Was Heman’s body so ravaged by illness that his friends could no longer stand the sight of him? Does Heman have leprosy like King Azaria had (2 Kings 15:5; see also Leviticus 13:46)? Or did he lack the strength to bear companionship? Whatever the case might have been, Heman felt isolated. He feels like Job, who once said, My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me. The guests in my house and my maidservants count me as a stranger; I have become a foreigner in their eyes (Job 19:14–15).
Again, it is remarkable that the author sees God at work. God’s hand of discipline touches him. The Lord has placed people that were close, far away. They do not like him anymore. They stay away from him; they do not come close to him anymore.
9 Tu as éloigné de moi mes amis,Tu m'as rendu pour eux un objet d'horreur;Je suis enfermé et je ne puis sortir.