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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 102:11 My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/psalms/102-11.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/19/19_Psa_102_011.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Psalm 102:11 - The Prayer of the Afflicted" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass." /><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'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/psalms/102-11.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/psalms/102-11.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/psalms/">Psalms</a> > <a href="/psalms/102.htm">Chapter 102</a> > Verse 11</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad11.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/psalms/102-10.htm" title="Psalm 102:10">◄</a> Psalm 102:11 <a href="/psalms/102-12.htm" title="Psalm 102:12">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/psalms/102.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/psalms/102.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/psalms/102.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />My life passes as swiftly as the evening shadows. I am withering away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/psalms/102.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/psalms/102.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/psalms/102.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />My days <i>are</i> like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/psalms/102.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />My days <i>are</i> like a shadow that lengthens, And I wither away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/psalms/102.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />My days are like a lengthened shadow, And I wither away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/psalms/102.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />My days are like a lengthened shadow, And I wither away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/psalms/102.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />My days are like a lengthened shadow; And I wither away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/psalms/102.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />My days are like an outstretched shadow, And as for me, I dry up like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/psalms/102.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />My days are like an evening shadow that lengthens <i>and</i> vanishes [with the sun]; And as for me, I wither away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/psalms/102.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />My days are like a lengthening shadow, and I wither away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/psalms/102.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />My days are like a lengthening shadow, and I wither away like grass. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/psalms/102.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />My days are like a shadow that declineth; And I am withered like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/psalms/102.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />My life fades like a shadow at the end of day and withers like grass. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/psalms/102.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/psalms/102.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />My days are like a shadow that is getting longer, and I wither away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/psalms/102.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />My life is like the evening shadows; I am like dry grass. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/psalms/102.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />My life is like a declining shadow, and I am withering like a plant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/psalms/102.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/psalms/102.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />My days are coming to an end, and I am withered like grass. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/psalms/102.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />My days are like a long shadow. I have withered like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/psalms/102.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/psalms/102.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />My days are like a long shadow. I have withered like grass. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/psalms/102.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />My days [are] stretched out as a shadow, "" And I am withered as the herb.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/psalms/102.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> My days as a shadow are stretched out, And I -- as the herb I am withered.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/psalms/102.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />My days declining as a shadow, and I shall be dried up as grass.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/psalms/102.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />My days have declined like a shadow, and I am withered like grass. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/psalms/102.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br /><V 101:12>My days have declined like a shadow, and I have dried out like hay.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/psalms/102.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />My days are like a lengthening shadow; I wither like the grass. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/psalms/102.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/psalms/102.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />My days are like a shadow that declines; and I am withered like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/psalms/102.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />My days have declined like the shadow and I have withered like the grass!<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/psalms/102.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />My days are like a lengthening shadow; And I am withered like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/psalms/102.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />My days have declined like a shadow; and I am withered like grass.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/psalms/102-11.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=12536" 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">10</span>because of Your indignation and wrath, for You have picked me up and cast me aside. <span class="reftext">11</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3117.htm" title="3117: yā·may (N-mpc:: 1cs) -- Day. From an unused root meaning to be hot; a day, whether literal, or figurative.">My days</a> <a href="/hebrew/5186.htm" title="5186: nā·ṭui (V-Qal-QalPassPrtcpl-ms) -- A primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away; used in a great variety of application.">are like lengthening</a> <a href="/hebrew/6738.htm" title="6738: kə·ṣêl (Prep-k:: N-ms) -- A shadow. From tsalal; shade, whether literal or figurative.">shadows,</a> <a href="/hebrew/589.htm" title="589: wa·’ă·nî (Conj-w:: Pro-1cs) -- I. Contracted from 'anokiy; I.">and I</a> <a href="/hebrew/3001.htm" title="3001: ’î·ḇāš (V-Qal-Imperf-1cs) -- To be dry, dried up, or withered. A primitive root; to be ashamed, confused or disappointed; also to dry up or wither.">wither away</a> <a href="/hebrew/6212.htm" title="6212: kā·‘ê·śeḇ (Prep-k, Art:: N-ms) -- Herb, herbage. From an unused root meaning to glisten; grass.">like grass.</a> </span><span class="reftext">12</span>But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.…<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/40-6.htm">Isaiah 40:6-8</a></span><br />A voice says, “Cry out!” And I asked, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. / The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. / The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/james/4-14.htm">James 4:14</a></span><br />You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/14-1.htm">Job 14:1-2</a></span><br />“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble. / Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/1-24.htm">1 Peter 1:24</a></span><br />For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/51-12.htm">Isaiah 51:12</a></span><br />“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/103-15.htm">Psalm 103:15-16</a></span><br />As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; / when the wind passes over, it vanishes, and its place remembers it no more.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_chronicles/29-15.htm">1 Chronicles 29:15</a></span><br />For we are foreigners and strangers in Your presence, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ecclesiastes/1-4.htm">Ecclesiastes 1:4</a></span><br />Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/64-6.htm">Isaiah 64:6</a></span><br />Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/7-6.htm">Job 7:6-7</a></span><br />My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope. / Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_corinthians/4-16.htm">2 Corinthians 4:16-18</a></span><br />Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. / For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. / So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/39-4.htm">Psalm 39:4-5</a></span><br />“Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is. / You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/6-19.htm">Matthew 6:19-20</a></span><br />Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/1-10.htm">Hebrews 1:10-12</a></span><br />And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. / They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. / You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed; but You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/90-5.htm">Psalm 90:5-6</a></span><br />You sweep them away in their sleep; they are like the new grass of the morning— / in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it fades and withers.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">My days are like a shadow that declines; and I am withered like grass.</p><p class="hdg">my days</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/102-3.htm">Psalm 102:3</a></b></br> For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/39-5.htm">Psalm 39:5,6</a></b></br> Behold, thou hast made my days <i>as</i> an handbreadth; and mine age <i>is</i> as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state <i>is</i> altogether vanity. Selah… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/109-23.htm">Psalm 109:23</a></b></br> I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.</p><p class="hdg">I am withered</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/102-4.htm">Psalm 102:4</a></b></br> My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/40-6.htm">Isaiah 40:6-8</a></b></br> The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh <i>is</i> grass, and all the goodliness thereof <i>is</i> as the flower of the field: … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/james/1-10.htm">James 1:10</a></b></br> But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/judges/19-8.htm">Declineth</a> <a href="/psalms/102-6.htm">Dry</a> <a href="/psalms/90-6.htm">Evening</a> <a href="/psalms/102-4.htm">Grass</a> <a href="/psalms/102-4.htm">Herb</a> <a href="/daniel/4-27.htm">Lengthening</a> <a href="/psalms/91-1.htm">Shade</a> <a href="/psalms/91-1.htm">Shadow</a> <a href="/psalms/88-9.htm">Stretched</a> <a href="/psalms/58-7.htm">Wither</a> <a href="/psalms/102-4.htm">Withered</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/psalms/109-23.htm">Declineth</a> <a href="/psalms/105-41.htm">Dry</a> <a href="/psalms/104-23.htm">Evening</a> <a href="/psalms/103-15.htm">Grass</a> <a href="/psalms/104-14.htm">Herb</a> <a href="/daniel/4-27.htm">Lengthening</a> <a href="/psalms/109-23.htm">Shade</a> <a href="/psalms/107-10.htm">Shadow</a> <a href="/psalms/104-2.htm">Stretched</a> <a href="/psalms/137-5.htm">Wither</a> <a href="/isaiah/15-6.htm">Withered</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'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/psalms/102.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/psalms/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/psalms/102.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>My days are like lengthening shadows</b><br>This phrase captures the fleeting nature of human life, emphasizing its brevity and transience. In biblical times, shadows were often used as metaphors for impermanence, as they grow longer and eventually disappear as the day ends. This imagery is consistent with other scriptures, such as <a href="/job/14-2.htm">Job 14:2</a> and <a href="/psalms/144-4.htm">Psalm 144:4</a>, which also describe life as a shadow. The lengthening shadow suggests the approach of evening, symbolizing the end of life or a period of decline. This can be seen as a reflection on mortality and the inevitable passage of time, urging believers to live with an eternal perspective.<p><b>and I wither away like grass</b><br>The comparison to grass highlights the fragility and temporary nature of human existence. In the arid climate of the ancient Near East, grass would quickly wither under the scorching sun, symbolizing how life can be swiftly cut short. This imagery is echoed in <a href="/isaiah/40-6.htm">Isaiah 40:6-8</a> and <a href="/1_peter/1-24.htm">1 Peter 1:24</a>, where human life is likened to grass that fades. The withering grass can also be seen as a type of Christ, who, in His humanity, experienced suffering and mortality. This phrase serves as a reminder of the need for reliance on God, who is eternal and unchanging, contrasting with the ephemeral nature of human life.<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 the exact identity is uncertain. The psalmist is expressing deep personal anguish and a sense of frailty.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/z/zion.htm">Zion</a></b><br>While not directly mentioned in this verse, the broader context of <a href="/bsb/psalms/102.htm">Psalm 102</a> includes a plea for God's mercy on Zion, representing God's people and His dwelling place.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/g/god.htm">God</a></b><br>The ultimate focus of the psalm, as the psalmist contrasts his own frailty with God's eternal nature and faithfulness.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_brevity_of_life.htm">The Brevity of Life</a></b><br>Recognize that our lives are fleeting, like shadows and grass. This awareness should lead us to live purposefully and with an eternal perspective.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/d/dependence_on_god.htm">Dependence on God</a></b><br>In our frailty, we are reminded of our need for God's strength and sustenance. Our limitations point us to rely on His eternal nature.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_in_god's_eternality.htm">Hope in God's Eternality</a></b><br>While our days are short, God's promises and His presence are everlasting. This provides comfort and hope amidst life's uncertainties.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/u/urgency_in_faith.htm">Urgency in Faith</a></b><br>Understanding the shortness of life should inspire urgency in our spiritual walk, encouraging us to prioritize our relationship with God and our service to others.<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_defines_believers_as_royal_priests.htm">What does 'the grass withers and flowers fade' mean?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_was_joseph_imprisoned_in_egypt.htm">What are the seven Penitential Psalms?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/meaning_of_'grass_withers,_flowers_fade'.htm">What does "the grass withers and flowers fade" mean?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_are_the_seven_penitential_psalms.htm">What are the seven Penitential Psalms?</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>(11) <span class= "bld">A shadow that declineth.</span>--Rather, <span class= "ital">a lengthening shadow, </span>growing longer as the day declines, and therefore soon to vanish altogether. (Comp. <a href="/psalms/109-23.htm" title="I am gone like the shadow when it declines: I am tossed up and down as the locust.">Psalm 109:23</a>.)<p>"And now the sun had stretched out all the hills."<p>MILTON: <span class= "ital">Lycidas,</span><p>See also Note, <a href="/songs/2-17.htm" title="Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be you like a roe or a young hart on the mountains of Bether.">Song of Solomon 2:17</a>.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/psalms/102.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 11.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">My days are like a shadow that declineth</span>; literally, <span class="accented">that lengthens</span>, as shadows do when the day declines (comp. ver. 24). The psalmist, like his nation, is old before his time; the shades of evening have come upon him, when he should have been in his midday brightness. And I am withered like grass (comp. ver. 4). The "I" here is emphatic (<span class="hebrew">אני</span>) - not only is the psalmist's heart withered, but he himself is altogether scorched and dried up. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/psalms/102-11.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">My days</span><br /><span class="heb">יָ֭מַי</span> <span class="translit">(yā·may)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3117.htm">Strong's 3117: </a> </span><span class="str2">A day</span><br /><br /><span class="word">are like lengthening</span><br /><span class="heb">נָט֑וּי</span> <span class="translit">(nā·ṭui)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5186.htm">Strong's 5186: </a> </span><span class="str2">To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend</span><br /><br /><span class="word">shadows,</span><br /><span class="heb">כְּצֵ֣ל</span> <span class="translit">(kə·ṣêl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6738.htm">Strong's 6738: </a> </span><span class="str2">A shadow</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and I</span><br /><span class="heb">וַ֝אֲנִ֗י</span> <span class="translit">(wa·’ă·nî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_589.htm">Strong's 589: </a> </span><span class="str2">I</span><br /><br /><span class="word">wither away</span><br /><span class="heb">אִיבָֽשׁ׃</span> <span class="translit">(’î·ḇāš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3001.htm">Strong's 3001: </a> </span><span class="str2">To be ashamed, confused, disappointed, to dry up, wither</span><br /><br /><span class="word">like grass.</span><br /><span class="heb">כָּעֵ֥שֶׂב</span> <span class="translit">(kā·‘ê·śeḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6212.htm">Strong's 6212: </a> </span><span class="str2">Herb, herbage</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/psalms/102-11.htm">Psalm 102:11 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/psalms/102-11.htm">Psalm 102:11 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/psalms/102-11.htm">Psalm 102:11 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/psalms/102-11.htm">Psalm 102:11 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/psalms/102-11.htm">Psalm 102:11 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/psalms/102-11.htm">Psalm 102:11 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/psalms/102-11.htm">Psalm 102:11 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/psalms/102-11.htm">Psalm 102:11 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/psalms/102-11.htm">Psalm 102:11 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/psalms/102-11.htm">Psalm 102:11 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/psalms/102-11.htm">OT Poetry: Psalm 102:11 My days are like a long shadow (Psalm Ps Psa.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/psalms/102-10.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Psalm 102:10"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Psalm 102:10" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/psalms/102-12.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Psalm 102:12"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Psalm 102:12" /></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>