Psalms 119:83 · Bible study
Psalms 119:83 Commentary: Wineskin in Smoke
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the meaning of Psalm 119:83: the metaphor of a wineskin dried by smoke, the psalmist's suffering, and his unwavering commitment to God's statutes.
Research Summary
- Meaning: In deep suffering, the psalmist remains faithful to God's law.
- Key words: Wineskin (H4997, leather bottle); smoke (H7008, thick smoke); forget (H7911, to lose memory of or cease to care).
- Main debate: Whether the metaphor is purely negative (shrivelling from suffering) or possibly positive (mellowing wine). Most agree it depicts misery.
- Thological theme: Faithfulness in affliction; the power of God's word to sustain the sufferer.
- Best use: Comfort for those in prolonged trial; model of perseverance in memory of God's statutes.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke. I don’t forget your statutes.
KJV King James Version 1769
For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For I am become like a wine-skin in the smoke; Yet do I not forget thy statutes.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For I have been as a bottle in smoke, Thy statutes I have not forgotten.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; I do not forget thy statutes.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Porque estoy como el odre al humo; mas no he olvidado tus estatutos.
Porque fiquei como um odre na fumaça, porém não me esqueci teus testemunhos.
Car je suis comme une outre dans la fumée;
Denn ich bin wie ein Schlauch im Rauch; deiner Rechte vergesse ich nicht.
Want ik ben geworden als een lederen zak in den rook; doch Uw inzettingen heb ik niet vergeten.
Poiché io son divenuto come un otre al fumo; ma non dimentico i tuoi statuti.
Chociażem jest jako naczynie skórzane w dymie, wszakżem ustaw twoich nie zapomniał.
我 好像煙薰 的皮袋，卻不 忘記 你的律例。
For I have become like a wine-skin black with smoke; but I still keep the memory of your rules.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 119:83
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the wineskin in smoke expresses the psalmist's severe physical and mental distress. Adam Clarke notes that a skin bottle hung in smoke would be “parched and shrivelled up,” representing exhaustion from long affliction. Albert Barnes adds that such bottles, hanging in tents where smoke could not escape, became “dark and dingy, emblems of distress, discomfort, and sorrow.” Matthew Henry describes David as “wasted by age, and sickness, and sorrow,” his beauty gone, his cheeks furrowed. Despite this, the psalmist's declaration “I do not forget your statutes” is seen by all as a steadfast commitment. John Gill observes that the psalmist still attended to God's word and worship, hoping for comfort. The Cambridge Bible suggests some interpreters see a reference to mellowing wine in smoke, but argues the figure is clearly intended to describe bad effects of suffering. The consensus is clear: this verse pairs profound suffering with unbroken fidelity to God's commands.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The psalmist is in deep affliction but does not abandon his commitment to God's statutes.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the metaphor | The wineskin in smoke represents the psalmist's severe physical and emotional distress. | Some ancient versions read 'hoar frost' instead of 'smoke' (LXX, Syr.), but this is rejected by modern scholars. A minority view (mentioned by Cambridge Bible) suggests mellowing wine in smoke, but most commentators see it as wholly negative. |
| Concessive vs. causal reading of 'ki' | The psalmist is in agony yet cleaves to God's statutes. | Keil and Delitzsch read 'ki' as 'although' (concessive); the WEB and many translations read 'for' (causal), making the forgetting the action despite being like a wineskin. The difference is subtle but affects how the suffering is linked to the declaration. |
| Extent of affliction | The psalmist is near despair, physically and spiritually drained. | Some emphasize physical decay (Gill: black and sooty with sin and afflictions); others see spiritual desolation (darkness, hiding of God's face). Most combine both. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Hebrew word for “wineskin” (nō’d) refers to a bag sewn from animal hides, used for storing water, wine, or milk. In the ancient Near East, tents and homes had a central fire pit but no chimney. Smoke would rise and accumulate in the rafters, coating anything hung there. An unused wineskin, left hanging, would become blackened, cracked, and shrivelled, useless for its purpose. The image conveys being neglected, discarded, and physically diminished.
The surrounding verses (Psalm 119:81, 88) show the psalmist's soul fainting for salvation (v.81), his eyes failing for God's word (v.82), and persecutors digging pits for him (v.85). He is nearly wiped from the earth (v.87). The wineskin metaphor fits into this sustained lament. The smoke may also symbolise God's hiddenness: as Gill notes, being in smoke is like “being in darkness, and under the hidings of God's face.”
The opening word ki can be read as “for” (causal) or “although” (concessive). Keil and Delitzsch treat it as hypothetical, reading the line as: “Although I have become like a wineskin in smoke, I do not forget your statutes.” This emphasises that suffering does not loosen the psalmist's grip on God's word.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Cambridge Bible mentions that the LXX, Symmachus, Syriac, and Jerome read 'like a wineskin in hoar frost' instead of 'in smoke', but this reading is dismissed as having no claim to consideration. The Hebrew qitor clearly means 'smoke'.
Reception History
Historically, Psalm 119:83 has been read as a confession of suffering and faithfulness. Early church fathers and medieval commentators often used it to teach perseverance under persecution. Reformation-era commentators like Calvin saw it in the context of the whole psalm's teaching on godliness and the study of the Law. Matthew Henry in the 18th century used it to comfort those feeling wasted by age or sickness, reminding them that affliction does not separate them from God. Wesleyan tradition echoed this, seeing it as a model of steadfast devotion. In modern times, it appears in hymns of lament and in pastoral care for the chronically ill or long-suffering.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The reality of suffering. The wineskin in smoke shows that suffering can be real, prolonged, and disfiguring. The psalmist does not deny his pain.
- The danger of forgetting. In affliction, the natural tendency is to let go of God's promises. The psalmist consciously resists that.
- The power of faithful memory. Even when everything else shrivels, the psalmist's remembrance of God's statutes remains.
Five-point outline
- This verse names the depth of the psalmist's affliction.
- It uses a vivid, homely image that any ancient reader would recognize.
- It shows that suffering can empty and blacken a person.
- Yet it also highlights the psalmist's deliberate choice: “I do not forget your statutes.”
- It offers a model for believers: when everything around you is drying up, hold fast to God's word.
Illustration hooks
- A dry sponge left in the sun: once soft and useful, now hard and useless.
- An old leather wallet left in a garage, cracked and discolored from heat and dust.
- Walking through a smoky room: your clothes and skin feel grimy, and you long for fresh air.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I stay faithful when I feel completely dried up?
- Does God see my suffering even when I am forgotten by others?
- Is it okay to admit that I am withering while still trusting God?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the heart of a psalm about loving God's law. But it is also honest about pain. The psalmist uses a household image to describe how suffering has affected him. Yet his commitment remains. As you discuss, consider what forgetting God's statutes might look like in your own life, and how you cling to them when hard times hit.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 119:81, 88 aloud. What emotions does this passage express?
- In verse 83, what image does the psalmist use for himself? Why do you think he chose that comparison?
- What does the smoke represent in your own experience of suffering?
- The word 'forget' implies a conscious effort not to let go. What helps you hold onto God's word in difficult times?
- How does the psalmist's suffering relate to his commitment to God's statutes? Does suffering strengthen or test his resolve?
- Verse 84 asks, “When will you execute judgment on those who persecute me?” How does longing for justice fit with not forgetting God's statutes?
- In what ways can your small group be a support for someone who feels like a wineskin in the smoke?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 30:30 | My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat. |
| Psalms 22:15 | My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death. |
| Psalms 102:3 | For my days consume away like smoke. My bones are burned as a torch. |
| Psalms 102:4 | My heart is blighted like grass, and withered, for I forget to eat my bread. |
| Psalms 119:16 | I will delight myself in your statutes. I will not forget your word. GIMEL |
| Psalms 119:61 | The ropes of the wicked bind me, but I won’t forget your law. |
| Psalms 119:176 | I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I don’t forget your commandments. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke explains that ancient eastern bottles were made from animal skins. Hanging in smoke would parch and shrivel such a bottle, and this image vividly conveys the psalmist's complete exhaustion from prolonged physical affliction and mental distress.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that the bottle in smoke refers to animal-skin containers hanging in smoky tents, becoming dark and stained as an emblem of extreme affliction. His distinctive point is that the psalmist uses this humble image to show that even in such abject misery, he refuses to abandon God's commands. For Barnes, this proves that genuine faith endures the deepest poverty and sorrow.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin pushes back against the common assumption that Psalm 119 is a jumble of unrelated thoughts. He insists the psalm has a coherent twofold aim: urging believers toward godly living and laying out the true pattern of worship by centering on God's law. The variations in topic do not mean it lacks connection.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator rejects the idea that the wineskin in smoke represents mellowing through suffering. He insists the image describes disfigurement and unrecognizability from prolonged affliction. Yet despite this severe deterioration, the psalmist still does not forget God’s commandments.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the striking image of a wineskin shriveled and blackened by hanging in smoke, portraying the psalmist's prolonged affliction. Yet the key point is that such severe trial did not make him abandon God's law. He clung to the statutes even while being worn down by suffering.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill unpacks the bottle-in-smoke image as an animal-skin container that becomes dried, blackened, and useless. The psalmist compares himself to such a bottle, feeling empty, darkened by affliction, and worn out by age, yet he still holds to God's statutes without forgetting them.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the image of a bottle in smoke refers to a leather wineskin left to dry and shrivel over a fire. The psalmist compares himself to such a container, withered and contracted by prolonged sorrow, not by heat but by affliction.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights the verbal play in the Hebrew root "kalah," which the psalmist uses both for his consuming longing for God's salvation and for the ruin his enemies almost bring on him. The image of a wineskin blackened and shriveled in smoke pictures a believer who has endured relentless persecution without letting go of God's word.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws out the metaphor of a leather bottle hung in smoke: blackened, dried, shriveled, and eventually thrown aside as useless. David felt this way under affliction, yet he insists that even in such a wasted condition he never let go of God's statutes, which is his plea for comfort.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws attention to the word "bottle" as a leathern wineskin, not glass. His point is that the speaker's natural moisture has dried up and burned away, so he compares himself to a shriveled, empty wineskin that has lost all its freshness.