Psalms 102:3 Meaning and Explanation
“For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The psalmist's life is wasting away in rapid succession like smoke and fire.
The Context of Psalms 102:3
Describing severe physical and emotional deterioration from affliction.
What Does Psalms 102:3 Mean?
This vivid metaphor describes physical and spiritual deterioration. Days 'consumed like smoke' suggests life drifting away, becoming insubstantial and temporary. The bones being 'burned as an hearth' conveys intense internal pain and disease—the innermost being is afflicted with fever or grief.
The comparison to ephemeral elements (smoke and fire) emphasizes the urgency of the psalmist's condition. What is most solid (bones) is reduced to ash. This is not momentary distress but a comprehensive wasting away.
Psalms 102:3 in the Original Language
'consumed' (אֻכְלוּ, ukhlú) means eaten or consumed away—suggesting rapid, relentless depletion.
Frequently Asked Questions About Psalms 102:3
What does Psalms 102:3 mean?
The psalmist's life is wasting away in rapid succession like smoke and fire.
What is the context of Psalms 102:3?
Describing severe physical and emotional deterioration from affliction.