Lexical Summary ashesh: Foundation, base, support Original Word: עָשֵׁשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be consumed A primitive root; probably to shrink, i.e. Fail -- be consumed. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to waste away NASB Translation wasted away (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs [עָשֵׁשׁ] verb waste away (compare Assyrian ašašu, moth; Arabic  moth (-worm),  eat (of moth; ? denominative); according to DePs 6:8 and others עָשֵׁשׁ is denominative from עָשׁ, properly be moth-eaten, but improbable); **according to JacobZMG 1901, 141; ZAW 1902, 107 be dark, compare עשׁשׁא darkness, in Christian-Palestinian Aramaic. — Qal Perfect3feminine singular עָֽשְׁשָׁה מִכַּעַם עֵינִי Psalm 6:8 my eye is wasted from grief, = Psalm 31:10 (בְּכַעַס; + נַפְשִׁי, בִּטְנִי; 3 plural עֲצָמַי עָשֵׁ֫שׁוּ Psalm 31:11. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrences עָשֵׁשׁ appears only three times, each in a Davidic lament: Psalm 6:7; Psalm 31:9; Psalm 31:10. In every case the verb expresses the progressive fading, wasting, or disintegration of a human faculty under intense pressure. Imagery and Literary Function David employs the term for the eyes in Psalm 6:7 and Psalm 31:9, and for the bones in Psalm 31:10. The chosen body parts sharpen the emotional focus: • Eyes – the organ of perception becomes clouded, indicating diminished hope and orientation: “My eyes fail from grief” (Psalm 6:7). By shifting the verb from the visible (eyes) to the invisible (bones), Psalm 31 moves from outward tear-filled anguish to the inner collapse of vitality, intensifying the lament. Connections with the Human Condition The word pictures a grievous spiral: distress → prolonged weeping → bodily deterioration. Scripture consistently links spiritual pain, emotional sorrow, and physical decline (Proverbs 17:22; Lamentations 3:4). David testifies that sin (“my iniquity,” Psalm 31:10) accelerates the process. Thus the term exposes both creaturely frailty and moral brokenness. Psalms and the Language of Lament Both Psalms belong to the individual lament genre: a cry, a description of trouble, a plea for mercy, and a declaration of trust. עָשֵׁשׁ anchors the “description of trouble” phase, providing concrete evidence for the petition “Be gracious to me, O LORD” (Psalm 31:9). Lament becomes a divinely sanctioned avenue for disclosing the erosion that sin and suffering bring, while still leading worshipers to hope. Prophetic and Messianic Overtones Because David functions as the prototype king, his laments foreshadow the Man of Sorrows. The fading eyes and wasting bones anticipate the Savior who “offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears” (Hebrews 5:7) and whose body was broken on the cross. The term therefore contributes to the Psalter’s anticipatory portrait of Christ’s passion. Theological Reflections 1. Anthropology: Humanity is psychosomatic unity; spiritual agony affects the body. Pastoral and Ministry Application • Lament legitimizes honest expression of decline without forfeiting faith. Worship, Prayer, and Counseling Implications When selecting songs, liturgies, or prayers for periods of mourning or repentance, highlight lines that mirror עָשֵׁשׁ. Corporate readings of Psalm 6 and Psalm 31 allow believers to voice physical and emotional exhaustion, modeling a theology of weakness that culminates in reliance on covenant mercy. Christological Insights The fading eyes of David prefigure the tears of Jesus over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). The wasting bones resonate with “My bones are out of joint” (Psalm 22:14), fulfilled at Calvary. Yet the resurrection answers every instance of “wasting” with incorruptibility (1 Corinthians 15:42). Summary עָשֵׁשׁ portrays the slow erosion of life under grief, sin, and hostility. Its threefold use in the Psalms unites emotional sorrow, physical decline, and spiritual desperation, driving the sufferer toward divine mercy. By giving inspired language to wasting, Scripture dignifies lament, points to Christ’s redemptive suffering, and offers hope that every fading faculty will be renewed in the resurrection. Forms and Transliterations עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה עָשְׁשָׁ֖ה עָשֵֽׁשׁוּ׃ עששה עששו׃ ‘ā·šə·šāh ‘ā·šê·šū ‘āšəšāh ‘āšêšū asheShah aSheshuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 6:7 HEB: עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה מִכַּ֣עַס עֵינִ֑י NAS: My eye has wasted away with grief; KJV: Mine eye is consumed because of grief; INT: has wasted grief my eye Psalm 31:9 Psalm 31:10 3 Occurrences |
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