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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Psalm 102:6 I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/psalms/102-6.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/13/19_Psa_102_006.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Psalm 102:6 - The Prayer of the Afflicted" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; 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I am like an owl of the desert.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/psalms/102.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />I resemble a pelican of the wilderness; I have become like an owl of the ruins.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/psalms/102.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />I resemble a pelican of the wilderness; I have become like an owl of the waste places.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/psalms/102.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />I resemble a pelican of the wilderness; I have become like an owl of the waste places.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/psalms/102.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />I resemble a pelican of the wilderness; I have become like an owl of the waste places.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/psalms/102.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />I am like a [mournful] vulture of the wilderness; I am like a [desolate] owl of the wasteland.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/psalms/102.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />I am like an eagle owl, like a little owl among the ruins.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/psalms/102.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/psalms/102.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl of the waste places.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/psalms/102.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />I am like a lonely owl in the desert <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/psalms/102.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl of the waste places.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/psalms/102.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />I am like a desert owl, like an owl living in the ruins.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/psalms/102.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />I am like a wild bird in the desert, like an owl in abandoned ruins. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/psalms/102.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />I resemble a pelican in the wilderness or an owl in a desolate land.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/psalms/102.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/psalms/102.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />I am like an owl in the wilderness; I am like a screech owl among the ruins. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/psalms/102.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />I am like a pelican of the wilderness. I have become as an owl of the waste places.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/psalms/102.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/psalms/102.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />I am like a pelican of the wilderness. I have become as an owl of the waste places. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/psalms/102.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />I have been like to a pelican of the wilderness, "" I have been as an owl of the dry places.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/psalms/102.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> I have been like to a pelican of the wilderness, I have been as an owl of the dry places.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/psalms/102.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />I was like to the pelican of the desert: I was as the owl of the dry places.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/psalms/102.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />I am become like to a pelican of the wilderness: I am like a night raven in the house. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/psalms/102.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br /><V 101:7>I have become like a pelican in solitude. I have become like a night raven in a house.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/psalms/102.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/psalms/102.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />I am like an owl of the wilderness, like a little owl of the waste places.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/psalms/102.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/psalms/102.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />I have been like a pelican in the wilderness and I have been like an owl in the desert.<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/psalms/102.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl of the waste places.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/psalms/102.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />I have become like a pelican of the wilderness;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/psalms/102-6.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nFaD2oDhKPc?start=12509" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/psalms/102.htm">The Prayer of the Afflicted</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">5</span>Through my loud groaning my flesh clings to my bones. <span class="reftext">6</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: hā·yî·ṯî (V-Qal-Perf-1cs) -- To fall out, come to pass, become, be. A primitive root; to exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass.">I am</a> <a href="/hebrew/1819.htm" title="1819: dā·mî·ṯî (V-Qal-Perf-1cs) -- To be like, resemble. A primitive root; to compare; by implication, to resemble, liken, consider.">like</a> <a href="/hebrew/4057.htm" title="4057: miḏ·bār (N-ms) -- A pasture, a desert, speech. From dabar in the sense of driving; a pasture; by implication, a desert; also speech.">a desert</a> <a href="/hebrew/6893.htm" title="6893: liq·’aṯ (Prep-l:: N-fsc) -- (a bird) perhaps pelican. From qow'; probably the pelican.">owl,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3563.htm" title="3563: kə·ḵō·ws (Prep-k:: N-msc) -- From an unused root meaning to hold together; a cup, often figuratively, a lot; also some unclean bird, probably an owl.">like an owl</a> <a href="/hebrew/2723.htm" title="2723: ḥo·rā·ḇō·wṯ (N-fp) -- Waste, desolation, ruin. Feminine of choreb; properly, drought, i.e. a desolation.">among the ruins.</a> </span><span class="reftext">7</span>I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/34-11.htm">Isaiah 34:11</a></span><br />The desert owl and screech owl will possess it, and the great owl and raven will dwell in it. The LORD will stretch out over Edom a measuring line of chaos and a plumb line of destruction.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/9-11.htm">Jeremiah 9:11</a></span><br />“And I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/zephaniah/2-14.htm">Zephaniah 2:14</a></span><br />Herds will lie down in her midst, creatures of every kind. Both the desert owl and screech owl will roost atop her pillars. Their calls will sound from the window, but desolation will lie on the threshold, for He will expose the beams of cedar.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/3-28.htm">Lamentations 3:28-29</a></span><br />Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it upon him. / Let him bury his face in the dust—perhaps there is still hope.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/30-29.htm">Job 30:29</a></span><br />I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/38-14.htm">Isaiah 38:14</a></span><br />I chirp like a swallow or crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak as I look upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/micah/1-8.htm">Micah 1:8</a></span><br />Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and mourn like an ostrich.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/7-11.htm">Hosea 7:11</a></span><br />So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove—calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/23-37.htm">Matthew 23:37</a></span><br />O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/13-34.htm">Luke 13:34</a></span><br />O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/8-20.htm">Matthew 8:20</a></span><br />Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/9-58.htm">Luke 9:58</a></span><br />Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/1-35.htm">Mark 1:35</a></span><br />Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/1-32.htm">John 1:32</a></span><br />Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/3-14.htm">John 3:14</a></span><br />Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.</p><p class="hdg">like</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/30-29.htm">Job 30:29,30</a></b></br> I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/38-14.htm">Isaiah 38:14</a></b></br> Like a crane <i>or</i> a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail <i>with looking</i> upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/micah/1-8.htm">Micah 1:8</a></b></br> Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.</p><p class="hdg">a pelican</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/34-11.htm">Isaiah 34:11-15</a></b></br> But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/zephaniah/2-14.htm">Zephaniah 2:14</a></b></br> And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; <i>their</i> voice shall sing in the windows; desolation <i>shall be</i> in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/revelation/18-2.htm">Revelation 18:2</a></b></br> And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/psalms/84-3.htm">Bird</a> <a href="/psalms/95-8.htm">Desert</a> <a href="/psalms/79-7.htm">Desolate</a> <a href="/psalms/102-4.htm">Dry</a> <a href="/psalms/89-2.htm">Itself</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/14-17.htm">Owl</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/14-17.htm">Pelican</a> <a href="/psalms/95-4.htm">Places</a> <a href="/1_john/3-12.htm">Resemble</a> <a href="/psalms/89-40.htm">Ruins</a> <a href="/psalms/78-27.htm">Sand</a> <a href="/job/39-27.htm">Vulture</a> <a href="/psalms/95-8.htm">Waste</a> <a href="/psalms/95-8.htm">Wilderness</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/psalms/102-7.htm">Bird</a> <a href="/psalms/105-41.htm">Desert</a> <a href="/psalms/109-10.htm">Desolate</a> <a href="/psalms/102-11.htm">Dry</a> <a href="/psalms/102-7.htm">Itself</a> <a href="/isaiah/34-11.htm">Owl</a> <a href="/isaiah/34-11.htm">Pelican</a> <a href="/psalms/103-22.htm">Places</a> <a href="/matthew/7-24.htm">Resemble</a> <a href="/psalms/109-10.htm">Ruins</a> <a href="/psalms/139-18.htm">Sand</a> <a href="/jeremiah/48-40.htm">Vulture</a> <a href="/psalms/106-9.htm">Waste</a> <a href="/psalms/106-9.htm">Wilderness</a><div class="vheading2">Psalm 102</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/102-1.htm">The prophet in his prayer makes a grievous complaint.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">12. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/102-12.htm">He takes comfort in the eternity, and mercy of God</a></span><br><span class="reftext">18. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/102-18.htm">The mercies of God are to be recorded</a></span><br><span class="reftext">23. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/102-23.htm">He sustains his weakness by the unchangeableness of God.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; 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In biblical times, the desert was often seen as a place of barrenness and solitude, reflecting the psalmist's feelings of abandonment and loneliness. The desert owl, or "pelican" in some translations, is a solitary bird, often associated with desolate places. This metaphor highlights the psalmist's emotional state, feeling cut off from community and comfort. The desert owl's habitat in the wilderness can also symbolize spiritual desolation, a theme echoed in other scriptures such as <a href="/isaiah/34-11.htm">Isaiah 34:11</a>, where desolation is a sign of divine judgment.<p><b>like an owl among the ruins</b><br>The mention of "ruins" suggests a setting of destruction and decay, possibly alluding to the aftermath of divine judgment or the consequences of sin. In ancient Near Eastern culture, ruins were often seen as places of haunting and desolation, inhabited by creatures like owls. This imagery reinforces the psalmist's sense of being surrounded by devastation and loss. The owl, a nocturnal bird, is often associated with mourning and lamentation, fitting the context of a lament psalm. The ruins could also symbolize the destruction of Jerusalem, connecting to the broader biblical narrative of exile and restoration, as seen in Lamentations and the prophetic books. This imagery can also be seen as a type of Christ, who experienced abandonment and desolation, particularly in His passion and crucifixion, fulfilling the role of the suffering servant.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/p/psalmist.htm">Psalmist</a></b><br>The author of <a href="/bsb/psalms/102.htm">Psalm 102</a>, traditionally attributed to David, though some scholars suggest it could be another figure during the Babylonian exile. The psalmist is expressing deep personal anguish and a sense of isolation.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/p/pelican.htm">Pelican</a></b><br>A bird often found near water, but here it is depicted in the wilderness, symbolizing desolation and loneliness.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/o/owl.htm">Owl</a></b><br>A nocturnal bird associated with solitude and desolation, often found in deserted places.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/w/wilderness.htm">Wilderness</a></b><br>A barren, uninhabited area, symbolizing spiritual desolation and abandonment.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/d/desert.htm">Desert</a></b><br>A dry, arid region, representing a place of emptiness and isolation.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/u/understanding_desolation.htm">Understanding Desolation</a></b><br>The imagery of the pelican and owl highlights the depth of the psalmist's isolation. In times of spiritual desolation, believers can find solace in knowing that such feelings are part of the human experience and are addressed in Scripture.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_presence_in_loneliness.htm">God's Presence in Loneliness</a></b><br>Even in the wilderness and desert of our lives, God is present. The psalmist's cry is a reminder to seek God earnestly during times of isolation.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/s/symbolism_of_birds.htm">Symbolism of Birds</a></b><br>The pelican and owl symbolize creatures out of their natural habitat, much like believers can feel out of place in a world that often opposes God's ways. This calls for a deeper reliance on God.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_in_despair.htm">Hope in Despair</a></b><br>While the psalmist expresses despair, the broader context of <a href="/bsb/psalms/102.htm">Psalm 102</a> points to hope and restoration. Believers are encouraged to hold onto God's promises even in their darkest moments.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/community_and_support.htm">Community and Support</a></b><br>The feelings of isolation in <a href="/psalms/102-6.htm">Psalm 102:6</a> remind us of the importance of Christian community. Believers should seek and offer support to one another, especially during times of spiritual desolation.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_psalm_102.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 102</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_is_atman_in_hinduism.htm">What do owls symbolize in the Bible?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what's_in_the_dead_sea_scrolls.htm">What are the Dead Sea Scrolls' significance and content?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_do_owls_symbolize_in_the_bible.htm">What do owls symbolize in the Bible?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/proof_of_divine_judgment_turning_lands_barren.htm">Psalm 107:33-34 - Is there archaeological or geological proof that fertile lands were turned into deserts or rivers dried up purely as an act of divine judgment?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/psalms/102.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(6) <span class= "bld">Pelican.</span>--See <a href="/leviticus/11-18.htm" title="And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,">Leviticus 11:18</a>. "It has been objected that the pelican is a water-bird, and cannot, therefore, be the <span class= "ital">kaath </span>of the Scriptures--"the pelican of the wilderness"--as it must of necessity starve in the desert; but a <span class= "ital">midbar </span>(wilderness) is often used to denote a wide open space, cultivated or uncultivated, and is not to be restricted to barren spots destitute of water; moreover, as a matter of fact, the pelican after filling its capacious pouch with fish, molluscs, &c, often does. retire to places far inland, where it consumes what it has captured. Thus, too, it breeds on the great sandy wastes near the mouths of the Danube. The expression 'pelican in the wilderness,' in the psalmist's pitiable complaint, is a true picture of the bird as it sits in apparently melancholy mood with its bill resting on its breast (<span class= "ital">Bible Educator, </span>iv. 8).<p><span class= "bld">Owl.</span>--Heb., <span class= "ital">khos. </span>(See <a href="/leviticus/11-17.htm" title="And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,">Leviticus 11:17</a>.) The bird is identified with the "owl" by the Hebrew in this passage, which should be rendered, "owl of the <span class= "ital">ruins." </span>Some, however, would identify this bird with the pelican, since <span class= "ital">khos </span>means "cup," rendering "the pelican, even the pouch-bird." (See <span class= "ital">Bible Educator, </span>ii. 346.) LXX., Aquila, Theodotion, all have "screech-owl;" Symmachus, the "hoopoe."<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/psalms/102.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 6.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">I am like a pelican in the wilderness.</span> The Hebrew word here rendered "pelican" is elsewhere in our version translated by "cormorant" (<a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Leviticus 11:7</a>; <a href="/deuteronomy/14-17.htm">Deuteronomy 14:17</a>; <a href="/isaiah/34-11.htm">Isaiah 34:11</a>; <a href="/zephaniah/2-14.htm">Zephaniah 2:14</a>); but it is now generally believed that the pelican is intended (compare the Septuagint <span class="greek">πελεκᾶνι</span>, and see Mr. Houghton's letter in the <span class="accented">Academy</span>, April 5, 1884, and the versions of Hengstenberg, Kay, Cheyne, and our Revisers). The pelican is a bird which haunts marshy and desolate places. It abounds in the Lake Huleh in Northern Galilee (Thomson, 'The Land and the Book,' p. 260). <span class="cmt_word">I am like an owl of the desert;</span> or, "of the ruins." The owl haunts ruins in the East no less than in our own country (Layard, 'Nineveh and Babylon,' p. 484, note). <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/psalms/102-6.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">I am</span><br /><span class="heb">הָ֝יִ֗יתִי</span> <span class="translit">(hā·yî·ṯî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1961.htm">Strong's 1961: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fall out, come to pass, become, be</span><br /><br /><span class="word">like</span><br /><span class="heb">דָּ֭מִיתִי</span> <span class="translit">(dā·mî·ṯî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1819.htm">Strong's 1819: </a> </span><span class="str2">To compare, to resemble, liken, consider</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a desert</span><br /><span class="heb">מִדְבָּ֑ר</span> <span class="translit">(miḏ·bār)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4057.htm">Strong's 4057: </a> </span><span class="str2">A pasture, a desert, speech</span><br /><br /><span class="word">owl,</span><br /><span class="heb">לִקְאַ֣ת</span> <span class="translit">(liq·’aṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6893.htm">Strong's 6893: </a> </span><span class="str2">(a bird) perhaps pelican</span><br /><br /><span class="word">like an owl</span><br /><span class="heb">כְּכ֣וֹס</span> <span class="translit">(kə·ḵō·ws)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3563.htm">Strong's 3563: </a> </span><span class="str2">A cup, a lot, some unclean bird, an owl</span><br /><br /><span class="word">among the ruins.</span><br /><span class="heb">חֳרָבֽוֹת׃</span> <span class="translit">(ḥo·rā·ḇō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2723.htm">Strong's 2723: </a> </span><span class="str2">Waste, desolation, ruin</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/psalms/102-6.htm">Psalm 102:6 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/psalms/102-6.htm">Psalm 102:6 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/psalms/102-6.htm">Psalm 102:6 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/psalms/102-6.htm">Psalm 102:6 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/psalms/102-6.htm">Psalm 102:6 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/psalms/102-6.htm">Psalm 102:6 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/psalms/102-6.htm">Psalm 102:6 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/psalms/102-6.htm">Psalm 102:6 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/psalms/102-6.htm">Psalm 102:6 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/psalms/102-6.htm">Psalm 102:6 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/psalms/102-6.htm">OT Poetry: Psalm 102:6 I am like a pelican (Psalm Ps Psa.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/psalms/102-5.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Psalm 102:5"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Psalm 102:5" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/psalms/102-7.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Psalm 102:7"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Psalm 102:7" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>