Psalm 102 Study Notes
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102:1-2 Do not hide your face is a figurative expression used by the psalmist, who thought God had forsaken him (10:11; 13:1-2; 69:17). God’s face represents the blessing of his presence (see note at 4:6).
102:3 My days vanish like smoke, which immediately dissipates into the air (37:20; 68:2; Hs 13:3). Life passed quickly as the psalmist suffered physical pain (Ps 69:18; Is 33:14). The furnace could be a hearth or brazier (Jr 36:23).
102:4-5 The heart, or seat of morale, has been suffering as if by disease. Withered like grass shows the discouragement of the psalmist. He longed for death as the ultimate deliverance from a life of persecution and oppression (Pss 39; 90).
102:6 A little owl among the ruins denotes the psalmist’s loneliness resulting from ostracism.
102:7-8 The psalmist suffered abuse, ridicule, and false accusations day and night. Taunt is a common term describing unrelenting torment (see notes at 79:4,12).
102:9-10 On mingle my drinks with tears, compare Is 30:20, and “bread of tears” in note at Ps 80:5. The psalmist perceived his circumstances as a direct result of God’s casting him out of his presence (Jb 27:21; 30:19,22; Is 64:5).
102:11 A metaphorical expression for imminent death, the phrase like a lengthening shadow associates the setting sun with the end of life. On wither away like grass, see note at vv. 4-5.
102:12 The psalmist began a new section of the psalm by contrasting the frailty and vulnerability of humanity with the eternal and immutable nature of the Lord. While God’s name endures throughout the generations, man is remembered no more after he dies (9:6; 103:16).
102:13 The rising of the Lord signifies judgment (see notes at 7:6-8; 80:1). The psalmist anticipated the imminent restoration of Zion and the return of the Lord’s presence to the Holy City. The Lord’s attributes of righteousness, mercy, and compassion are revealed through his mighty acts of deliverance from the enemy.
102:14 Your servants, the members of a unified community (79:2,10; 89:5; 90:13), took delight in Jerusalem even after it was reduced to stones and dust. The value of Zion to her people did not diminish in spite of the Babylonian invasion (Ezk 26:12).
102:15 The return of the Lord has cosmological implications. All the nations and their leaders will recognize and worship the God of Israel (Is 2:1-5; 49:7-23; 60-62; Zch 14).
102:16-17 The glory and omnipotence of the Lord will be revealed through the rebuilding of Jerusalem and his abiding presence among his people (51:18; 147:2; Is 52:10; 60:1,10; Mc 7:11).
102:18 The later generation consists of a people not yet in existence. The psalmist anticipated the Lord’s immediate future response.
chanan
| Hebrew pronunciation | [khah NAN] |
| CSB translation | show favor, be gracious |
| Uses in Psalms | 32 |
| Uses in the OT | 77 |
| Focus passage | Psalm 102:13-14 |
Chanan means be gracious (Gn 33:11), kind (Pr 14:31), or generous (Ps 37:26). It implies show favor (Jdg 21:22), mercy (Dt 7:2), grace, or kindness. It connotes graciously give (Ps 119:29), have consideration (Pr 21:10), or spare (Dt 28:50). Reflexive verbs denote plead (Gn 42:21), beg (Jb 19:16), (make) petition (1Kg 8:47), implore/seek favor (Est 4:8), and ask (plead, beg) for mercy (Jb 9:15). Chen (69x) means favor (Gn 6:8; Est 5:8), grace, charm (Pr 31:30), adornment (Pr 3:22). It suggests gracious, graceful, attractive (Nah 3:4), or magic (Pr 17:8). Techinnah (25x) is mercy (Jos 11:20), grace (Ezr 9:8), petition (1Kg 8:28), or plea (for help) (Ps 55:1). Tachanun (18x) represents prayer (Zch 12:10), plea/pleading (Ps 28:6), petition, consolation (Jr 31:9), and plea (begging, appeal) for mercy (Jr 3:21). Channun (13x) indicates gracious or compassionate (Ex 22:27). Chaniynah is grace (Jr 16:13).
102:19 When the Lord looked down and gazed at the earth below, he heard the cries of the exiles, acknowledged the plight of his people, and brought deliverance (Dt 26:15; Is 63:15). Hundreds of years earlier, God had also heard the Israelites in Egypt and looked upon them with great concern (Ex 2:24).
102:20 The prisoner’s groaning may also be rendered “groans” (79:11; Mal 2:13). Those condemned to die (lit “sons of death”) describes the hopelessness of the captives (79:11; 146:7; Is 49:9).
102:21 God’s faithful deliverance of his remnant from Babylon testifies to his holy name. In the ancient Near East, a person’s name reflected his nature and character. The emphasis on Zion and Jerusalem reinforces the association of the divine name with the capital city.
102:22 The assembly of nations for universal worship occurs at the Lord’s return to Zion (Is 2:1-5; 66:23-24; Zch 14:16-21).
102:23-24 The psalmist acknowledged God as the Creator and sustainer of life, and he pleaded for God not to take his life prematurely. The eternality of God contrasts with the temporal nature of humanity.
102:25 By right of creation, the Lord earned the authority to rule and reign over the cosmos (24:1-2,7-10; 89:6-15; Jb 38:4; Is 40:21-23; 48:13; 51:13-16).
102:26-27 The unchanging nature of God extends beyond the course of history. Although the heavens and earth will wear out like clothing (Is 50:9; 51:6,8; see Heb 1:10-12), they will undergo transformation at the return of Christ (Rv 21:1).
102:28 The psalmist trusted that God would protect his descendants for many generations.