Psalms 119:28
My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
Original Language Analysis
נַ֭פְשִׁי
My soul
H5315
נַ֭פְשִׁי
My soul
Strong's:
H5315
Word #:
2 of 5
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
Cross References
Psalms 22:14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.Psalms 27:14Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.Isaiah 40:29He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.Zechariah 10:12And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.1 Peter 5:10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.Philippians 4:13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.Isaiah 40:31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.Psalms 107:26They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.Psalms 29:11The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.Ephesians 3:16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Historical Context
Hebrew culture openly expressed grief through weeping, tearing garments, and sitting in dust—practices foreign to Stoic philosophy but endorsed by Scripture. The psalmist writes from a worldview where emotional honesty before God is worship, not weakness, anticipating Jesus who wept at Lazarus's tomb.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the psalmist's transparent grief challenge modern Christian pressure to 'stay positive' and minimize suffering?
- Where in God's Word have you found the specific strengthening you needed during seasons of melting sorrow?
- What's the difference between melting in grief while crying to God versus melting in grief while turning from God?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
My soul melteth for heaviness (דָּֽלְפָה נַפְשִׁי מִתּוּגָה)—The verb dalaph means to drip, weep, or waste away—the soul literally liquefying under grief's weight. Tugah (heaviness, sorrow) is crushing emotional burden, not mere sadness. This raw honesty reflects biblical lament psalms that refuse to minimize suffering. Strengthen thou me according unto thy word (קַיְּמֵנִי כִּדְבָרֶךָ)—The verb qum (to arise, stand, establish) requests God make the psalmist stand upright again. Scripture alone provides the structural integrity to bear grief's weight without collapse.
The psalter validates tears while directing them toward God. Melting grief is not unbelief—it's human frailty crying out for divine strength. This verse models how believers should process sorrow: honest before God, anchored in His Word, confident in His strengthening grace.