Psalm 88/Notes/Phrasal.V. 10.513568

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  • v. 10: עֵינִי דָאֲבָה
The rare verb דָאַב normally denotes the languishing of the soul (נֶפֶשׁ) (cf. Deut 28:65; Jer 31:11, 24). It is only in our verse that this verb describes the eye. However, "The 'eye(s)' is a synecdoche for the whole person, an indicator of the vitality and health of a person (cf. 1Sam 14:27, 29; Deut 34:7; Ps 19:9; Ezra 9:8) or of the lack of vitality and of depleted strength (Gen 27:1; Job 17:7; Ps 6:8; 38:11; Lam 5:17)" (Goldingay 2007). The choice of eye instead of soul in our verse was probably motivated by the intended pun between עֵינִי and עֹנִי in the same line. Both LXX (ἠσθένησαν) and Jerome (langŭērunt) render this verb with an equivalent of the general verb "to languish" or "to become weak". We therefore prefer the more general "languishes" to the translation suggested by some modern translations with the more specific "grows dim", which is restricted to the eyes only.