Psalms 31:10For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away.
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~1000 BC. David feeling the weight of his failures, possibly after his sin with Bathsheba...
The emotion here: crushed by the weight of his own choices
The original word
avon (עָוֹן) — iniquity, guilt; not just sin but the weight and consequences of wrongdoing
Why it matters
Ancient medicine understood the connection between emotional distress and physical deterioration
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 31:10
David connects his physical decline directly to his moral failures - he's not just sick, he's broken by guilt
Common misconceptionPeople avoid this verse thinking it's too negative, but David is actually moving toward healing by admitting the full extent of his brokenness.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 31:10
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 31:10 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 31:10 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 70% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include sorrow, weakness, consequences. Notable phrases: life is spent with sorrow; strength fails; bones are wasted. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Psalms 31:10 mean to you, today?
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