Psalms 69:23
“Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see. Let their backs be continually bent.”
What does Psalms 69:23 mean?
This is a prayer asking God to bring hardship and blindness upon enemies, which might feel jarring to read. The psalmist is pouring out raw pain and calling for justice against those who've hurt him, expressing a very human desire for wrongdoers to face consequences. The language of darkened eyes and bent backs suggests both spiritual confusion (inability to see truth) and physical burden or shame. It's worth knowing that the Psalms contain many prayers of lament and anger, not because God endorses every sentiment expressed, but because they're honest cries from people in real distress. This particular psalm (69) deals with feeling isolated, mocked, and abandoned. When you read prayers like this, you're reading someone bringing their rawest emotions to God rather than hiding them. If you're struggling with anger toward those who've wronged you, this psalm shows that such feelings don't disqualify you from faith, though we might also pray for wisdom about how to respond to injustice.