Look and answer me, O Lord, my God. Give light to my eyes, so that I do not fall asleep in death.
David presents three clear requests: look, answer, and enlighten. He wants God to turn His gracious attention toward him and give real help. The phrase “Enlighten my eyes” can mean the restoring of life’s strength, hope, and spiritual clarity. From sorrow a person’s eyes grow dim, but God’s help gives new light. The phrase “so that I do not fall asleep in death” is a poetic image of death. David feels that without the Lord’s intervention his condition could come to a ruinous end. The believer may ask God not only for a change in outward circumstances, but also for the enlightening of the eyes, to see reality from the perspective of faith. When the heart grows dark, the Lord’s light is needed, which renews the mind and helps one take the right step. He is the source of life and the true Enlightener of the soul.