds me of the deep emotional attachment that
modern Judaism has for the wailing wall in Jerusalem (i.e., the foundation
stones of Solomon’s temple). Judaism (i.e., the Mosaic Law) is linked to a
special place of worship (i.e., the tabernacle, later the temple in Jerusalem).

▣ “her dust” This noun (BDB 779) is often used of the debris of
destroyed cities (cf. 1 Kgs. 20:10; Neh. 4:2,10; Ezek. 26:4,12).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 102:18-22
 ¹⁸This will be
written for the generation to come,
 That a people yet to be
created may praise the Lord.
 ¹⁹For He looked down
from His holy height;
 From heaven the
Lord
gazed upon the earth,
 ²⁰To hear the
groaning of the prisoner,
 To set free those who were
doomed to death,
 ²¹That men
may tell of the name of the Lord in Zion
 And His praise in Jerusalem,
 ²²When the peoples
are gathered together,
 And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

102:18-22 This strophe is a promise
about YHWH’s restoration of His covenant people to Judah and her temple.

Hebrews 1 quotes Ps. 102:25-27 as relating to Jesus. In this
sense Ps. 102:28 relates to the new people of God (i.e., believing Jews and
Gentiles, cf. Rom. 2:28-29; 9:6; Gal. 3:7-9,13-14,29; 6:15-16)!

102:19 YHWH knows what is happening on
earth (cf. Job 28:24; Ps. 14:2; 33:13-14; 53:3; 80:14; Lam. 3:50; 5:1; see full
note at Ps. 33:13-17). The term “earth” (BDB 75) can have several meanings, see
Special Topic: Land, Country, Earth.

▣ “from His holy height. . .from heaven”
These are parallel. The first might refer to the temple on Mt. Moriah, but when
both are taken into account, it refers to YHWH’s dwelling place above the
atmosphere of the earth.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVEN

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVEN
AND THE THIRD HEAVEN

102:20 These images refer to exiled
Judeans (and possibly Israelites).

102:22 This, like so many Psalms in
Book IV, has a universal emphasis (see
Special Topic: YHWH’s Eternal Redemptive
Plan). The phrase, “the kingdom will serve the Lord,” reminds me of Rev. 5:9-14 and 11:15!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 102:23-28
 ²³He has weakened my
strength in the way;
 He has shortened my days.
 ²⁴I say, “O my God,
do not take me away in the midst of my days,
 Your years are throughout all
generations.
 ²⁵Of old You founded
the earth,
 And the heavens are the work
of Your hands.
 ²⁶Even they will
perish, but You endure;
 And all of them will wear out
like a garment;
 Like clothing You will change
them and they will be changed.
 ²⁷But You are the
same,
 And Your years will not come
to an end.
 ²⁸The children of
Your servants will continue,
 And their descendants will be
established before You.”

102:23-28 This strophe, like the two
previous ones, uses personal imagery in a national sense. It affirms YHWH’s act
of creation (Ps. 102:26); He is eternal (102:27)! His people have gone through a
devastating time (defeat, destruction, exile), but He will restore them (102:28)
because as “heaven and earth” are the work of His hands (cf. Ps. 8:6; 19:1; Isa.
45:12; 48:13), so too, the covenant people (cf. Ps. 138:8; 143:5; Isa. 45:11;
60:2; 64:8; even Assyria, Isa. 19:25).

102:23-24 The LXX translates these
verses as YHWH speaking to the psalmist. The NT book of Hebrews 1:10-12 quotes
Ps. 102:25-27 as referring to Jesus. The MT translates the same Hebrew
consonants in a different way (cf. Tyndale OT Commentaries, vol. 16,
Psalms 73-150, pp. 395-396).

102:23 “strength” The term (BDB 470)
was used of national strength being affected by YHWH’s judgment (cf. Lev. 26:20;
Lam. 1:6,14; Amos 2:14).

102:25-27 These verses from the LXX
are quoted in Heb. 1:10-11, where they are applied to Jesus (cf. Heb. 13:8).

102:27 “But You are the same” YHWH
does not change nor do His purposes (cf. Ps. 33:11; Mal. 3:6; James 1:17). Psalm
102:27 is a dramatic contrast to 102:26. Even heaven and earth will pass away
(cf. Isa. 34:4; 51:6; Matt. 5:18; 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33; 2 Pet. 3:10;
Rev. 20:11), but not YHWH!

For a good brief discussion of God’s unchangeableness see
Millard Erickson, Christian Theology, 2^nd ed., pp. 304-308.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide
commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of
the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the
Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a
commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think
through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be
thought provoking, not definitive.

1. Is this Psalm about an individual or the nation
of Israel?

2. Explain the imagery of Ps. 102:6-7.

3. Does Ps. 102:14 imply a reference to the
destruction of the temple?

4. Does the universal emphasis of Ps. 102:15,22
refer to restoration from exile or an eschatological setting?

5. Are heaven and earth permanent or transitory?

6. How is Ps. 102:28 related to

a. Gen. 12:1-3

b. Rom. 2:28-29

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