EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Psalms 123:2
2Yes, our eyes look up to the Lord our God. We want him to be kind to us, so we wait for his help. We wait like servants who want help from their master.
Psalms 123:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.
- New International Version (NIV)As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the Lord our God, Until He has mercy on us.
Context of Psalms 123:2
1I look up to you, God, as you rule from your throne in heaven. Yes, our eyes look up to the Lord our God. We want him to be kind to us, so we wait for his help. We wait like servants who want help from their master. 3Please be kind to us, Lord. Please forgive us. People have insulted us more and more! 4We have had too much! Proud people laugh at us, and they do not respect us. Please stop them!
Read all of Psalms 123Psalms 123:2 word by word
הִנֵּ֨ה כְעֵינֵ֪י עֲבָדִ֡ים אֶל־יַ֤ד אֲֽדוֹנֵיהֶ֗ם כְּעֵינֵ֣י שִׁפְחָה֮ אֶל־יַ֪ד גְּבִ֫רְתָּ֥הּ כֵּ֣ן עֵ֭ינֵינוּ אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ עַ֝֗ד שֶׁיְּחָנֵּֽנוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Behold, as the eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- of servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- unto the handיָדyâd · handH3027
- of their mastersאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
- of a maidenשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
- of her mistressגְּבֶ֫רֶתgebereth · ladyH1404
- upon the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- until that he have mercyחָנַןchânan · be graciousH2603
Cross-references for Psalms 123:2
- Joshua 9:23Because you told lies to us, you will always have to be our servants. You will cut wood and you will fetch water to serve our God.’
- Joshua 10:6The Gibeonites sent a message to Joshua at Gilgal. They said, ‘Please sir, do not refuse to help us! Come quickly and save us. All the Amorite kings from the hills have joined together to attack us.’
- Psalms 40:1I was patient while I waited for the Lord to help me. He turned towards me, and he heard me when I called to him.
- Psalms 119:82As I wait for you to do what you have promised, my eyes are too tired to stay open. I ask, ‘When will you come to help me?’
- Psalms 130:5I will wait for the Lord to help me. I trust him completely. So I wait for him to do what he has promised.
- Genesis 32:26Then the man said to Jacob, ‘Now let me go because dawn has come.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’
- Genesis 49:18I trust you to save me from trouble, Lord.
- Lamentations 3:25The Lord does good things for people who wait for him. He is kind to everyone who looks for him.
- Luke 18:1Then Jesus told his disciples a story. He wanted to teach them that they must go on praying always. They must not get tired.
Commentaries on Psalms 123:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2As the eyes of servants - We now wait for thy commands, feeling the utmost readiness to obey them when made known to us. The words may be understood as the language of dependence also. As slaves expect their support from their masters and mistresses, so do we ours from thee, O Lord! Or, As servants look to their masters and mistresses, to see how they do their work, that they may do it in the same way; so do we, O Lord, that we may learn of thee, and do…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters - Or, are to the hands of their masters; or, regard the hands of their masters. That is, we look to God with the same spirit of deference, dependence, and readiness to mark the will of God, which is evinced by servants in regard to their masters, and by maidens in regard to the will of a mistress. There has been some difference of view in regard to the meaning of this comparison. Some…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4This lament about the psalmist's humble position shows strong trust in the Lord (Psalm 123:1–2). The psalmist prays for God's favor on the community because evil surrounds them (Psalm 123:3–4). The poet looks beyond Jerusalem (Psalm 122) to God's throne in heaven.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Deference, submission, and trust, are all expressed by the figure. In the East, servants in attending on their masters are almost wholly directed by signs, which require the closest observance of the hands of the latter. The servants of God should look (1) to His directing hand, to appoint them their work; (2) to His supplying hand (Psa 104:28), to give them their portion in due season; (3) to His protecting hand, to right them when wronged; (4) to His…Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 123:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 123
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
EasyEnglish Bible 2018 — Copyright © MissionAssist 2018
Commentaries