Psalms 73:26
in Psalms 73My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
My flesh and my heart faileth; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.
KJV
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
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This verse in Psalms 73
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Ambrose of MilanInterrogation of Job and David, Book 3, Chapter XI · Written before 397.
And the psalmist says, appropriately, "My heart and my flesh have failed, God of my heart." Indeed, abiding things cannot follow unless earthly things have failed. Therefore the flesh falls when fleshly things are put to death. And those who bear about in their flesh the dying of Jesus Christ also fail, for the death of Christ works in them so that every enticement to sin dies. From this it is inferred that the human heart fails when evil thoughts, which proceed from the heart, are put to death.
This site's exposition
Whom have I in heaven
on Psalms 73:25-26
The psalm's summit is a preference: nothing in heaven and no one on earth beside God. Flesh and heart may fail, and God stays the strength of the heart and the portion forever. What he is left with is God himself.
This site's exposition
God is the strength of my heart
Adam Clarke gave strength as literally rock, and heard in portion the division of the promised land. Matthew Henry noticed the arithmetic: flesh and heart both fail, and God strengthens the heart alone. That is enough.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A cleric, then, as he serves Christ's church, must first understand what his name means; and then, when he realizes this, must endeavor to be that which he is called. For since the Greek word klēros means "lot," or "inheritance," the clergy are so called either because they are the lot of the Lord, or else because the Lord himself is their lot and portion. Now, he who in his own person is the Lord's portion, or has the Lord for his portion, must so bear himself as to possess the Lord and to be possessed by him. He who possesses the Lord and who says with the prophet, "The Lord is my portion," can hold to nothing beside the Lord. For if he holds to something beside the Lord, the Lord will not be his portion. Suppose, for instance, that he holds to gold or silver, or possessions or inlaid furniture; with such portions as these the Lord will not deign to be his portion. I, if I am the portion of the Lord, and the line of his heritage, receive no portion among the remaining tribes; but, like the priest and the Levite, "I live on the tithe," and serving the altar, am supported by its offerings. "Having food and raiment, I shall be content with these" and as a disciple of the cross shall share its poverty. I beseech you, therefore, and again and yet again admonish you;41 do not look to your military experience for a standard of clerical obligation. Do not seek worldly gain through service to Christ, so that, if you should be better off than when you first became clergy, you will not hear people say to your disgrace, "Their portion shall not profit them." Welcome poor people and strangers to dine with you so that with them Christ may become your guest. Avoid as you would a plague a cleric who engages in business and who rises from poverty to wealth and from obscurity to a high position. For "bad company corrupts good character." You despise gold; he loves it. […]
"My heart and my flesh has failed, O God of my heart" [Psalm 73:26]. This then for me in Heaven has been reserved, "God of my heart, and my portion is my God." What is it, brethren? Let us find out our riches, let mankind choose their parts. Let us see men torn with diversity of desires: let some choose war-service, some advocacy, some various and sundry offices of teaching, some merchandise, some farming, let them take their portions in human affairs: let the people of God cry, "my portion is my God." Not for a time "my portion;" but "my portion is my God for everlasting." Even if I always have gold, what have I? Even if I did not always have God, how great a good should I have? To this is added, that He promises Himself to me, and He promises that I shall have this for everlasting. So great a thing I have, and never have it not. Great felicity: "my portion is God!" How long? "For everlasting." For behold and see after what sort He has loved him; He has made his heart chaste: "God of my heart, and my portion is God for everlasting." His heart has become chaste, for nought now God is loved, from Him is not sought any other reward. He that does seek any other reward from God, and therefore is willing to serve God, more precious does make that which he wills to receive, than Him from whom he wills to receive. What then, is there no reward belonging to God? None except Himself. The reward belonging to God, is God Himself. This he loves, this he esteems; if any other thing he shall have loved, the love will not be chaste. You are receding from the Fire immortal, you will grow cold, will be corrupted. Do not recede. Recede not, it will be your corruption, it will be your fornication. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureItinerarium Mentis in Deum, Chapter 7 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
But if you ask how these things come about, ask grace, not doctrine; desire, not understanding; the groaning of prayer, not the study of reading; the Bridegroom, not the master; God, not man; darkness, not clarity; not light, but the fire that wholly inflames and …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
God is the strength of my heart; I do so still, and hope ever to find him so." In the distress supposed, he had put the case of a double failure, both flesh and heart fail; but, in the relief, he fastens on a single support: he leaves out the flesh and the consideration of that, it is enough that God is the strength of his heart.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
My flesh and my heart faileth,....
5 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century5 voices
My flesh and my heart faileth. They had failed him already, and he had almost fallen; they would fail him in the hour of death, and, if he relied upon them, they would fail him at once. But God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. His God would not fail him, either as protection or a joy. His heart would be kept up by divine love, and filled eternally with divine glory. After having been driven far out to sea, Asaph casts anchor in the old port. We shall do well to follow his example.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
strength--literally, "rock" (Ps 18:2). portion-- (Ps 16:5; The lot of apostates, described by a figure of frequent use (Jer 3:1, 3; Eze 23:35), is contrasted with his, who finds happiness in nearness to God (Jas 4:8), and his delightful work the declaration of His praise.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
My flesh and my heart faileth. They had failed him already, and he had almost fallen; they would fail him in the hour of death, and, if he relied upon them, they would fail him at once. But God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. His God would not fail him, either as protection or a joy. His heart would be kept up by divine love, and filled eternally with divine glory. After having been driven far out to sea, Asaph casts anchor in the old port. We shall do well to follow his example. There is nothing desirable save God; let us, then, desire only him. All other things must pass away; let our hearts abide in him, who alone abideth for ever.
My flesh - faileth - I shall soon die: and my heart - even my natural courage, will fail; and no support but what is supernatural will then be available. Therefore, he adds: God is the strength of my heart - Literally, the rock of my heart. And my portion - Allusion is here made to the division of the promised land. I ask no inheritance below; I look for one above. I do not look for this in the possession of any place; it is God alone that can content the desires and wishes of an immortal spirit. And even this would not satisfy, had I not the prospect of its being for ever, לעולם leolum, “to eternity!’
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
My flesh and my heart faileth - Flesh and heart here seem to refer to the whole man, body and soul; and the idea is, that his powers of body and mind failed; were spent; were exhausted. This seems to have been said in an “ideal” sense, or by anticipation. He does not mean to say that his strength then had actually failed, but he seems to have placed himself by imagination in the situation where his strength “would” be all gone - in sickness, in weakness, in sorrow, on the bed of death. He asks himself now what would be his strength then - what would be the object of chief interest and love - on what he would rely; and he answers without hesitation, and with entire confidence, that he could rely on God, and that He would be his portion forever. Even then, when heart and flesh should fail, when all the powers of mind and body should be exhausted, the love of God would survive, and he would find strength and joy in Him. But God is the strength of my heart - Margin, as in Hebrew, “rock;” the rock on which my heart relies; that is, my refuge, my defense. See the notes at Psa 18:2. Compare Psa 61:2. And my portion for ever - The source of my happiness. Not wealth, then; not honor; not earthly friends; not fame - will be my reliance and the ground of my hope; but that which I shall regard as most valuable - my supreme joy and rejoicing - will be the fact that God is my friend and portion. With all the doubts which I have had in regard to the rectitude of his government, I am sure that when I come to die, I shall cling to him as my hope, my joy, my all. My last refuge - my sufficient refuge - is God. When people come to die, they have “no other refuge” but God. Nothing that they can accumulate of this world’s goods will meet their needs then, for God only can give strength and comfort on the bed of death. […]
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כָּלָ֥ה | kalah | it had come to an end | H3615 → | 208 times |
| שְׁאֵרִ֗י | sheeri | flesh my | H7607 → | 16 times |
| וּלְבָ֫בִ֥י | ulevavi | and heart my | H3824 → | 252 times |
| צוּר־ | tzur- | [is] [the] rock of | H6697 → | 78 times |
| לְבָבִ֥י | levavi | heart my | H3824 → | 252 times |
| וְחֶלְקִ֗י | vechelki | and portion my | H2506 → | 67 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֥ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לְעוֹלָֽם׃ | leolam | for ever | H5769 → | 438 times |
כָּלָ֥הit had come to an end
kalahH3615 →208 times
שְׁאֵרִ֗יflesh my
sheeriH7607 →16 times
וּלְבָ֫בִ֥יand heart my
ulevaviH3824 →252 times
צוּר־[is] [the] rock of
tzur-H6697 →78 times
לְבָבִ֥יheart my
levaviH3824 →252 times
וְחֶלְקִ֗יand portion my
vechelkiH2506 →67 times
אֱלֹהִ֥יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
לְעוֹלָֽם׃for ever
leolamH5769 →438 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 18:2The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
it leads to
- Psalms 144:2
He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. He is my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.
- Psalms 62:7
My salvation and my honor rest on God, my strong rock; my refuge is in God.
- Psalms 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
- Proverbs 18:10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
- Psalms 91:2
I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
- Psalms 144:2
Through
Psalms 138:3On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 5:10
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish…
- Psalms 18:6
In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.
- Psalms 34:4–6
I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.
- 1 Peter 5:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Interrogation of Job and David, Book 3, Chapter XI; Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 73; Bonaventure, Itinerarium Mentis in Deum, Chapter 7; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, LETTER 52.5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.