Psalm 123:2
New International Version
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.

New Living Translation
We keep looking to the LORD our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.

English Standard Version
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.

Berean Standard Bible
As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy.

King James Bible
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

New King James Version
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He has mercy on us.

New American Standard Bible
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a female servant to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious to us.

NASB 1995
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious to us.

NASB 1977
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He shall be gracious to us.

Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, as the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a servant-girl to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to Yahweh our God, Until He is gracious to us.

Amplified Bible
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, And as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious and favorable toward us.

Christian Standard Bible
Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand, like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until he shows us favor.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand, like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us favor.

American Standard Version
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid unto the hand of her mistress; So our eyes look unto Jehovah our God, Until he have mercy upon us.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Like the eyes of Servants to their Masters and like the eyes of a Handmaiden to her Mistress, so our eyes are to you, LORD JEHOVAH, our God, until you have mercy upon us!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Behold, as the eyes of servants are directed to the hands of their masters, and as the eyes of a maidservant to the hands of her mistress; so our eyes are directed to the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.

Contemporary English Version
Servants look to their master, but we will look to you, until you have mercy on us.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold as the eyes of the servants are on the hands of their masters, As the eyes of the handmaid are on the hands of her mistress: so are our eyes unto the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us.

English Revised Version
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes look unto the LORD our God, until he have mercy upon us.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
As servants depend on their masters, as a maid depends on her mistress, so we depend on the LORD our God until he has pity on us.

Good News Translation
As a servant depends on his master, as a maid depends on her mistress, so we will keep looking to you, O LORD our God, until you have mercy on us.

International Standard Version
Consider this: as the eyes of a servant focus on what his master provides, and as the eyes of a female servant focus on what her mistress provides, so our eyes focus on the LORD our God, until he has mercy on us.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Behold, as the eyes of servants unto the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; So our eyes look unto the LORD our God, Until He be gracious unto us.

Literal Standard Version
Behold, as eyes of menservants | [Are] to the hand of their masters, | As eyes of a maidservant | [Are] to the hand of her mistress, | So [are] our eyes to our God YHWH, | Until He favors us.

Majority Standard Bible
As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy.

New American Bible
Yes, like the eyes of servants on the hand of their masters, Like the eyes of a maid on the hand of her mistress, So our eyes are on the LORD our God, till we are shown favor.

NET Bible
Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, so my eyes will look to the LORD, our God, until he shows us favor.

New Revised Standard Version
As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until he has mercy upon us.

New Heart English Bible
Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes look to the LORD, our God, until he has mercy on us.

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until he shall have mercy upon us.

World English Bible
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to Yahweh, our God, until he has mercy on us.

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, as eyes of men-servants Are unto the hand of their masters, As eyes of a maid-servant Are unto the hand of her mistress, So are our eyes unto Jehovah our God, Till that He doth favour us.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Lift Up My Eyes to You
1A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to You, the One enthroned in heaven. 2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy. 3Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt.…

Cross References
Psalm 16:8
I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 25:15
My eyes are always on the LORD, for He will free my feet from the mesh.

Psalm 141:8
But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless.

Proverbs 27:18
Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.

Malachi 1:6
"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?" says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. "But you ask, 'How have we despised Your name?'


Treasury of Scripture

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait on the LORD our God, until that he have mercy on us.

as the eyes

Joshua 9:23,27
Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God…

Joshua 10:6
And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.

so our eyes

Psalm 40:1-3
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry…

Psalm 119:82,123-125
Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me? …

Psalm 130:5,6
I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope…

Jump to Previous
Eyes Gracious Hand Hands Maid Maiden Master Masters Mercy Mistress Owner Servant-Girl Servants Slaves Turned Wait Waiting
Jump to Next
Eyes Gracious Hand Hands Maid Maiden Master Masters Mercy Mistress Owner Servant-Girl Servants Slaves Turned Wait Waiting
Psalm 123
1. The godly profess their confidence in God
3. And pray to be delivered from contempt














(2) Eyes.--As the eyes of the slave are fixed on the hand of the master or mistress, waiting for a sign or direction, so Israel waits, expectant of the hint of Divine interference to deliver from the tyrant. The picture will be so familiar to readers of Oriental stories as hardly to need actual illustration; but Savary's (Letters on Egypt, p. 135, quoted by Perowne) description exactly reproduces the intention of the poet: "The slaves stand silent at the bottom of the rooms, with their hands crossed over their breasts. With their eyes fixed upon their master, they seek to anticipate every one of his wishes." Comp. "Cave oculos a meis oculis quoquam demoveas" (Ter. Adelph. Ii. 1, 16).

Verse 2. - Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters. Watch, i.e., for the slightest sign that he may give of his will. Such signs were usually given by some movement of the "hand." And as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress. Masters were waited on by male slaves; their wives by handmaids - both equally anxious to do their will, and therefore equally watchful of all the signs that indicated it. So our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us. We wait for the least sign that he is about to help and deliver us.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
As the eyes
כְעֵינֵ֪י (ḵə·‘ê·nê)
Preposition-k | Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

of servants
עֲבָדִ֡ים (‘ă·ḇā·ḏîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

[look] to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the hand
יַ֤ד (yaḏ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

of their master,
אֲ‍ֽדוֹנֵיהֶ֗ם (’ăḏō·w·nê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

as the eyes
כְּעֵינֵ֣י (kə·‘ê·nê)
Preposition-k | Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

of a maidservant
שִׁפְחָה֮ (šip̄·ḥāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8198: Maid, maidservant

[look] to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the hand
יַ֪ד (yaḏ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

of her mistress,
גְּבִ֫רְתָּ֥הּ (gə·ḇir·tāh)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1404: Lady, queen, mistress

so
כֵּ֣ן (kên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

our eyes
עֵ֭ינֵינוּ (‘ê·nê·nū)
Noun - cdc | first person common plural
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

are on
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the LORD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

our God
אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ (’ĕ·lō·hê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

until
עַ֝֗ד (‘aḏ)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

He shows us mercy.
שֶׁיְּחָנֵּֽנוּ׃ (še·yə·ḥān·nê·nū)
Pronoun - relative | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common plural
Strong's 2603: To bend, stoop in kindness to an inferior, to favor, bestow, to implore


Links
Psalm 123:2 NIV
Psalm 123:2 NLT
Psalm 123:2 ESV
Psalm 123:2 NASB
Psalm 123:2 KJV

Psalm 123:2 BibleApps.com
Psalm 123:2 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 123:2 Chinese Bible
Psalm 123:2 French Bible
Psalm 123:2 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 123:2 Behold as the eyes of servants look (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 123:1
Top of Page
Top of Page