John Calvin Commentary Psalms 6:6-7

"I am weary with my groaning; Every night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye wasteth away because of grief; It waxeth old because of all mine adversaries." — Psalms 6:6-7 (ASV)

These forms of expression are hyperbolic, but it must not be imagined that David, like poets, exaggerates his sorrow; rather, he truly and simply declares how severe and bitter it had been. It should always be kept in mind that his affliction did not stem so much from his being severely wounded with bodily distress. Instead, regarding God as greatly displeased with him, he saw, so to speak, hell open to receive him, and the mental distress this produces exceeds all other sorrows.

Indeed, the more sincerely one is devoted to God, the more severely one is disquieted by the sense of His wrath. This is why holy persons, who were otherwise endowed with uncommon fortitude, have shown in this respect the greatest weakness and lack of resolution.

And nothing prevents us today from experiencing in ourselves what David describes about himself except the dullness of our flesh. Those who have experienced, even in a moderate degree, what it is to contend with the fear of eternal death will be convinced that there is nothing extravagant in these words.

Let us, therefore, understand that David is here represented to us as being afflicted with the terrors of his conscience, feeling within himself torment of no ordinary kind, but such as made him almost faint away and lie as if dead. With respect to the words, he says, Mine eye has waxed dim; for grief of mind easily makes its way to the eyes and very distinctly shows itself through them.

As the word עתק athak, which I have translated it has waxed old, sometimes signifies to depart from one’s place, some expound it to mean that the quality of his eyesight was lost, and his sight, so to speak, had vanished. Others understand it to mean that his eyes were hidden by the swelling that proceeds from weeping.

The first opinion, however, according to which David complains of his eyes failing him, so to speak, through old age, seems to me the simpler one. As to what he adds, every night, we learn from it that he was almost entirely wasted away with prolonged sorrow, and yet all the while never ceased praying to God.