^{My Soul Faints, Therefore Revive Me}

                                                    כ  Kaph

 ⁸¹ My soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your word.

⁸² My eyes fail from searching Your word, Saying, “When will You comfort me?”

⁸³ For I have become like a wineskin in smoke, Yet I do not forget Your statues.

⁸⁴ How many are the days of Your servant? When will you execute judgment on those who persecute me?

⁸⁵ The proud have dug pits for me, Which is not according to Your law.

⁸⁶ All your commandments are faithful; They persecute me wrongfully; Help Me!

⁸⁷ They almost made an end of me on earth, But I did not forsake Your precepts.

⁸⁸ Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

My soul faints, does not mean the Psalmist is in danger of literally fainting, but that the soul is consumed with the longing for salvation and the hope that is found in God’s word.

Even the eyes are consumed with the longing for salvation as the looked for hope is delayed in his coming.

When a soldier was on duty, or a person was out in the field working or walking from city to city, they often carried water in a container made of animal skins. When these skins went a long time without use they would become dry and shriveled up as though they had been hung in a smokehouse, to be dried. David is saying, though I become old and shriveled up like an old wineskin, I will not forget your statutes or your laws.

The Psalmist asks of God, how many days, how many days are there in my life and of those days, when will you finally execute judgment on those who persecute me. Lord, they do not respect You and therefore they persecute me for your sake. Though I do not complain for I long for your salvation, I wonder how long do I have left on this earth and if during that time, will judgement be brought upon all those the persecute me.

For all around me those that persecute have dug pits for me. They treat me no better than a wild animal in which they have dug a trap for the animal to fall into. They have dug these traps everywhere to entrap me, to persecute me. They fail to see Your salvation and the hope that is In Your word.

Even those around me who profess to be the same as me, have often dug pits, attempting to entrap me in their traditions and teachings which are contrary to Your word for they do not follow Your law, but a law made of themselves.

But I still follow all Your commandments and are faithful to them and to You. For my faithfulness they persecute me wrongfully. Therefore, LORD I cry out to you in prayer and supplication to help me! To send your angels to protect me and guide me through the many pits that have been dug to entrap me.

Those that persecute me have almost brought an end to me, but during the trails that came upon me, I did not forsake your precepts. I have not left your word. I have continued to search your word, for I long for your salvation and continue to place my hope in Your Word.

But there is nothing that men can do to me that will keep me from my purpose of obeying God’s holy precepts. God honors the man who is prepared to die rather than deviate from the right path or way. Therefore revive me according to your loving kindness so that I may continue to keep the testimony of Your mouth which are the commandments and statutes of your law, which was spoken to our fathers.