Psalm 102:7
New International Version
I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof.

New Living Translation
I lie awake, lonely as a solitary bird on the roof.

English Standard Version
I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.

Berean Standard Bible
I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop.

King James Bible
I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

New King James Version
I lie awake, And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

New American Standard Bible
I lie awake, I have become like a solitary bird on a housetop.

NASB 1995
I lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop.

NASB 1977
I lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop.

Legacy Standard Bible
I lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a roof.

Amplified Bible
I am sleepless and lie awake [mourning], I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop.

Christian Standard Bible
I stay awake; I am like a solitary bird on a roof.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I stay awake; I am like a solitary bird on a roof.

American Standard Version
I watch, and am become like a sparrow That is alone upon the house-top.

Contemporary English Version
or a restless sparrow alone on a roof.

English Revised Version
I watch, and am become like a sparrow that is alone upon the housetop.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I lie awake. I am like a lonely bird on a rooftop.

Good News Translation
I lie awake; I am like a lonely bird on a housetop.

International Standard Version
I lie awake, yet I am like a bird isolated on a rooftop.

Majority Standard Bible
I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop.

NET Bible
I stay awake; I am like a solitary bird on a roof.

New Heart English Bible
I watch, and have become like a sparrow that is alone on the housetop.

Webster's Bible Translation
I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

World English Bible
I watch, and have become like a sparrow that is alone on the housetop.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I have watched, and I am "" As a bird alone on the roof.

Young's Literal Translation
I have watched, and I am As a bird alone on the roof.

Smith's Literal Translation
I watched and I shall be as the sparrow being alone upon the roof.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I have watched, and am become as a sparrow all alone on the housetop.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I have kept vigil, and I have become like a solitary sparrow on a roof.

New American Bible
I lie awake and moan, like a lone sparrow on the roof.

New Revised Standard Version
I lie awake; I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I am shaken and alone like a sparrow upon the house tops.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
I am terrified and have been alone like a sparrow that flies on the rooftops.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I watch, and am become Like a sparrow that is alone upon the housetop.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I have become like an owl in a ruined house. I have watched, and am become as a sparrow dwelling alone on a roof.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Prayer of the Afflicted
6I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. 7I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop. 8All day long my enemies taunt me; they ridicule me and curse me.…

Cross References
Lamentations 3:28-29
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.

Job 7:3-4
So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed to me. / When I lie down I think: ‘When will I get up?’ But the night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.

Job 30:29
I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches.

Isaiah 38:14
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.”

Jeremiah 9:1
Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night over the slain daughter of my people.

Micah 1:8
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.

1 Kings 19:4
while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

Psalm 38:6
I am bent and brought low; all day long I go about mourning.

Psalm 42:3
My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”

Psalm 55:6-8
I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest. / How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain. Selah / I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”

Psalm 77:4
You have kept my eyes from closing; I am too troubled to speak.

Psalm 142:4
Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul.

Matthew 26:38
Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”

Mark 1:35
Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.

Luke 6:12
In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.


Treasury of Scripture

I watch, and am as a sparrow alone on the house top.

watch

Psalm 22:2
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

Psalm 77:4
Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

Psalm 130:6
My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

alone

Psalm 38:11
My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

Lamentations 3:28-30
He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him…

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Alone Awake Bird House Housetop House-Top Itself Lie Roof Sparrow Top Watch Watched
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Alone Awake Bird House Housetop House-Top Itself Lie Roof Sparrow Top Watch Watched
Psalm 102
1. The prophet in his prayer makes a grievous complaint.
12. He takes comfort in the eternity, and mercy of God
18. The mercies of God are to be recorded
23. He sustains his weakness by the unchangeableness of God.














I lie awake;
This phrase reflects a state of restlessness and insomnia, often associated with deep distress or anxiety. In the biblical context, sleeplessness can be a result of spiritual turmoil or intense prayer, as seen in other scriptures like Psalm 77:4, where the psalmist says, "You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak." The psalmist's inability to sleep may symbolize a period of waiting on God, seeking His intervention or comfort during a time of trouble. This state of wakefulness can also be seen as a metaphor for vigilance in prayer, akin to Jesus' exhortation to His disciples to "watch and pray" in Matthew 26:41.

I am like a lone bird on a housetop.
The imagery of a solitary bird on a rooftop conveys a sense of isolation and vulnerability. In ancient Near Eastern culture, birds were often seen as symbols of freedom, but a lone bird suggests abandonment and exposure to danger. This metaphor highlights the psalmist's feeling of being cut off from community and support, much like the prophet Elijah, who felt alone in his struggle against idolatry (1 Kings 19:10). The rooftop setting may also evoke the idea of being in a high place, yet feeling distant from others, similar to the experience of Jesus during His time of solitude and prayer on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39-44). This phrase underscores the psalmist's deep yearning for God's presence and deliverance, resonating with the broader biblical theme of seeking refuge in the Lord amidst life's trials.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Psalmist
The author of Psalm 102, traditionally attributed to David, though the specific identity is not confirmed. The psalmist is expressing deep personal anguish and a sense of isolation.

2. Lonely Bird
The imagery of a solitary bird on a housetop symbolizes isolation and vulnerability. In ancient times, a bird alone on a rooftop would be exposed and without the comfort of a flock.

3. Housetop
In biblical times, rooftops were flat and often used as places of solitude or prayer. The mention of a housetop emphasizes the psalmist's separation from others.
Teaching Points
Understanding Isolation
Recognize that feelings of loneliness are a common human experience, even among the faithful. The psalmist's honesty in expressing these feelings can encourage believers to bring their own struggles to God.

God's Presence in Solitude
Even when we feel alone, God is present. The imagery of the bird on the housetop can remind us that God sees us and cares for us, just as He does for the birds of the air.

Prayer as a Response
Use times of solitude to deepen your prayer life. The psalmist's lament can inspire us to turn our loneliness into an opportunity for intimate communication with God.

Community and Support
While solitude can be a time for spiritual growth, it is also important to seek out community and support within the body of Christ. The church is called to bear one another's burdens.

Hope in God's Faithfulness
Trust in God's faithfulness and provision, even when circumstances seem bleak. The psalmist's journey from lament to hope can guide us in finding assurance in God's promises.(7) I watch--i.e., am sleepless,

Sparrow.--See Note, Psalm 84:3. Here render, like a lonely bird. Some MSS. read, "a wandering bird."

Verse 7. - I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. Sparrows are very common in Palestine. Dr. Thomson says that he has often heard a sparrow which had lost its mate, uttering "by the hour" its sad lament, seated upon a housetop ('The Land and the Book,' p. 43).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I lie awake;
שָׁקַ֥דְתִּי (šā·qaḏ·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 8245: To be alert, sleepless, to be on the lookout

I am
וָאֶֽהְיֶ֑ה (wā·’eh·yeh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like a lone
בּוֹדֵ֥ד (bō·w·ḏêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 909: To be separate, isolated

bird
כְּ֝צִפּ֗וֹר (kə·ṣip·pō·wr)
Preposition-k | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6833: A little bird

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

a housetop.
גָּֽג׃ (gāḡ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1406: A roof, the top of an altar


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OT Poetry: Psalm 102:7 I watch and have become like (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 102:6
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