תהלים, פרק ק״ט, פסוק כ״ג

Feelings of impermanence, helplessness, and endless wandering overwhelm the speaker, who feels his life slipping away and all physical stability gone. He is completely at the mercy of outside forces that toss him restlessly from place to place. This experience is compared to the lengthening shadows of evening. As the sun sets and darkness falls, a shadow stretches out but remains completely hollow and without substance, symbolizing a person drawing near to the end of his life [רש״י, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Other commentators emphasize the speed at which a shadow disappears. In this view, the imagery reflects how the speaker's days pass by rapidly and without joy, while his physical strength and power steadily fade away [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מאירי].

Looking at the shadow from a different angle, the imagery highlights a profound lack of control. Just as a shadow cannot move on its own but is dragged along by the object that casts it, the speaker does not move by his own free will. Instead, he is forced into exile and driven along by external powers [מצודת דוד]. Offering a stark contrast, another perspective suggests that the beginning of this experience actually describes a calm and peaceful past. Before his life shattered, the speaker walked slowly and gently, enjoying a life of comfort and softness [אלשיך].

This early peace is suddenly shattered by strong, frantic, and abrupt movement [מצודת ציון], bringing about a sense of suffocation, deep confusion, and madness [רש״י]. The speaker is violently tossed about, much like a locust. The primary approach among commentators is that the locust serves as a symbol of endless wandering and deep instability. A locust has no permanent nest; it is simply blown by the wind from one place to another. Similarly, the speaker is constantly on the move, lacking any safe place to settle. Historically, this mirrors David's desperate flight from Saul, where every time his location was discovered, he was forced to run again [רד״ק]. The sharp transition from a state of calm to being violently thrown about underscores the sheer intensity of the crisis, representing a sudden leap into a harsh reality of endless wandering [אלשיך, אבן עזרא].