Psalm 6 Commentary

Updated: Wed, 08/19/2026 - 14:57 By admin

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Psalm 6:1
Psalm 6:2
Psalm 6:3
Psalm 6:4
Psalm 6:5
Psalm 6:6
Psalm 6:7
Psalm 6:8
Psalm 6:9
Psalm 6:10

EXPLANATION - The following comments are predominantly from Spurgeon's great work The Treasury of David supplemented by cross references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and other commentary notes.

TITLE.

This Psalm is commonly known as the first of the PENITENTIAL PSALMS, (The other six are Psalms 32:1-11 38: Psalms 32:1-22 51: Psalms 32:1-19 102: Psalms 32:1-7 Psalms 130:1-8 143: Psalms 130:1-12) and certainly its language well becomes the lip of a penitent, for it expresses at once the sorrow, (Psalms 6:3, Psalms 6:6, Psalms 6:7), the humiliation (Psalms 6:2, Psalms 6:4), and the hatred of sin (Psalms 6:8), which are the unfailing marks of the contrite spirit when it turns to God. O Holy Spirit, beget in us the true repentance which needeth not to be repented of. The title of this Psalm is "To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith (1 Chronicles 15:21), A Psalm of David," that is, to the chief musician with stringed instruments, upon the eighth, probably the octave. Some think it refers to the bass or tenor key, which would certainly be well adapted to this mournful ode. But we are not able to understand these old musical terms, and even the term "Selah," still remains untranslated. This, however, should be no difficulty in our way. We probably lose but very little by our ignorance, and it may serve to confirm our faith. It is a proof of the high antiquity of these Psalms that they contain words, the meaning of which is lost even to the best scholars of the Hebrew language. Surely these are but incidental (accidental I might almost say, if I did not believe them to be designed by God), proofs of their being, what they profess to be, the ancient writings of King David of olden times.

DIVISION.

You will observe that the Psalm is readily divided into two parts. First, there is the Psalmist's plea in his great distress, reaching from the first to the end of the seventh verse. Then you have, from the eighth to the end, quite a different theme. The Psalmist has changed his note. He leaves the minor key, and betakes himself to sublimer strains. He tunes his note to the high key of confidence, and declares that God hath heard his prayer, and hath delivered him out of all his troubles.

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

Whole Psalm. David was a man that was often exercised with sickness and troubles from enemies, and in all the instances almost that we meet with in the Psalms of these his afflictions, we may observe the outward occasions of trouble brought him under the suspicion of God's wrath and his own iniquity; so that he was seldom sick, or persecuted, but this called on the disquiet of conscience, and brought his sin to remembrance; as in this Psalm, which was made on the occasion of his sickness, as appears from verse eight, wherein he expresseth the vexation of his soul under the apprehension of God's anger; all his other griefs running into this channel, as little brooks, losing themselves in a great river, change their name and nature. He that at first was only concerned for his sickness, is now wholly concerned with sorrow and smart under the fear and hazard of his soul's condition; the like we may see in Psalm 38:1-22, and many places more. Richard Gilpin, 1677.

Related Resources:

Psalm 6:1-10 Repentance - Franklin Kirksey
Psalm 6:1-10 Pleading for Mercy in Repentance - Chris Benfield
Psalm 6 Sorrow and Succour - Joseph Parker
Psalm 6 The Cure for Anguish - Robert Morgan
Psalm 6: What to Remember when you are Tempted to Quit - Geoff Thomas
Psalm 6 - Bruce Waltke
Reformation Study Bible - Psalm 6:1 Psalm 6:2 Psalm 6:3 Psalm 6:4 Psalm 6:5 Psalm 6:8

Psalm 6:1 For the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your wrath.

KJV <To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.> O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

NET For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments, according to the sheminith style; a psalm of David. LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger! Do not discipline me in your raging fury!

NLT For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument. O LORD, don't rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage.

BGT εἰς τὸ τέλος ἐν ὕμνοις ὑπὲρ τῆς ὀγδόης ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυιδ 2 κύριε μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με μηδὲ τῇ ὀργῇ σου παιδεύσῃς με

LXE < <For the End, a Psalm of David among the Hymns for the eighth.> O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me in thine anger.

CSB For the choir director: with stringed instruments, according to Sheminith. A Davidic psalm. LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger; do not discipline me in Your wrath.

ESV To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David. O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.

NIV For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David. O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.

YLT To the Overseer with stringed instruments, on the octave. -- A Psalm of David. O Jehovah, in Thine anger reprove me not, Nor in Thy fury chastise me.

Sheminith (KJV): or, the eighth, Ps 12:1 *title 1Ch 15:21 *marg:
rebuke (KJV): Ps 2:5 38:1 Isa 54:9 57:16 Jer 10:24 46:28 1Co 11:31,32

For the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your wrath.

Believer's Study Bible - Regarding "stringed instruments," cf. Ps. 4:title, note. The Hebrew word sheminith, which occurs only here and in the superscription to Ps. 12, probably refers to an eight-stringed lyre. Psalm 6 is the first of seven penitential psalms (cf. Ps. 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143), five of which are ascribed to David. In the penitential psalms the psalmist attributes his affliction to his sin, and consequently the psalm is both an expression of remorse and a confession of sin.

Matthew Henry Concise - Psalm 6:1-7. These verses speak the language of a heart truly humbled, of a broken and contrite spirit under great afflictions, sent to awaken conscience and mortify corruption. Sickness brought sin to his remembrance, and he looked upon it as a token of God's displeasure against him. The affliction of his body will be tolerable, if he has comfort in his soul. Christ's sorest complaint, in his sufferings, was of the trouble of his soul, and the want of his Father's smiles. Every page of Scripture proclaims the fact, that salvation is only of the Lord. Man is a sinner, his case can only be reached by mercy; and never is mercy more illustrious than in restoring backsliders. With good reason we may pray, that if it be the will of God, and he has any further work for us or our friends to do in this world, he will yet spare us or them to serve him. To depart and be with Christ is happiest for the saints; but for them to abide in the flesh is more profitable for the church.

C H Spurgeon - Having read through the first division, in order to see it as a whole, we will now look at it verse by verse.

O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger. The Psalmist is very conscious that he deserves to be rebuked, and he feels, moreover, that the rebuke in some form or other must come upon him, if not for condemnation, yet for conviction and sanctification. "Corn is cleaned with wind, and the soul with chastenings." It were folly to pray against the golden hand which enriches us by its blows. He does not ask that the rebuke may be totally withheld, for he might thus lose a blessing in disguise; but, "Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger." If thou remindest me of my sin, it is good; but, oh, remind me not of it as one incensed against me, lest thy servant's heart should sink in despair. Thus saith Jeremiah, "O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing." I know that I must be chastened, and though I shrink from the rod yet do I feel that it will be for my benefit; but, oh, my God, chasten me not in thy hot displeasure, lest the rod become a sword, and lest in smiting, thou shouldest also kill. So may we pray that the chastisements of our gracious God, if they may not be entirely removed, may at least be sweetened by the consciousness that they are "not in anger, but in his dear covenant love."

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

Rebuke me not. God hath two means by which he reduceth his children to obedience; his word, by which he rebukes them; and his rod, by which he chastiseth them. The word precedes, admonishing them by his servants whom he hath sent in all ages to call sinners to repentance: of the which David himself saith, "Let the righteous rebuke me;" and as a father doth first rebuke his disordered child, so doth the Lord speak to them. But when men neglect the warnings of his word, then God as a good Father, takes up the rod and beats them. Our Saviour wakened the three disciples in the garden three times, but seeing that served not, he told them that Judas and his band were coming to awaken them whom his own voice could not waken. A. Symson, 1638.

Jehovah, rebuke me not in thine anger, etc. He does not altogether refuse punishment, for that would be unreasonable; and to be without it, he judged would be more hurtful than beneficial to him; but what he is afraid of is the wrath of God, which threatens sinners with ruin and perdition. To anger and indignation David tacitly opposes fatherly and gentle chastisement, and this last he was willing to bear. John Calvin, 1509 - 1564.

O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger.

The anger of the Lord? Oh, dreadful thought! How can a creature frail as man endure The tempest of his wrath? Ah, whither flee To 'scape the punishment he well deserves? Flee to the cross! the great atonement there Will shield the sinner, if he supplicate For pardon with repentence true and deep, And faith that questions not. Then will the frown Of anger pass from off the face of God, Like a black tempest cloud that hides the sun.

Anon.

Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, etc.; that is, do not lay upon me that thou hast threatened in thy law; where anger is not put for the decree nor the execution, but for the denouncing. So (Matthew 3:11, and so Hosea 11:9), "I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger," that is, I will not execute my wrath as I have declared it. Again, it is said, he executes punishment on the wicked; he declares it not only, but executeth it, so anger is put for the execution of anger. Richard Stock, 1641.

Neither chasten me in thine hot displeasure.

O keep up life and peace within, If I must feel thy chastening rod! Yet kill not me, but kill my sin, And let me know thou art my God. O give my soul some sweet foretaste Of that which I shall shortly see! Let faith and love cry to the last, "Come, Lord, I trust myself with thee!"

Richard Baxter, 1615-1691.

HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER

A sermon for afflicted souls.

1. God's twofold dealings. (1) Rebuke, by a telling sermon, a judgment on another, a slight trial in our own person, or a solemn monition in our conscience by the Spirit. (2) Chastening. This follows the other when the first is disregarded. Pain, losses, bereavements, melancholy, and other trials.

2. The evils in them to be most dreaded, anger and hot displeasure.

3. The means to avert these ills. Humiliation, confession, amendment, faith in the Lord, etc.

The believer's greatest dread, the anger of God. What this fact reveals in the heart? Why is it so? What removes the fear?

WORKS UPON THE SIXTH PSALM

A Godly and Fruitful Exposition on the Sixt Psalme, the First of the Penitentials; in a sacred Septenarie; or, a Godly and Fruitful Exposition on the Seven Psalmes of Repentance. by MR. ARCHIBALD SYMSON, late Pastor of the Church at Dalkeeth in Scotland. 1638.

Sermones on the Penetential Psalms, in "The Works of John Donne, D.D., Dean of St. Paul's," 1621 - 1631. Edited by HENRY ALFORD, M.A. In six volumes. 1839.

On Verse 6. The Sick Man's Couch; a Sermon preached before the most noble Prince Henry, as Greenwich, Mar. 12., ann. 1604. by THOMAS PLAYFERE. &c., in Playfere's Sermons.

James Smith - POWERFUL PLEAS PSALM 6

The chief reason why the Psalms are so full of praise is because they are so full of prayers. In this Psalm we have a troubled soul using some powerful arguments with God, giving us an example of prevailing importunity. He mentions—
I. The Anger of the Lord. “O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger.” His sensitive soul is deeply alarmed at the thought of the awfulness of God’s anger, and the hotness of His displeasure (v. 1). He is terrified at the possibility of deserving his chastening in wrath. Serve the Lord with fear.

II. His Own Weakness. “Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak” (v. 2). A real consciousness of our own impotency will give urgency and point to our pleadings.

III. His Own Sorrowfulness. “My soul is sore vexed, but Thou, O Lord, how long?” (v. 3). His was no mere lip-praying; the depths of his soul were stirred up; there was agony in his cry.

IV. The Mercies of God. “Oh save me for Thy mercies’ sake” (v. 4). This is a mighty plea in the eyes of Him whose Name is the Lord God “Merciful.” He who “delighteth in mercy” will not be deaf to this cry.

V. The Profitlessness of Death. “In death there is no remembrance of Thee,” etc. (v. 5). This is true of those spiritually dead. Plead for quickening that ye might be saved from a God-forgetting state of soul.

VI. The Significance of Tears. “I water my couch with my tears” (v. 6). Jesus also wept, and God can never forget the value of such pure heart-drops of grief and silent witnesses of love.

VII. His Own Hatred of Iniquity. “Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity” (v. 8). He further pleads his separateness in spirit from the ways and methods of the ungodly.

VIII. His Own Faith in God. “The Lord hath heard … the Lord will receive my prayer” (vv. 8–10). The answer had come into his heart; he believed the message, and rested on the faithfulness of God. “Go thou and do likewise.”

Overcoming Hopelessness : PSALM 6

INTRODUCTION: Pessimistic people are lurking around every corner. Sometimes they are as close as our own thoughts, for all of us go through bouts of the blues. David struggled with these feelings in Psalm 6.

1. Our Troubled Soul (vv. 1–3). David is fearful of displeasing God, yet troubled in his bones, asking God how long these feelings will last: “My soul also is greatly troubled....O Lord—how long?”

2. Our Only Hope. He feels he might die, describing himself as weary, wasting away, and weeping. But by pleading to God, he appeals to the One who is his only hope: “Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save...!”

3. Our Renewed Strength. Through a season of honest, earnest prayer, David drew close and received God’s imparted strength. A distinct change of tone occurs in verse 8, as he takes command of his feelings. “The Lord has heard my supplication! The Lord will receive my prayer.”

CONCLUSION: Honest, earnest prayer is our greatest secret in chasing away the blues and restoring our souls.

Croft Pentz - ANSWERED PRAYER Psalm 6:1–10

I. The sympathy—Ps 6:1–3
A. Plea—Ps 6:1. The Psalmist asks God not to punish him in anger. He asks for mercy. Should God give us what we deserve, we would all be sent to hell. We need mercy—not justice!
B. Pity—Ps 6:2. “Pity me, O Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, for my body is sick” (LB). Sickness can discourage people perhaps more than anything else.
C. Problem—Ps 6:3. The Psalmist is upset, disturbed, filled with gloom. He asks that he be restored (made new). As Christians, we need to consecrate and dedicate ourselves anew.
Remember, the Lord is interested in our needs. His heart is touched with our feelings, weaknesses, and sicknesses. He knows all about us. He knows more about us than we know about ourselves.

II. The salvation—Ps 6:4–7
A. Pardon—Ps 6:4. He asks God in His kindness to save him and to heal him. Man needs spiritual and physical healing. Christ came to make man whole.
B. Praise—Ps 6:5. If die young, then cannot praise the Lord. There are various ways of praising the Lord. A few are:
1. Singing—Ps. 100:4. It is good for all Christians to learn how to praise the Lord in singing.
2. Praying—Dan. 6:10. Not only asking the Lord for help, but praising Him.
3. Testifying—Ps. 150:6. All people should be willing to testify, telling of God’s goodness.
C. Pain—Ps 6:6. “I am worn out with pain; every night my pillow is wet with tears” (LB).

III. The separation—Ps 6:8–10
A. Answer—Ps 6:8. The Lord heard the prayers and tears of the Psalmist. He sees each tear, feels each pain.
B. Attention—Ps 6:9. He will answer my prayer in one of three ways:
1. Yes—it’s His will.
2. No—it’s not His will.
3. Wait—it’s not His time to answer.
C. Answer—Ps 6:10. “All my enemies shall be suddenly dishonored, terror-stricken, and disgraced. God will turn them back in shame” (LB).

WHEN WE SIN: CONFESS, RECEIVE FORGIVENESS, AND RETURN

Psalm 6 is traditionally regarded as the first of the seven penitential psalms (Ps 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143). David is deeply distressed and conscious of his need for God's mercy. His prayer reminds us that sin should never be treated lightly, but neither should a repentant believer ever be afraid to run to God for mercy.

In Psalm 6:1–5 David pleads, “O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chasten me in Your wrath.” David does not ask God to ignore his sin; he asks Him to deal with him in mercy: “Be gracious to me, O LORD” (Ps 6:2). God's discipline of His children is not the condemnation of a Judge but the loving correction of a Father. “Those whom the Lord loves He disciplines” (Heb 12:6; cf. Pr 3:11–12; Rev 3:19). His discipline is designed for our good, “so that we may share His holiness” (Heb 12:10).

This does not give us permission to minimize sin or presume upon God's grace. Paul answers that attitude emphatically: “Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be!” (Ro 6:1–2). God's grace is never a license to sin; it is a reason to turn from sin. “The grace of God...instructs us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires” (Titus 2:11–12).

David's anguish shows how seriously he regarded his condition. He was weak, troubled, weary with sighing, and overwhelmed with grief (Ps 6:2–7). Sin is never a small matter because it disrupts our fellowship with the God who loves us. David knew from painful experience that when he kept silent about his sin, God's hand was heavy upon him, but when he acknowledged and confessed it, God forgave him (Ps 32:3–5).

Thankfully, failure does not have to be the final chapter. When believers sin, we have somewhere to go and Someone to whom we can go. John writes, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1:9). And when we do sin, “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1Jn 2:1; cf. Heb 4:15–16).

Notice where David eventually arrives: “The LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. The LORD has heard my supplication, the LORD receives my prayer” (Ps 6:8–9). He moves from conviction and groaning to confession and confidence. The God who disciplines His children is the same Father who hears their cries and restores those who return to Him.

APPLICATION

Never excuse, conceal, or cherish sin. “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion” (Pr 28:13). When the Spirit exposes sin, agree with God about it, confess it promptly, forsake it, and receive His cleansing (Ps 139:23–24; 1Jn 1:9).

And never allow shame over confessed sin to keep you away from your Father. Sin should drive us to confession, and confession should drive us into the arms of God's mercy.

Don't run from God when you sin; run to Him.

God's discipline is not intended to drive His children away, but to draw them back.

Confession is not the end of fellowship with God; it is the road back to restored fellowship.

The Warmth Of The Sun

Read: Psalm 6

I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. —Psalm 6:6

On a November day in 1963, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and Mike Love wrote a song quite unlike the band’s typically upbeat tunes. It was a mournful song about love that’s been lost. Mike said later, “As hard as that kind of loss is, the one good that comes from it is having had the experience of being in love in the first place.” They titled it “The Warmth of the Sun.”

Sorrow serving as a catalyst for songwriting is nothing new. Some of David’s most moving psalms were penned in times of deep personal loss, including Psalm 6. Though we aren’t told the events that prompted its writing, the lyrics are filled with grief, “I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim, I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief” (vv.6-7).

But that’s not where the song ends. David knew pain and loss, but he also knew God’s comfort. And so he wrote, “The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer” (v.9).

In his grief, David not only found a song, he also found reason to trust God, whose faithfulness bridges all of life’s hard seasons. In the warmth of His presence, our sorrows gain a hopeful perspective.

Heavenly Father, life can be so wonderful, but also so hard. Help us to seek You in the good times as well as the bad. Help us to always be mindful that You are our sure hope in a world that doesn’t always seem to care. - Bill Crowder - (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

A song of sadness can turn our hearts to the God whose joy for us is forever.

Insight - This individual lament, a prayer of penitence, was written by David during a time of prolonged and severe distress (Ps. 6:2-3,5). His plight emboldened his enemies to launch a personal attack and to gloat over his misfortune (vv.7-8,10). David acknowledged that his trouble was a consequence of specific wrongdoings committed, and that God was angry and was disciplining him (v.1). Anguished by his lack of intimacy with God and exhausted by his sorrowing over his sins, in repentance David, on the basis of God’s mercies (vv.2,4), asked for forgiveness, favor, and restoration. David concluded his prayer with the assurance that those who truly repent will receive God’s mercy (vv.9-10).

Psalms Used In All Situations

No man knows what a great part the Psalms have played in the lives of men.These inspired poems, which reflect every praiseworthy human emotion, have associated themselves, like the rain and the sunlight, with all sorts and conditions of men, women, and children.

“God is our refuge and strength” (Psalm 46:1) is the basis of the battle hymn of Luther, “A Mighty Fortress is our God.”

Psalm 68 was known among the Huguenots as the song of battles. After the victory of Dunbar, Cromwell and his army sung Psalm 117, “O praise the Lord, all ye nations; praise Him, all ye people.”

The penitential groaning of Psalm 6, “O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger,” have been sobbed out by Catherine de Medici, John Calvin, and Mrs. Carlyle. It might be properly called the “Universal Psalm of the Penitent.”—The Youth’s Companion

Psalm 6 The Deepest Places

I am worn out from my groaning. Psalm 6:6

Victor Hugo (1802–1885), a poet and novelist during the social and political upheavals of nineteenth-century France, is perhaps best known for his classic Les Miserables. Over a century later, a musical adaptation of his novel has become one of our generation’s most popular productions. This shouldn’t surprise us. As Hugo once said, “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”

The psalmists would have agreed. Their songs and prayers provide us with honest reflections on life and its inevitable pain. They touch us in places we find difficult to access. For example, in Psalm 6:6 David cries out, “I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.”

The fact that such raw honesty is included in the inspired songs of the Scriptures gives us great encouragement. It invites us to bring our fears to God, who welcomes us into His presence for comfort and help. He embraces us in our heartfelt honesty.

Music can give us the ability to express our feelings when words are hard to come by, but whether that expression is sung, prayed, or silently cried, our God reaches into the deepest places in our hearts and gives us His peace. -- Bill Crowder (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Reflect & Pray

How would you characterize your prayer life? How does it make you feel to realize that God Himself allows you to come into His presence just as you are?

Thank You, loving God, for welcoming me with all my pain, fear, struggle, and disappointment. Thank You that You don’t want “correct” or “sanitized” prayers, but my honest heart instead.

Today's Insights - Some hear David’s words in Psalm 6 echoed in Jesus’ words of anguish in John 12:27 as He anticipated His death on the cross. Both gave reason to believe in the mercies and love of God. Both David and Jesus were surrounded by enemies that came from within their own nation. But whereas David’s personal failures contributed to much of his opposition, Jesus attracted enemies by exposing the hypocrisy of religious leaders. David prays that God would rescue him from death (Psalm 6:4–5), but Jesus’ purpose was to rescue His enemies rather than to be saved from them (John 12:23–26). He endured suffering far greater than David feared. By overcoming the grave, Jesus gave those who hated Him a reason to discover the mercies and everlasting love of God.

When words fail and tears flow,
God still hears the honest cry of your heart.

Psalm 6:2 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away; Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed.

KJV Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.

NET Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am frail! Heal me, LORD, for my bones are shaking!

NLT Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.

BGT ἐλέησόν με κύριε ὅτι ἀσθενής εἰμι ἴασαί με κύριε ὅτι ἐταράχθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου

LXE Pity me, O Lord; for I am weak: heal me, O Lord; for my bones are vexed.

CSB Be gracious to me, LORD, for I am weak; heal me, LORD, for my bones are shaking;

ESV Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.

NIV Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony.

YLT Favour me, O Jehovah, for I am weak, Heal me, O Jehovah, For troubled have been my bones,

for I (KJV): Ps 38:7 41:3 103:13-17
heal (KJV): Ps 30:2 Ge 20:17 Ex 15:26 Nu 12:13 De 32:39 Job 5:18 Jer 17:14 Ho 6:1 Mt 4:24
my (KJV): Ps 32:3 38:3 51:8 Job 19:21 33:19-21

Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away; Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed

Ryrie - 6:2-3 In his dismay, David asks God how long this chastening will last. David's extremity (vv. 6-7) is God's opportunity (vv. 9-10).

C H Spurgeon - Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak. Though I deserve destruction, yet let thy mercy pity my frailty. This is the right way to plead with God if we would prevail. Urge not your goodness or your greatness, but plead your sin and your littleness. Cry, "I am weak," therefore, O Lord, give me strength and crush me not. Send not forth the fury of thy tempest against so weak a vessel. Temper the wind to the shorn lamb. Be tender and pitiful to a poor withering flower, and break it not from its stem. Surely this is the plea that a sick man would urge to move the pity of his fellow if he were striving with him, "Deal gently with me, `for I am weak.'" A sense of sin had so spoiled the Psalmist's pride, so taken away his vaunted strength, that he found himself weak to obey the law, weak through the sorrow that was in him, too weak, perhaps, to lay hold on the promise. "I am weak." The original may be read, "I am one who droops," or withered like a blighted plant. Ah! beloved, we know what this means, for we, too, have seen our glory stained, and our beauty like a faded flower.

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

Have mercy upon me, O Lord. To fly and escape the anger of God, David sees no means in heaven or in earth, and therefore retires himself to God, even to him that wounded him that he might heal him. He flies not with Adam to the bush, nor with Saul to the witch, nor with Jonah to Tarshish; but he appeals from an angry and just God to a merciful God, and from himself to himself. The woman who was condemned by King Philip, appealed from Philip being drunken to Philip being sober. But David appeals from one virtue, justice, to another, mercy. There may be appellation from the tribunal of man to the justice-seat of God; but when thou art indicted before God's justice-seat, whither or to whom wilt thou go but to himself and his mercy-seat, which is the highest and last place of appellation? "I have none in heaven but thee, nor in earth besides thee." ... David, under the name of mercy, includeth all things, according to that of Jacob to his brother Esau, "I have gotten mercy, and therefore I have gotten all things." Desirest thou any thing at God's hands? Cry for mercy, out of which fountain all good things will spring to thee. Archibald Symson.

For I am weak. Behold what rhetoric he useth to move God to cure him, "I am weak," an argument taken from his weakness, which indeed were a weak argument to move any man to show his favour, but is a strong argument to prevail with God. If a diseased person would come to a physician, and only lament the heaviness of his sickness, he would say, God help thee; or an oppressed person come to a lawyer, and show him the estate of his action and ask his advice, that is a golden question; or to a merchant to crave raiment, he will either have present money or a surety; or a courtier favour, you must have your reward ready in your hand. But coming before God, the most forcible argument that you can use is your necessity, poverty, tears, misery, unworthiness, and confessing them to him, it shall be an open door to furnish you with all things that he hath. . . . The tears of our misery are forcible arrows to pierce the heart of our heavenly Father, to deliver us and pity our hard case. The beggars lay open their sores to the view of the world, that the more they may move men to pity them. So let us deplore our miseries to God, that he, with the pitiful Samaritan, at the sight of our wounds, may help us in due time. Archibald Symson.

Heal me, etc. David comes not to take physic upon wantonness, but because the disease is violent, because the accidents are vehement; so vehement, so violent, as that it hath pierced ad ossa, and ad animam, "My bones are vexed, and my soul is sore troubled, therefore "heal me;" which is the reason upon which he grounds this second petition, "Heal me, because my bones are vexed," etc. John Donne.

My bones are vexed. The Lord can make the strongest and most insensible part of a man's body sensible of his wrath when he pleaseth to touch him, for here David's bones are vexed. David Dickson.

The term bones frequently occurs in the Psalms, and if we examine we shall find it used in three different senses. (1.) It is sometimes applied literally to our blessed Lord's human body, to the body which hung upon the cross, as, "They pierced my hands and my feet; I may tell all my bones," (2.) It has sometimes also a further reference to his mystical body the church. And then it denotes all the members of Christ's body that stand firm in the faith, that cannot be moved by persecutions, or temptations, however severe, as, "All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee?" (3.) In some passages the term bones is applied to the soul, and not to the body, to the inner man of the individual Christian. Then it implies the strength and fortitude of the soul, the determined courage which faith in God gives to the righteous. This is the sense in which it is used in the second verse of Psalms 6, O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. Augustine, Ambrose, and Chrysostom; quoted by F. H. Dunwell, B.A., in "Parochial Lectures on the Psalms," 1855.

HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER

The argumentum ad misericordiam.

First sentence Divine healing.

(1) What precedes it, my bones are vexed. (2) How it is wrought. (3) What succeeds it.

Larry Richards - Many expressions in the Psalms remind us of our frailties. This psalm of David expresses our weakness graphically. David, aware that he had no strength left to face life’s challenges, described his feelings of weakness. His bones were in agony, his soul in anguish. He was worn out from groaning; he flooded his bed with weeping and drenched his couch with tears. His eyes grew weak with sorrow.

These expressions may seem strange coming from a man who boldly faced the giant Goliath and fought fearlessly against Israel’s enemies. But they remind us that there is nothing unmanly about tears, and nothing shameful in feeling helpless. They also remind us that we have complete freedom in our relationship with God to express our feelings to Him honestly.

David’s words also help us understand why he is commended as a man after God’s own heart. David was totally honest with himself and with the Lord. He was realistic about his weaknesses, and honest about his fears. Dishonesty—an attempt to maintain a “macho” image—keeps us from acknowledging our weaknesses. And keeps us from full dependence on the Lord. - Borrow The 365 day devotional commentary

Pay Attention

Be gracious to me, LORD, for I am weak; heal me, LORD, for my bones are shaking. (Ps. 6:2)

My friend Jeanne was just diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She’s the second friend of mine in five years to contract the disease.

Jeanne had been having some symptoms that wouldn’t go away. She visited her doctor several different times, and he told her the symptoms were due to menopause. But over a period of time, her symptoms became worse. When she began having doubled-over abdominal pain, she visited a different doctor who performed several tests. The tests showed a large mass, but even then it still seemed to be benign.

Jeanne was scheduled to have a hysterectomy. While preparing her for pre-op, the surgeon thought the tumor might be cancer, but they wouldn’t know for sure until the surgery. The tumor, in fact, was cancerous, and now my sweet friend Jeanne is fighting for her life. A young, vibrant woman who just a few months ago was walking three miles a day is now so weak that some days she can’t even get out of bed.

As a believer with a tender love for Jesus, Jeanne is remaining strong in her faith. She knows the Lord has a plan for her life, even in the suffering, and she wants to honor Him above all else. And her friends who love her are banding together to lift her to the One who can heal.

Friend, please know your body. Know its ways. Pay attention. If you are experiencing something that is different for you, don’t ignore it. And please don’t let your doctor ignore it either. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, don’t be afraid to seek help. God our Healer gives us doctors and medical technology to help us. So don’t wait! Take care of yourself. You are “remarkably and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14).

Psalm 6:3 And my soul is greatly dismayed; But You, O LORD–how long?

KJV My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?

NET I am absolutely terrified, and you, LORD– how long will this continue?

NLT I am sick at heart. How long, O LORD, until you restore me?

BGT καὶ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐταράχθη σφόδρα καὶ σύ κύριε ἕως πότε

LXE My soul also is grievously vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long?

CSB my whole being is shaken with terror. And You, LORD-- how long?

ESV My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD-- how long?

NIV My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?

YLT And my soul hath been troubled greatly, And Thou, O Jehovah, till when?

My (KJV): Ps 22:14 31:9,10 38:8 42:5,11 77:2,3 Pr 18:14 Mt 26:38
how (KJV): Ps 13:1,2 77:7 90:13 Lu 18:7

And my soul is greatly dismayed; But You, O LORD–how long

When you approach the Lord with boldness,
When you pray in Jesus' name,
Just tell Him all the pain you're feeling—
There's no need for fear or shame.
—Fitzhugh

C H Spurgeon - O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. Here he prays for healing, not merely the mitigation of the ills he endured, but their entire removal, and the curing of the wounds which had arisen therefrom. His bones were "shaken," as the Hebrew has it. His terror had become so great that his very bones shook; not only did his flesh quiver, but the bones, the solid pillars of the house of manhood, were made to tremble. "My bones are shaken." Ah, when the soul has a sense of sin, it is enough to make the bones shake; it is enough to make a man's hair stand up on end to see the flames of hell beneath him, an angry God above him, and danger and doubt surrounding him. Well might he say, "My bones are shaken." Lest, however, we should imagine that it was merely bodily sickness although bodily sickness might be the outward sign the Psalmist goes on to say,

My soul is also sore vexed. Soul-trouble is the very soul of trouble. It matters not that the bones shake if the soul be firm, but when the soul itself is also sore vexed this is agony indeed.

But thou, O Lord, how long? This sentence ends abruptly, for words failed, and grief drowned the little comfort which dawned upon him. The Psalmist had still, however, some hope; but that hope was only in his God. He therefore cries, "O Lord, how long?" The coming of Christ into the soul in his priestly robes of grace is the grand hope of the penitent soul; and, indeed, in some form or other, Christ's appearance is, and ever has been, the hope of the saints.

Calvin's favourite exclamation was, "Domine usquequo"O Lord, how long? Nor could his sharpest pains, during a life of anguish, force from him any other word. Surely this is the cry of the saints under the altar, "O Lord, how long?" And this should be the cry of the saints waiting for the millennial glories, "Why are his chariots so long in coming; Lord, how long?" Those of us who have passed through conviction of sin knew what it was to count our minutes hours, and our hours years, while mercy delayed its coming. We watched for the dawn of grace, as they that watch for the morning. Earnestly did our anxious spirits ask, "O Lord, how long?"

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

My soul. Yokefellows in sin are yokefellows in pain; the soul is punished for informing, the body for performing, and as both the informer and performer, the cause and the instrument, so shall the stirrer up of sin and the executor of it be punished. John Donne.

O Lord, how long? Out of this we have three things to observe; first, that there is an appointed time which God hath measured for the crosses of all his children, before which time they shall not be delivered, and for which they must patiently attend, not thinking to prescribe time to God for their delivery, or limit the Holy One of Israel. The Israelites remained in Egypt till the complete number of four hundred and thirty years were accomplished. Joseph was three years and more in the prison till the appointed time of his delivery came. The Jews remained seventy years in Babylon. So that as the physician appointeth certain times to the patient, both wherein he must fast, and be dieted, and wherein he must take recreation, so God knoweth the convenient times both of our humiliation and exaltation. Next, see the impatiency of our nature in our miseries, our flesh still rebelling against the Spirit, which oftentimes forgetteth itself so far, that it will enter into reasoning with God, and quarrelling with him, as we may read in Job, Jonas, etc., and here also of David. Thirdly, albeit the Lord delay his coming to relieve his saints, yet hath he great cause if we could ponder it; for when we were in the heat of our sins, many times he cried by the mouth of his prophets and servants, "O fools, how long will you continue in your folly?" And we would not hear; and therefore when we are in the heat of our pains, thinking long, yea, every day a year till we be delivered, no wonder is it if God will not hear; let us consider with ourselves the just dealing of God with us; that as he cried and we would not hear, so now we cry, and he will not hear. A. Symson.

O Lord, how long? As the saints in heaven have their usque quo, how long, Lord, holy and true, before thou begin to execute judgment? So, the saints on earth have their usque quo. How long, Lord, before thou take off the execution of this judgment upon us? For, our deprecatory prayers are not mandatory, they are not directory, they appoint not God his ways, nor times; but as our postulatory prayers are, they also are submitted to the will of God, and have all in them that ingredient, that herb of grace, which Christ put into his own prayer, that veruntamen, yet not my will, but thy will be fulfilled; and they have that ingredient which Christ put into our prayer, fiat voluntas, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven; in heaven there is no resisting of his will; yet in heaven there is a soliciting, a hastening, an accelerating of the judgment, and the glory of the resurrection; so though we resist not his corrections here upon the earth, we may humbly present to God the sense which we have of his displeasure, for this sense and apprehension of his corrections is one of the principal reasons why he sends them; he corrects us therefore that we might be sensible of his corrections; that when we, being humbled under his hand, have said with his prophet, "I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him" (Micah 7:9), he may be pleased to say to his correcting angel, as he did to his destroying angel, This is enough, and so burn his rod now, as he put up his sword then. John Donne.

HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER

The impatience of sorrow; its sins, mischief, and cure.

A fruitful topic may be found in considering the question, How long will God continue afflictions to the righteous?

Unanswered Prayers

How long, Lord, how long? Psalm 6:3

Are we there yet? Not yet. Are we there yet? Not yet. That was the back-and-forth game we played on the first (and definitely not the last) sixteen-hour trip back home to Arkansas from Colorado when our children were young. Our oldest two kept the game alive and well, and if I had a dollar for every time they asked, well, I’d have a stack of dollars. It was a question my children were obsessed with, but I (the driver) was equally obsessed wondering, Are we there yet? And the answer was, Not yet, but soon.

Truth be told, most adults are asking a variation on that question, although we may not voice it out loud. But we’re asking it for that same reason—we’re tired, and our eyes have grown “weak with sorrow” (Psalm 6:7). We’re “worn out from [our] groaning” (v. 6) about everything from the nightly news to daily frustrations at work to never-ending health problems to relational strains, and the list goes on. We cry out: “Are we there yet? How long, Lord, how long?”

The psalmist knew well that kind of weariness, and he honestly brought that key question to God. Like a caring parent, He heard David’s cries and in His great mercy accepted them (v. 9). There was no shame for asking. Likewise, you and I can boldly approach our Father in heaven with our honest cries of “How long?” and His answer might be, “Not yet, but soon. I’m good. Trust Me.” - John Blase (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Reflect & Pray

Why are you weary right now and wondering, How long, Lord? What is it about God that shows He’s trustworthy?

Father in heaven, the burdens of this world have me asking, “How long?” Thank You for welcoming such prayers, and please give me the strength to trust You in life’s journey.

Today's Insights - The superscription of Psalm 6 identifies David as the author and instructs the psalm be sung “according to sheminith,” which the New Living Translation identifies as an eight-stringed instrument. This psalm is the first of seven penitential psalms (Ps 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143) where the author confesses his sin and seeks God’s forgiveness and mercy. David wrote it at the time of a prolonged illness (Ps 6:2–3). He acknowledged that his sickness was a consequence of specific sins, and that God was disciplining him (Ps 6:1). His plight had emboldened his enemies to launch a personal attack against him (Ps 6:7–8, 10). Exhausted by his sorrowing over his sins, David, in repentance and on the basis of God’s mercy (Ps 6:2, 4), asks for forgiveness, favor, and restoration. He concludes his prayer with the assurance that those who truly repent will receive God’s mercy (Ps 6:9–10).

Mary Tileston - My soul is also sore vexed; but Thou, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul; oh, save me for Thy mercies’ sake.—Psalm 6:3, 4.

I lay my head upon Thy infinite heart,
I hide beneath the shelter of Thy wing,
Pursued and tempted, helpless, I must cling
To Thee, my Father, bid me not depart,
For sin and death pursue, and Life is where Thou art!
ANONYMOUS.

Accustom yourself to commune with God, not with thoughts deliberately formed to be expressed at a certain time, but with the feelings with which your heart is filled. If you enjoy His presence, and feel drawn by the attraction of His love, tell Him that you delight in Him, that you are happy in loving. Him, and that He is very good to inspire so much affection in a heart so unworthy of His love. But what shall you say in seasons of dryness, coldness, weariness? Still say what you have in your heart. Tell God that you no longer find His love within you, that you feel a terrible void, that He wearies you, that His presence does not move you. Say to Him, “O God, look upon my ingratitude, my inconstancy, my unfaithfulness. Take my heart, for I cannot give it; and, when Thou hast it, oh, keep it, for I cannot keep it for Thee; and save me in spite of myself.” FRANCOIS DE LA MOTHE FÉNELON.

F B Meyer - Psalm 6:3

… but thou, O LORD, how long?

You have been long in coming, love says. So miserly are we of the minutes, so leaden-paced is the beat of the pendulum, when our heart stands on the tip-toe of expectation. Moments lengthen to hours when we suffer and await deliverance, just as hours contract to moments when the heart is young and gay.

How long, Lord, ere the trial cease? - When we are entering into the furnace, we like to make bargains with God that it shall not last beyond a certain hour; but He never tells us, lest patience might miss her perfect work. He says simply, It is enough to suffer one moment at a time.

How long, Lord, ere deliverance arrive? - Long ago we sent for reinforcements; and since then the battle has been waxing more fierce. We have looked eagerly to the horizon to see the relieving column, clear-cut on the sky line; but in vain. We think we can hold out no more. We have strained at the oar to the last degree of strength, and if some deliverance does not come to us, the fourth watch of night will see us drifting helplessly to destruction. "Where is thy God?" the enemy cries; and we are tempted to think ourselves forsaken and forgotten.

How long, Lord, ere the Advent break? - He said that He would come quickly - but the weary centuries pass; and, strain our ears as we may, we cannot detect his princely footfall along the corridor of time.

Cease, fond heart, thy complaining. Delay is not denial. He counts a thousand years as a day. He is coming on the wings of every wind; already He is nigh, even at the doors. Never a moment too early - but not a moment too late.

Psalm 6:4 Return, O LORD, rescue my soul; Save me because of Your lovingkindness.

KJV Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.

NET Relent, LORD, rescue me! Deliver me because of your faithfulness!

NLT Return, O LORD, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love.

BGT ἐπίστρεψον κύριε ῥῦσαι τὴν ψυχήν μου σῶσόν με ἕνεκεν τοῦ ἐλέους σου

LXE Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: save me for thy mercy's sake.

CSB Turn, LORD! Rescue me; save me because of Your faithful love.

ESV Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.

NIV Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.

YLT Turn back, O Jehovah, draw out my soul, Save me for Thy kindness' sake.

Return (KJV): Ps 80:14 90:13 Mal 3:7
deliver (KJV): Ps 17:13 22:20 86:13 116:4,8 120:2 121:7 Isa 38:17
for (KJV): Ps 25:7 69:13 79:8,9 Da 9:18 Eph 1:6 2:7,8

Return, O LORD, rescue my soul; Save me because of Your lovingkindness.

Ryrie - Vs. 6:4-5 David offers two reasons why God should deliver him: (1) God's lovingkindness (loyal love, see note on Hos. 2:19), and (2) David's inability to praise God in Sheol (see note on Gen. 37:35). David is not here discussing the question of whether there is consciousness after death; he is simply stating that only the living can publicly give thanks to God here on earth.

C H Spurgeon - Return, O Lord; deliver my soul. As God's absence was the main cause of his misery, so his return would be enough to deliver him from his trouble.

Oh save me for thy mercies' sake. He knows where to look, and what arm to lay hold upon. He does not lay hold on God's left hand of justice, but on his right hand of mercy. He knew his iniquity too well to think of merit, or appeal to anything but the grace of God.

For thy mercies' sake. What a plea that is! How prevalent it is with God! If we turn to justice, what plea can we urge? but if we turn to mercy we may still cry, notwithstanding the greatness of our guilt, "Save me for thy mercies' sake."

Observe how frequently David here pleads the name of Jehovah, which is always intended where the word LORD is given in capitals. Five times in four verses we here meet with it. Is not this a proof that the glorious name is full of consolation to the tempted saint? Eternity, Infinity, Immutability, Self-existence, are all in the name Jehovah, and all are full of comfort.

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

Return, O Lord, deliver my soul, etc. In this his besieging of God, he brings up his works from afar off, closer; he begins in this Psalm, at a deprecatory prayer; he asks nothing, but that God would do nothing, that he would forbear himrebuke me not, correct me not. Now, it costs the king less to give a pardon than to give a pension, and less to give a reprieve than to give a pardon, and less to connive, not to call in question, than either reprieve, pardon, or pension; to forbear is not much. But then as the mathematician said, that he could make an engine, a screw, that should move the whole frame of the world, if he could have a place assigned him to fix that engine, that screw upon, that so it might work upon the world; so prayer, when one petition hath taken hold upon God, works upon God, moves God, prevails with God, entirely for all. David then having got this ground, this footing in God, he brings his works closer; he comes from the deprecatory to a postulatory prayer; not only that God would do nothing against him, but that he would do something for him. God hath suffered man to see Arcana imperii, the secrets of his state, how he governs he governs by precedent; by precedents of his predecessors, he cannot, he hath none; by precedents of other gods he cannot, there are none; and yet he proceeds by precedents, by his own precedents, he does as he did before, habenti dat, to him that hath received he gives more, and is willing to be wrought and prevailed upon, and pressed with his own example. And, as though his doing good were but to learn how to do good better, still he writes after his own copy, and nulla dies sine linea. He writes something to us, that is, he doth something for us every day. And then, that which is not often seen in other masters, his copies are better than the originals; his latter mercies larger than his former; and in this postulatory prayer, larger than the deprecatory, enters our text, Return, O Lord; deliver my soul: O save me, etc. John Donne.

HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER

Return, O Lord. A prayer suggested by a sense of the Lord's absence, excited by grace, attended with heart searching and repentance, backed by pressing danger, guaranteed as to its answer, and containing a request for all mercies.

The praying of the deserted saint.

1. His state: his soul is evidently in bondage and danger; 2. His hope:it is the Lord's return. 3. His plea: mercy only.

A SURE RESCUE

O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of Your steadfast love and mercy. Ps 6:4AMP

Perhaps you’ve opened this devotional today with some important issue pressing on your mind that consumes your energy and creativity. Maybe you’ve come here wondering two things.

First: Can God help me? Yes, the almighty God who created the universe is certainly able to handle your situation.

Second: Will God help me? This question goes to God’s love for you—especially if you’ve messed up in some way. Yet the answer is yes! His love for you is unconditional, which means he’ll surely rescue you.

Today rest in the confidence that God can and will work in your situation. Though it may not be in the way you expect, he’ll definitely come to your aid.

God, thank you for loving me unconditionally and helping me. I entrust this situation to you, knowing that your power will transform my circumstances for good. AMEN.

The LORD has heard my plea for help; the LORD accepts my prayer. Ps 6:9HCSB

Psalm 6:5 For there is no mention of You in death; In Sheol who will give You thanks?

KJV For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

NET For no one remembers you in the realm of death, In Sheol who gives you thanks?

NLT For the dead do not remember you. Who can praise you from the grave?

BGT ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ ὁ μνημονεύων σου ἐν δὲ τῷ ᾅδῃ τίς ἐξομολογήσεταί σοι

LXE For in death no man remembers thee: and who will give thee thanks in Hades?

CSB For there is no remembrance of You in death; who can thank You in Sheol?

ESV For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?

NIV No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?

YLT For there is not in death Thy memorial, In Sheol, who doth give thanks to Thee?

For (KJV): Ps 30:9 88:10-12 115:17 118:17 Isa 38:18,19
in the (KJV): Ec 9:10 Joh 9:4

For there is no mention of You in death; In Sheol who will give You thanks?

Believer's Study Bible - "Grave" translates she^ol (Heb.), the place of the departed dead, in some contexts including both the righteous and the wicked. The verse does not teach the cessation of being after physical death but simply the termination of all earthly human activity. Hades (Gk.)in the N.T. corresponds to she^ol, though Hades eventually came to specify the place of the unsaved between death and the Great White Throne judgment (cf. Matt. 11:23, note). The N.T. describes Hades as a place of torment and conscious suffering (cf. Luke 16:23-31).

C H Spurgeon - And now David was in great fear of deathdeath temporal, and perhaps death eternal. Read the passage as you will, the following verse is full of power.

For in death there is no remembrance of thee; in the grave who shall give thee thanks? Churchyards are silent places; the vaults of the sepulchre echo not with songs. Damp earth covers dumb mouths. "O Lord!" saith he, "if thou wilt spare me I will praise thee. If I die, then must my mortal praise at least be suspended; and if I perish in hell, then thou wilt never have any thanksgiving from me. Songs of gratitude cannot rise from the flaming pit of hell. True, thou wilt doubtless be glorified, even in my eternal condemnation, but then O Lord, I cannot glorify thee voluntarily; and among the sons of men, there will be one heart the less to bless thee." Ah! poor trembling sinners, may the Lord help you to use this forcible argument! It is for God's glory that a sinner should be saved. When we seek pardon, we are not asking God to do that which will stain his banner, or put a blot on his escutcheon. He delighteth in mercy. It is his peculiar, darling attribute. Mercy honours God. Do not we ourselves say, "Mercy blesseth him that gives, and him that takes?" And surely, in some diviner sense, this is true of God, who, when he gives mercy, glorifies himself.

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

For in death there is no remembrance of thee, in the grave who will give thee thanks? Lord, be thou pacified and reconciled to me ... for shouldest thou now proceed to take away my life, as it were a most direful condition for me to die before I have propitiated thee, so I may well demand what increase of glory or honour will it bring unto thee? Will it not be infinitely more glorious for thee to spare me, till by true contrition I may regain thy favour?and then I may live to praise and magnify thy mercy and thy grace: thy mercy in pardoning so great a sinner, and then confess thee by vital actions of all holy obedience for the future, and so demonstrate the power of thy grace which hath wrought this change in me; neither of which will be done by destroying me, but only thy just judgments manifested in thy vengeance on sinners, Henry Hammond, D.D., 1659.

HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER

The final suspension of earthly service considered in various practical aspects.

The duty of praising God while we live.

Death of the Wicked

King Charles IX, a modern Nero, exclaimed when dying, “What blood, what murders! Ah! I have followed wicked advice! I know not where I am. I am so perplexed and agitated. What shall I do? I am lost forever. I know it.”

Queen Elizabeth’s dying wail was, “Millions of money for a moment of time.”

The skeptic Newport died saying, “O the insufferable pangs of hell!”* (See also Last words of saints and sinners - borrow)

Psalm 6:6 I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears.

KJV I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.

NET I am exhausted as I groan; all night long I drench my bed in tears; my tears saturate the cushion beneath me.

NLT I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears.

BGT ἐκοπίασα ἐν τῷ στεναγμῷ μου λούσω καθ᾽ ἑκάστην νύκτα τὴν κλίνην μου ἐν δάκρυσίν μου τὴν στρωμνήν μου βρέξω

LXE I am wearied with my groaning; I shall wash my bed every night; I shall water my couch with tears.

CSB I am weary from my groaning; with my tears I dampen my pillow and drench my bed every night.

ESV I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.

NIV I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.

YLT I have been weary with my sighing, I meditate through all the night on my bed, With my tear my couch I waste.

I am (KJV): Ps 38:9 69:3 77:2-9 88:9 102:3-5 143:4-7 Job 7:3 10:1 23:2
all the (KJV): or, every
I water (KJV): Ps 39:12 42:3 Job 16:20 Jer 14:17 La 1:2,16 2:11,18,19 3:48-50 Lu 7:38

I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears.

C H Spurgeon - The Psalmist gives a fearful description of his long agony:

I am weary with my groaning. He has groaned till his throat was hoarse; he had cried for mercy till prayer became a labour. God's people may groan, but they may not grumble. Yea, they must groan, being burdened, or they will never shout in the day of deliverance. The next sentence, we think, is not accurately translated. It should be,

I shall make my bed to swim every night (when nature needs rest, and when I am most alone with my God). That is to say, my grief is fearful even now, but if God do not soon save me, it will not stay of itself, but will increase, until my tears will be so many, that my bed itself shall swim. A description rather of what he feared would be, than of what had actually taken place. May not our forebodings of future woe become arguments which faith may urge when seeking present mercy?

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

I fainted in my mourning. It may seem a marvellous change in David, being a man of such magnitude of mind, to be thus dejected and cast down. Prevailed he not against Goliath, against the lion and the bear, through fortitude and magnanimity? But now he is sobbing, sighing, and weeping as a child! The answer is easy; the diverse persons with whom he hath to do occasioneth the same. When men and beasts are his opposites, then he is more than a conqueror; but when he hath to do with God against whom he sinned, then he is less than nothing.

I caused my bed to swim. ... Showers be better than dews, yet it is sufficient if God at least hath bedewed our hearts, and hath given us some sign of a penitent heart. If we have not rivers of waters to pour forth with David, neither fountains flowing with Mary Magdalen, nor as Jeremy, desire to have a fountain in our head to weep day and night, nor with Peter weep bitterly; yet if we lament that we cannot lament, and mourn that we cannot mourn: yea, if we have the smallest sobs of sorrow and tears of compunction, if they be true and not counterfeit, they will make us acceptable to God; for as the woman with the bloody issue that touched the hem of Christ's garment, was no less welcome to Christ than Thomas, who put his fingers in the print of the nails; so, God looketh not at the quantity, but the sincerity of our repentance.

My bed. The place of his sin is the place of his repentance, and so it should be; yea, when we behold the place where we have offended, we should be pricked in the heart, and there again crave him pardon. As Adam sinned in the garden, and Christ sweat bloody tears in the garden. "Examine your hearts upon your beds, and convert unto the Lord;" and whereas ye have stretched forth yourselves upon your bed to devise evil things, repent there and make them sanctuaries to God. Sanctify by your tears every place which ye have polluted by sin. And let us seek Christ Jesus on our own bed, with the spouse in the Canticles, who saith, "By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth." Archibald Symson.

I water my couch with tears. Not only I wash, but also I water. The faithful sheep of the great Shepherd go up from the washing place, every one bringeth forth twins, and none barren among them. So 4:2. For so Jacob's sheep, having conceived at the watering troughs, brought forth strong and party-coloured lambs. David likewise, who before had erred and strayed like a lost sheep making here his bed a washing-place, by so much the less is barren in obedience, by how much the more he is fruitful in repentance. In Solomon's temple stood the caldrons of brass, to wash the flesh of those beasts which were to be sacrificed on the altar. Solomon's father maketh a water of his tears, a caldron of his bed, an altar of his heart, a sacrifice, not of the flesh of unreasonable beasts, but of his own body, a living sacrifice, which is his reasonable serving of God. Now the Hebrew word here used signifies properly, to cause to swim, which is more than simply to wash. And thus the Geneva translation readeth it, I cause my bed every night to swim. So that as the priests used to swim in the molten sea, that they might be pure and clean, against they performed the holy rites and services of the temple, in like manner the princely prophet washeth his bed, yea, he swimmeth in his bed, or rather he causeth his bed to swim in tears, as in a sea of grief and penitent sorrow for his sin. Thomas Playfere, 1604.

I water my couch with my tears. Let us water our bed every night with our tears. Do not only blow upon it with intermissive blasts, for then like fire, it will resurge and flame the more. Sin is like a stinking candle newly put out, it is soon lighted again. It may receive a wound, but like a dog it will easily lick itself whole; a little forbearance multiplies it like Hydra's heads. Therefore, whatsoever aspersion the sin of the day has brought upon us, let the tears of the night wash away. Thomas Adams.

HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER

Saint's tears in quality, abundance, influence, assuagement, and final end.

Verses 6-7

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

Soul-trouble is attended usually with great pain of body too, and so a man is wounded and distressed in every part. There is no soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger, says David. "The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit." Job 6:4. Sorrow of heart contracts the natural spirits, making all their motions slow and feeble; and the poor afflicted body does usually decline and waste away; and, therefore, saith Heman, "My soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave." In this inward distress we find our strength decay and melt, even as wax before the fire; for sorrow darkeneth the spirits, obscures the judgment, blinds the memory, as to all pleasant things, and beclouds the lucid part of the mind, causing the lamp of life to burn weakly. In this troubled condition the person cannot be without a countenance that is pale, and wan, and dejected, like one that is seized with strong fear and consternation; all his motions are sluggish, and no sprightliness nor activity remains. A merry heart doth good, like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Hence come those frequent complaints in Scripture: My moisture is turned into the drought of the summer: I am like a bottle in the smoke; my soul cleaveth unto the dust: my face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelid is the shadow of death. Job 16:16, Job 30:17-19. "My bones are pierced in me, in the night seasons, and my sinews take no rest; by the great force of my disease is my garment changed. He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes. Many times indeed the trouble of the soul does begin from the weakness and indisposition of the body. Long affliction, without any prospect of remedy, does, in process of time, begin to distress the soul itself. David was a man often exercised with sickness and the rage of enemies; and in all the instances almost that we meet with him in the Psalms, we may observe that the outward occasions of trouble brought him under an apprehension of the wrath of God for his sin. (Psalms 6:1-2; and the reasons given, Psalms 6:5-6.) All his griefs running into this most terrible thought, that God was his enemy. As little brooks lose themselves in a great river, and change their name and nature, it most frequently happens that when our pain is long and sharp, and helpless and unavoidable, we begin to question the sincerity of our estate toward God, though at its first assault we had few doubts or fears about it. Long weakness of body makes the soul more susceptible of trouble, and uneasy thoughts. Timothy Rogers on Trouble of Mind.

Soul-trouble is attended usually with great pain of body too, and so a man is wounded and distressed in every part. There is no soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger, says David. "The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit." Job 6:4. Sorrow of heart contracts the natural spirits, making all their motions slow and feeble; and the poor afflicted body does usually decline and waste away; and, therefore, saith Heman, "My soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave." In this inward distress we find our strength decay and melt, even as wax before the fire; for sorrow darkeneth the spirits, obscures the judgment, blinds the memory, as to all pleasant things, and beclouds the lucid part of the mind, causing the lamp of life to burn weakly. In this troubled condition the person cannot be without a countenance that is pale, and wan, and dejected, like one that is seized with strong fear and consternation; all his motions are sluggish, and no sprightliness nor activity remains. A merry heart doth good, like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Hence come those frequent complaints in Scripture: My moisture is turned into the drought of the summer: I am like a bottle in the smoke; my soul cleaveth unto the dust: my face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelid is the shadow of death. Job 16:16, Job 30:17-19. "My bones are pierced in me, in the night seasons, and my sinews take no rest; by the great force of my disease is my garment changed. He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes. Many times indeed the trouble of the soul does begin from the weakness and indisposition of the body. Long affliction, without any prospect of remedy, does, in process of time, begin to distress the soul itself. David was a man often exercised with sickness and the rage of enemies; and in all the instances almost that we meet with him in the Psalms, we may observe that the outward occasions of trouble brought him under an apprehension of the wrath of God for his sin. (Psalms 6:1-2; and the reasons given, Ps 5-6.) All his griefs running into this most terrible thought, that God was his enemy. As little brooks lose themselves in a great river, and change their name and nature, it most frequently happens that when our pain is long and sharp, and helpless and unavoidable, we begin to question the sincerity of our estate toward God, though at its first assault we had few doubts or fears about it. Long weakness of body makes the soul more susceptible of trouble, and uneasy thoughts. Timothy Rogers on Trouble of Mind.

Tears in the Bible
• Joseph is said to have wept 8 times.
• David, 7 times.
• Paul, 4 times. He described himself as serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears. (Acts 20:19)
• Jeremiah compared his weeping to both a fountain and a river of tears. (Jeremiah 9:1; Lamentations 3:48)
• David’s men wept until they had no more power to weep. (1 Samuel 30:4)
• The Psalmist wept until he drenched his couch and made his “bed swim.” (Psalm 6:6)
• Peter wept “bitterly.” (Matthew 26:75)
• There are three records of Jesus’ tears: Over a doomed city, over a friend’s death, and over a painful sacrifice. (Luke 19:41, John 11:33–35, and Hebrews 5:7)
• Hell is described as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:42)
• The last mention of tears is in Revelation 21:4, the promise that God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of his redeemed.

Flying Machines

I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. —Psalm 6:6

Today's Scripture : Psalm 6

Recording artist James Taylor exploded onto the music scene in early 1970 with the song “Fire and Rain.” In it, he talked about the disappointments of life, describing them as “sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground.” That was a reference to Taylor’s original band Flying Machine, whose attempt at breaking into the recording industry had failed badly, causing him to wonder if his dreams of a musical career would ever come true. The reality of crushed expectations had taken their toll, leaving Taylor with a sense of loss and hopelessness.

The psalmist David also experienced hopeless despair as he struggled with his own failures, the attacks of others, and the disappointments of life. In Psalm 6:6 he said, “I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.” The depth of his sorrow and loss drove him to heartache—but in that grief he turned to the God of all comfort. , prompting him to say, “The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer” (v.9).

In our own seasons of disappointment, we too can find comfort in God, who cares for our broken hearts. By: Bill Crowder (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Even in my darkest hour
The Lord will bless me with His power;
His loving grace will sure abound,
In His sweet care I shall be found.
—Brandt

God’s whisper of comfort quiets the noise of our trials.

Psalm 6:7 My eye has wasted away with grief; It has become old because of all my adversaries.

KJV Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.

NET My eyes grow dim from suffering; they grow weak because of all my enemies.

NLT My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.

BGT ἐταράχθη ἀπὸ θυμοῦ ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἐπαλαιώθην ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς μου

LXE Mine eye is troubled because of my wrath; I am worn out because of all my enemies.

CSB My eyes are swollen from grief; they grow old because of all my enemies.

ESV My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.

NIV My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.

YLT Old from provocation is mine eye, It is old because of all mine adversaries,

Mine (KJV): Ps 31:9,10 38:10 88:9 Job 17:7 La 5:17
it waxeth (KJV): Ps 32:3

My eye has wasted away with grief; It has become old because of all my adversaries.

C H Spurgeon - I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all my enemies. As an old man's eye grows dim with years, so, says David, my eye is grown red and feeble through weeping. Conviction sometimes has such an effect upon the body, that even the outward organs are made to suffer. May not this explain some of the convulsions and hysterical attacks which have been experienced under convictions in the revivals in Ireland? Is it surprising that some souls be smitten to the earth, and begin to cry aloud; when we find that David himself made his bed to swim, and grew old while he was under the heavy hand of God? Ah! brethren, it is no light matter to feel one's self a sinner, condemned at the bar of God. The language of this Psalm is not strained and forced, but perfectly natural to one in so sad a plight.

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

Mine eye is consumed. Many make those eyes which God hath given them, as it were two lighted candles to let them see to go to hell; and for this God in justice requiteth them, seeing their minds are blinded by the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, God, I say, sendeth sickness to debilitate their eyes which were so sharp-sighted in the devil's service, and their lust now causeth them to want the necessary sight of their body.

Mine enemies. The pirates seeing an empty bark, pass by it; but if she be loaded with precious wares, then they will assault her. So, if a man have no grace within him, Satan passeth by him as not a convenient prey for him; but being loaded with graces, as the love of God, his fear, and such other spiritual virtues, let him be persuaded that according as he knows what stuff is in him, so will he not fail to rob him of them, if in any case he may, Archibald Symson.

That eye of his that had looked and lusted after his neighbour's wife is now dimmed and darkened with grief and indignation. He has wept himself almost blind. John Trapp.

HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER

The voice of weeping. What it is.

Psalm 6:8 Depart from me, all you who do iniquity, For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.

KJV Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

NET Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping!

NLT Go away, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.

BGT ἀπόστητε ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν ὅτι εἰσήκουσεν κύριος τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ κλαυθμοῦ μου

LXE Depart from me, all ye that work iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.

CSB Depart from me, all evildoers, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.

ESV Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.

NIV Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.

YLT Turn from me all ye workers of iniquity, For Jehovah heard the voice of my weeping,

Depart (KJV): Ps 119:115 139:19 Mt 7:23 25:41 Lu 13:27
for (KJV): Ps 3:4 56:8 116:8 145:18 Isa 30:19 38:3,5 Heb 5:7

Depart from me, all you who do iniquity, The first part of this verse was quoted by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7:23; cf. Luke 13:27).

For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping

You believe no one sees your tears and you feel all alone—but God sees them and He understands. “All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears,” David said in Psalm 6. “The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping” (vv.6,8). “You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?” (56:8). Though “weeping may endure for a night,” it is a transient houseguest, for “joy comes in the morning” (30:5).

Warren Wiersbe - At this point, there’s a sudden and surprising change from suffering to joy, an experience recorded in other psalms (22:22; 56:10; 69:30). It doesn’t matter whether this change occurred later or immediately after David prayed, but he felt healing in his body and peace in his heart and mind. Perhaps word came to him that the enemy had retreated or, better yet, had been defeated, and he knew God had heard his cries. Or maybe his circumstances hadn’t changed at all, but David felt God’s witness in his heart that all would be well. The Lord had heard his weeping and requests and had accepted his prayer. He used this experience to glorify the Lord as he witnessed to his enemies. How this message was conveyed to them, we don’t know; but David was quick to honor the Lord for what had occurred. Perhaps the words in verses 8–10 are an apostrophe, a speech addressed to persons not present but meaningful to those people hearing or reading it. His enemies said that David was done for, but the failure of their prediction would leave them ashamed and defeated. The phrase “Depart from me” is quoted in Matthew 7:23 and Luke 13:27 and seems quite final. (Bible Exposition Commentary)

Matthew Henry Concise - Psalm 6:8-10. What a sudden change is here! Having made his request known to God, the psalmist is confident that his sorrow will be turned into joy. By the workings of God's grace upon his heart, he knew his prayer was accepted, and did not doubt but it would, in due time, be answered. His prayers will be accepted, coming up out of the hands of Christ the Mediator. The word signifies prayer made to God, the righteous Judge, as the God of his righteousness, who would plead his cause, and right his wrongs. A believer, through the blood and righteousness of Christ, can go to God as a righteous God, and plead with him for pardon and cleansing, who is just and faithful to grant both. He prays for the conversion of his enemies, or foretells their ruin.

C H Spurgeon - Hitherto, all has been mournful and disconsolate, but now

"Your harps, ye trembling saints, Down from the willows take."

Ye must have your times of weeping, but let them be short. Get ye up, get ye up, from your dunghills! Cast aside your sackcloth and ashes! Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.<

David has found peace, and rising from his knees he begins to sweep his house of the wicked.

Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. The best remedy for us against an evil man is a long space between us both. "Get ye gone; I can have no fellowship with you." Repentance is a practical thing. It is not enough to bemoan the desecration of the temple of the heart, we must scourge out the buyers and sellers, and overturn the tables of the money changers. A pardoned sinner will hate the sins which cost the Saviour his blood. Grace and sin are quarrelsome neighbours, and one or the other must go to the wall.

For the Lord hath hear the voice of my weeping. What a fine Hebraism, and what grand poetry it is in English! "He hath heard the voice of my weeping." Is there a voice in weeping? Does weeping speak? In what language doth it utter its meaning? Why, in that universal tongue which is known and understood in all the earth, and even in heaven above. When a man weeps, whether he be a Jew or Gentile, Barbarian, Scythian, bond or free, it has the same meaning in it. Weeping is the eloquence of sorrow. It is an unstammering orator, needing no interpreter, but understood of all. Is it not sweet to believe that our tears are understood even when words fail? Let us learn to think of tears as liquid prayers, and of weeping as a constant dropping of importunate intercession which will wear its way right surely into the very heart of mercy, despite the stony difficulties which obstruct the way. My God, I will "weep" when I cannot plead, for thou hearest the voice of my weeping.

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

Depart from me, etc., i.e., you may now go your way; for that which you look for, namely, my death, you shall not have at this present; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping, i.e., has graciously granted me that which with tears I asked of him. Thomas Wilcocks.

Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. May not too much familiarity with profane wretches be justly charged upon church members? I know man is a sociable creature, but that will not excuse saints as to their carelessness of the choice of their company. The very fowls of the air, and beasts of the field, love not heterogeneous company. "Birds of a feather flock together." I have been afraid that many who would be thought eminent, of a high stature in grace and godliness, yet see not the vast difference there is between nature and regeneration, sin and grace, the old and the new man, seeing all company is alike unto them. Lewis Stuckley's "Gospel Glass", 1667.

The voice of my weeping. Weeping hath a voice, and as music upon the water sounds farther and more harmoniously than upon the land, so prayers, joined with tears, cry louder in God's ears, and make sweeter music than when tears are absent. When Antipater had written a large letter against Alexander's mother unto Alexander, the king answered him, "One tear from my mother will wash away all her faults." So it is with God. A penitent tear is an undeniable ambassador, and never returns from the throne of grace unsatisfied. Spencer's Things New and Old.

The wicked are called, workers of iniquity, because they are free and ready to sin, they have a strong tide and bent of spirit to do evil, and they do it not to halves but thoroughly; they do not only begin or nibble at the bait a little (as a good man often doth), but greedily swallow it down, hook and all; they are fully in it, and do it fully; they make a work of it, and so are "workers of iniquity." Joseph Caryl.

Some may say, "My constitution is such that I cannot weep; I may as well go to squeeze a rock, as think to get a tear." But if thou canst not weep for sin, canst thou grieve? Intellectual mourning is best; there may be sorrow where there are no tears, the vessel may be full though it wants vent; it is not so much the weeping eye God respects as the broken heart; yet I would be loath to stop their tears who can weep. God stood looking on Hezekiah's tears (Isaiah 38:5), "I have seen thy tears." David's tears made music in God's ears, The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. It is a sight fit for angels to behold, tears as pearls dropping from a penitent eye. T. Watson.

The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. God hears the voice of our looks, God hears the voice of our tears sometimes better than the voice of our words; for it is the Spirit itself that makes intercession for us. Romans 8:26. Gemitibus inenarrabilibus, in those groans, and so in those tears, which we cannot utter; ineloquacibus, as Tertullian reads that place, devout, and simple tears, which cannot speak, speak aloud in the ears of God; nay, tears which we cannot utter; not only utter the force of the tears, but not utter the very tears themselves. As God sees the water in the spring in the veins of the earth before it bubble upon the face of the earth, so God sees tears in the heart of a man before they blubber his face; God hears the tears of that sorrowful soul, which for sorrow cannot shed tears. From this casting up of the eyes, and pouring out the sorrow of the heart at the eyes, at least opening God a window through which he may see a wet heart through a dry eye; from these overtures of repentance, which are as those imperfect sounds of words, which parents delight in, in their children, before they speak plain, a penitent sinner comes to a verbal and a more expressive prayer. To these prayers, these vocal and verbal prayers from David, God had given ear, and from this hearing of those prayers was David come to this thankful confidence, The Lord hath heard, the Lord will hear. John Donne.

What a strange change is here all of a sudden! Well might Luther say, "Prayer is the leech of the soul, that sucks out the venom and swelling thereof." "Prayer," saith another, "is an exorcist with God, and an exorcist against sin and misery." Bernard saith, "How oft hath prayer found me despairing almost, but left me triumphing, and well assured of pardon!" The same in effect saith David here, "Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping." What a word is that to his insulting enemies! Avaunt! come out! vanish! These be words used to devils and dogs, but good enough for a Doeg or a Shimei. And the Son of David shall say the same to his enemies when he comes to judgment. John Trapp.

HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER

The pardoned sinner forsaking his bad companions.

Joseph Stowell - OUR ULTIMATE PROVIDER - Psalm 6

AND MY GOD WILL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEEDS.—Philippians 4:19 NASB

When I went into my first pastorate, the small group of believers in the church made a great financial commitment to insure that I could be involved in the ministry full-time. It was a big step of faith for them. What they didn’t know was that it meant a 33 percent cut in income for my family. Those were the manna years of our living. Our whole family learned that all we are and have is from God.

I recall coming home from the office one evening and finding on the dining room table a large box addressed to me. It was from a lady in the church where I grew up whom I hadn’t seen in years. I eargerly opened the box to find three suits in it. They had belonged to her son, a businessman in Arizona. All three were in perfect condition. They were exactly the styles I liked, and they fit perfectly. No alterations needed!

During those manna years, God clothed our daughter with beautiful, hardly worn hand-me-downs from a family we had met only once. He answered prayer about tires for our car; He kept old cars nearly maintenance free; and He surprised us with unexpected income just when we needed it. In fact, my wife and I used to joke that if a little extra money came in, it was God’s advance warning that the washer was going to break down.

Our recognition of God as ultimate provider becomes the joy of a confident heart even in the worst of times. And His provision is not only in material ways. He gives grace to survive, protection to preserve, and wisdom to get us through. In fact the provision of the “daily bread” of our lives is only a reflection of the indispensable provision of His care and love for us. The confidence of living for and serving a generous God translates into the freedom of aggressively becoming all that we can possibly be to the praise and honor of His name without the distraction of accumulating gain for ourselves.

Thank God for making you dependent on Him. He always gives more than He takes!

G Campbell Morgan - The Lord hath heard . . . the Lord hath heard . . . the Lord will receive. —Ps 6.8-9.

This is the first of the seven Psalms which are described as Penitential. (The others are Ps 32, Ps 38, Ps 51, Ps 102, Ps 130, Ps 143.) Various suggestions have been made as to the occasion of the writing of this one. None is conclusive. That it was a cry of profound penitence is patent. The first seven verses contain the cry of a soul in anguish. There was great physical suffering; but the deeper pain was that of the sense that God was absent from his consciousness, and that his sufferings were rebukes and chastenings from God. Thedread of death was upon the singer, and was accentuated by the fact that in his then condition of mind there was no light in the region that lay beyond. The sudden change at verse eight is dramatic. His human enemies, who had been taking advantage of his physical sufferings to wrong him, are bidden to depart, and their downfall is predicted. The secret of this change is revealed in the words we have emphasized. We have no clue in the Psalm as to how the conviction came, but it came. It was the conviction that Jehovah heard, and that his prayer was received. Perhaps the most arresting fact in this Psalm is that there was no confession of sin. It was simply a wail of agony, and a cry for release. But it was a cry to God; and in the very admission that his sufferings were chastisements, there was at least a tacit acknowledgment of guilt. This reveals all the more radiantly the readiness of God to pardon. When His vexing in sore displeasure has driven the soul back to Him, His answer of love and of healing is immediate.

The LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. Ps 6:8

Sometimes it doesn't take much to get us down, does it? Even on the sunniest day, an unkind remark from a friend, bad news from the auto mechanic, a financial setback, or even a misbehaving child can put a cloud of gloom over everything, making simple tasks a struggle. You know you should be joyful, but everything seems to be against you.

David must have been feeling that way when he wrote Psalm 6. He felt weak and sickly (Ps 6:2), troubled (Ps 6:3), forsaken (Ps 6:4), weary (Ps 6:6), and grief-stricken (Ps 6:7). But he knew what to do when he was down. He looked up and trusted God to take care of him and to see him through.
When we look up and begin to focus on God, something good begins to happen. We get the focus off ourselves and gain a new appreciation for Him. Next time you're down, try looking up to God. J. D. B.

THINGS LOOKING DOWN? TRY LOOKING UP!

AUGUSTINE’S MOTHER INTERCEDES

PSALM 6:8; 126:6; LUKE 6:21

Evangelism; Intercession; Mothers; Prayers; Tears

The church father Augustine writes of the important role played by his mother’s faithful intercession for him during his years of waywardness:

My mother asked [a bishop] in his kindness to have some discussion with me, to refute my errors, to unteach me what was evil and teach me what was good …
He refused.… He told her that I was as yet not ripe for teaching.…
“But,” said he, “let him alone. Only pray to the Lord for him: he will himself discover by reading what his error is.…”
My mother would not be satisfied but urged him with repeated entreaties and floods of tears to see me and discuss with me.
He, losing patience, said: “Go your way; as sure as you live, it is impossible that the son of these tears should perish.”

Citation: Aurelius Augustinus, “Book 3,” Confessions, reprinted in Christian History (Issue 67), p. 19

God, Answer Me!

The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. —Psalm 6:8

Today's Scripture: Psalm 6

Theresa left Sue a message that she had some great news. Sue was convinced that her friend had received Jesus as Savior. After all, she had been praying for Theresa’s salvation for 30 years. What could be greater news!

A few days later, Theresa revealed her “great news”: She had a new boyfriend and was moving in with him. Sue cried out in desperation, “Lord, what makes me think that You would answer me after 30 years of praying?” She proceeded to have a pity party for herself about God’s seeming reluctance to answer her.

Some of our hardest struggles are those deep desires that go unmet— when no response comes from heaven for what seems like forever. The psalmist David could relate. He cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord . . . . My soul also is greatly troubled; but You, O Lord—how long? Return, O Lord, deliver me!” (Ps. 6:2-4). But later in the psalm we read that David knew the Lord had heard him (v.9).

A month after Theresa’s “great news,” she called and left another message: “I have wonderful news! I trusted Jesus as my Savior! I don’t know why I didn’t do it long ago.” Now Sue is praying that Theresa will grow in the Lord and seek to please Him with her life.

Keep praying. In His time, God will answer. By: Anne Cetas (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Dear Lord, I know You hear me, and that You are powerful and wise. Help me to wait patiently and to trust You for Your good and perfect answers to the needs of those I love. Amen.

Delay is not denial. So keep on praying.

Psalm 6:9 The LORD has heard my supplication, The LORD receives my prayer.

KJV The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.

NET The LORD has heard my appeal for mercy; the LORD has accepted my prayer.

NLT The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD will answer my prayer.

BGT εἰσήκουσεν κύριος τῆς δεήσεώς μου κύριος τὴν προσευχήν μου προσεδέξατο

LXE The Lord has hearkened to my petition; the Lord has accepted my prayer.

CSB The LORD has heard my plea for help; the LORD accepts my prayer.

ESV The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer.

NIV The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.

YLT Jehovah hath heard my supplication, Jehovah my prayer receiveth.

hath heard (KJV): Ps 3:4 31:22 40:1,2 66:19,20 118:5 120:1 138:3 Jon 2:2,7 2Co 12:8-10
will receive (KJV): Ps 116:1,2 2Co 1:10,11

The LORD has heard my supplication, The LORD receives my prayer.

With e-mail, our messages can sit unread for days. Not so with prayer. God is always there (Ps. 6:9).

C H Spurgeon - The Lord hath heard my supplication. The Holy Spirit had wrought into the Psalmist's mind the confidence that his prayer was heard. This is frequently the privilege of the saints. Praying the prayer of faith, they are often infallibly assured that they have prevailed with God. We read of Luther that, having on one occasion wrestled hard with God in prayer, he came leaping out of his closet crying, "Vicimus, vicimus;" that is, We have conquered, we have prevailed with God." Assured confidence is no idle dream, for when the Holy Ghost bestows it upon us, we know its reality, and could not doubt it, even though all men should deride our boldness.

The Lord will receive my prayer. Here is past experience used for future encouragement.

He hath, he will. Note this, O believer, and imitate its reasoning.

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

The Lord hath heard my supplication, etc. The psalmist three times expresses his confidence of his prayers being heard and received, which may be either in reference to his having prayed so many times for help, as the apostle Paul did (2 Corinthians 12:8); and as Christ his antitype did (Matthew 26:39, Matthew 26:42, Matthew 26:44); or to express the certainty of it, the strength of his faith in it, and the exuberance of his joy on account of it. John Gill, D.D., 1697-1771.

HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER

Past answers the ground of present confidence. He hath, he will.

C H Spurgeon - Faith's Checkbook - He Always Listens

"The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer" (Psalm 6:9).

The experience here recorded is mine. I can set to my seal that God is true. In very wonderful ways He has answered the prayers of His servant many and many a time. Yes, and He is hearing my present supplication, and He is not turning away His ear from me. Blessed be His holy name! What then? Why, for certain the promise which lies sleeping in the psalmist's believing confidence is also mine. Let me grasp it by the hand of faith: "The LORD will receive my prayer." He will accept it, think of it, and grant it in the way and time which His loving wisdom judges to be best. I bring my poor prayer in my hand to the great King, and He gives me audience and graciously receives my petition. My enemies will not listen to me, but my LORD will. They ridicule my tearful prayers, but my LORD does not; He receives my prayer into His ear and His heart. What a reception this is for a poor sinner! We receive Jesus, and then the LORD receives us and our prayers for His Son's sake. Blessed be that dear name which franks (Ed: frank as a transitive verb means to enable to pass or go freely or easily) our prayers so that they freely pass even within the golden gates. LORD, teach me to pray, since Thou hearest my prayers.

F B Meyer - THE LORD HATH HEARD!

The first of the Penitential Psalms; the other six being Psa 32:1-11, 38, 51, 102, Psa 130:1-8, Psa 143:1-12. Sheminith is evidently a musical term, signifying the octave. The earlier verses of this Psalm are a wail; but it ends in a song. It is like a day of rain which clears at evening. The Psalm is full of beautiful ejaculatory cries.

THE ELEMENTS OF THE PSALMIST'S SORROW (Psa 6:1-7).
There was the pressure of Divine displeasure because of sin (Psa 6:1-2), combined with soul-anguish (Psa 6:3-4), perhaps accompanied with sickness, bringing nigh unto death (Psa 6:4-5), while enemies add their hate (Psa 6:6-7). In Psa 6:5 David considers the grave as disabling us from that active service of praise which is the peculiar privilege of the living (Isa 38:19). He clearly foresaw the Resurrection; but perhaps not so clearly the state of the departed, which is brought to light in the Gospel. How touching is the plea, so suitable for sufferers!--for 1 am weak. How expressive the broken sentence, How long? which was often on Calvin's lips! And that prayer, O Lord, heal met. may well be on our lips continually.

THE CERTAINTY OF THE PSALMIST'S DELIVERENCE (Psa 6:8-10).
The prayer is no sooner uttered than answered. The consciousness of having been heard steals over the weary soul like a glint of light on to a bed in the hospital ward. David knows that the petition is granted, though it has not yet come to hand (1Jn 5:15). Weeping has a voice for the ear of God. He can interpret sighs and tears (Psa 6:8). In the Revised Version, the words of Psa 6:10 read like an imprecation--they shall be ashamed and turn back. When God returns (Psa 6:4), our enemies turn back (Psa 6:10).

Puritan Daily Readings - The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer. Psalm 6:9
Your heavenly Father is ready to give you such things as you stand in need of, as Christ expresses it in Matthew 7:11, “If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him?” And Luke 11:13, “How much more shall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit?” When you come to beg for grace, consider what earthly parents would do for a child. Their affections are limited, they are in part corrupt; and poor straitened creatures have not such bowels of compassion as God; and yet, when a child comes to them with a genuine cry, with a sense of his want and confidence of his father, he cannot harden his bowels against his child. This also checks much speaking; for we do not pray to stir up mercy in Him, as if He needed much entreaty, and were severe, and delighted to put the creature to penance. No, He is ready before we ask; He knows our wants and needs, and is ready to supply us with those things we stand in need of, only will have this comely order observed. Some times He prevents our prayers before we ask: “Before they call, I will answer; and I am found of them that sought me not.” Before we can have a heart to come, the Lord prepares us with His blessing. And sometimes He gives us what we ask. This is the condescension of God, that when you call He will answer; and when you cry, He in His providence says, “What will you have, poor creatures?” And He gives more than we ask, as when Solomon asked wisdom and God gave him more than he asked, wisdom, riches and honor.

David Jeremiah - FAITHFUL PROVIDER - Morning and Evening Devotions: Holy Moments

The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. Ps 6:9NIV

A little girl approached her father and asked for a nickel. The father drew out his wallet and offered her a five-dollar bill. But the little girl, not knowing what it was, would not take it. “I don’t want that,” she said. “I want a nickel.”

Are there times when we deal with our heavenly Father as this little girl dealt with her earthly father? Do we sometimes ask for some small favor and refuse His offer of a blessing a hundred times more valuable?

When we come to God with petitions, He promises to answer. But it is not always the answer we want to hear. However, it is the answer that God knows is best for us.

We must believe that God will be a faithful provider, no matter what our circumstances. Psalm 111:5 says, “He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever” (NIV). What an amazing promise: He will never forget about our needs, and He will sometimes bless us beyond our wildest imagination. He will accept our prayers and our cries for mercy. What an awesome God we serve!

Psalm 6:9 Just Pray

The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. Psalm 6:9

Today's Scripture & Insight: Psalm 6:4-10

The freelance project wasn’t working out well. The clients were demanding what seemed to be the impossible, and I was stressed and discouraged. My first reaction was just to walk away from it, which would mean not getting paid for the work I’d done—and also eliminating the possibility of future projects with them. Then the thought came to me: Have you prayed to God yet?

Mentally slapping my forehead, I realized that I’d neglected to ask God for help! And so I prayed . . . and immediately felt better. Nothing had changed—the project remained challenging—but I felt peace wash over me. Now I knew I could rest in God: I’d just do whatever I could and leave the outcome to Him.

Perhaps David felt the same way when he submitted his fears and worries to God. In Psalm 6, he starts off describing his anguish at being hounded by his enemies (vv. 3, 7). But as he continued turning to God for help, he felt reassured: “The Lord has heard my cry . . . the Lord accepts my prayer” (v. 9).

That truth came with the hope that he would be delivered, in God’s time and way (v. 10). Prayer isn’t some feel-good technique, but it’s a direct connection with the all-seeing, all-powerful One who will help us in His time and way. Feeling down or discouraged? Just pray—God hears. By: Leslie Koh (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Reflect & Pray

What troubles or worries are you facing now? How can you remind yourself to keep bringing them to God?

Dear God, thank You for hearing my prayers for help. Please grant me peace, for I know I can leave my troubles in Your mighty, loving hands.

Asking God

The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. Psalm 6:9

Scripture: Psalm 6:4–9

When my husband, Dan, was diagnosed with cancer, I couldn’t find the “right” way to ask God to heal him. In my limited view, other people in the world had such serious problems—war, famine, poverty, natural disasters. Then one day, during our morning prayer time, I heard my husband humbly ask, “Dear Lord, please heal my disease.”

It was such a simple but heartfelt plea that it reminded me to stop complicating every prayer request, because God perfectly hears our righteous cries for help. As David simply asked, “Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love” (Psalm 6:4).

That’s what David declared during a time of spiritual confusion and despair. His exact situation isn’t explained in this psalm. His honest pleas, however, show deep desire for godly help and restoration. “I am worn out from my groaning,” he wrote (v. 6).

Yet, David didn’t let his own limits, including sin, stop him from going to God with his need. Thus, even before God answered, David was able to rejoice, “the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer” (vv. 8–9).

Despite our own confusion and uncertainty, God hears and accepts the honest pleas of His children. He’s ready to hear us, especially when we need Him most. - Patricia Raybon (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Reflect & Pray

What’s stopping you from asking God for His help? What help will you seek from Him today?

Dear God, as you cleanse our hearts, grant us courage to ask for Your divine help, believing that You hear us and will answer.

Today's Insights - Psalm 6, written by David, is considered one of seven penitential psalms, or psalms of confession of sin (Ps 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143). As F. B. Meyer in his commentary on Psalms writes, “The earlier verses of this psalm are a wail; but it ends in a song. It is like a day of rain which clears at evening.” David is in “deep anguish” because of his sin and shortcomings and cries out, “How long, Lord, how long?” (Psalm 6:3). He felt God’s displeasure regarding his sin and as a result was in agony—groaning, weeping, sorrowful, sleepless, and perhaps ill. Yet, it seems no sooner was his prayer uttered but he felt God’s mercy and forgiveness: “The Lord has heard my cry” and “accepts my prayer” (v. 9).

E M Bounds - The Lord will receive my prayer. Ps 6:9

PRAYER IS BASED ON THE purpose and promise of God. Prayer is submission to God. Prayer has no sigh of disloyalty against God's will. It may cry out against the bitterness and the dread weight of an hour of unutterable anguish: "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me." But it is surcharged with the sweetest and promptest submission. "Yet not my will, but thine be done."

But prayer in its usual uniform and deep current is conscious conformity to God's will, based upon the direct promise of God's Word, and under the illumination and application of the holy Spirit. Nothing is surer than that the Word of God is the sure foundation of prayer. We pray just as we believe God’s Word. Prayer is based directly and specifically upon God’s revealed promises in Christ Jesus. It has no other ground upon which to base its plea. All else is shadowy, sandy, fickle. Not our feelings, not our merits, not our works, but God’s promise is the basis of faith and the solid ground of prayer.

Now I have found the ground wherein
Sure my soul's anchor may remain;
The wounds of Jesus -for my sin,
Before the world's foundation slain.

The converse of this proposition is also true. God’s promises are dependent and conditioned upon prayer to appropriate them and make them a conscious realization. The promises are inwrought in us, appropriated by us, and held in the arms of faith in prayer. Let it be noted that prayer gives the promises in their efficiency, localises and appropriates them and utilizes them. Prayer puts the promises as the seed in the fructifying soil. Promises, like the rain, are general. Prayer embodies, precipitates, and locates them for personal use. Prayer goes by faith into the great fruit orchard of God’s exceeding great promises, and with hand and heart picks the ripest and richest fruit. The promises, like electricity, may sparkle and dazzle and yet be impotent for good till these dynamic, life-giving currents are chained by prayer, and are made the mighty forces which move and bless.

Lord, Hear Our Prayer!

The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer. —Psalm 6:9

Today's Scripture : Psalm 6:1-10

During every morning worship service in a small church I attended, the congregation would share prayer requests. After each one, the pastor would say, “Lord, in Your mercy,” and the people would respond, “Hear our prayer.” One Sunday, a 4-year-old boy behind me became more intense after each request, until he finally shouted out, “Hear our prayer!” The little boy probably expressed what a lot of us were feeling that morning.

As Christians, we believe that God hears us when we pray not because we deserve it but because Christ has opened the way for us to talk directly to the Father. We often make our requests quietly and confidently, but there are times when we cannot help but cry out to God in heartbreak and anguish.

In Psalm 6 we can almost hear David’s sobs as he pleaded with God for mercy, help, and healing. Yet, even though he was faced with difficult people and overwhelming circumstances, David affirmed his trust in God: “The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer” (vv.8-9).

Today, in that mysterious blend of confidence and crying out, we can bring everything to our loving heavenly Father, saying, “Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer!” By: David C. McCasland (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

God hears us when we call to Him,
Not one voice is ignored;
The sounds of praise, the pleas of pain
Are all heard by the Lord.
—Sper

In prayer, God hears more than just words—He listens to your heart.

God hears the words you speak and the heart you cannot put into words.

Prayer is the language of the heart, and God is always listening.

When words fail, God still hears the heart.

God listens beyond our lips to the longing of our hearts.

God hears the prayer behind the words.

The effectiveness of prayer is not in eloquent words, but in an earnest heart.

God is more interested in the heart of the prayer than the wording of the prayer.

A sigh toward heaven can be as much a prayer as a spoken sentence. (Ps 6:6; Ro 8:26)

God understands the groanings we cannot translate into words. (Ro 8:26)

Tears can become prayers when they are shed before God. (Ps 6:6, 8)

The shortest prayer can come from the deepest place in the heart.

God does not measure our prayers by their length, but looks upon the heart from which they come.

What the lips cannot express, the heart can still bring before God.

You don't need the right words when you come to the right Person.

For Psalm 6, I especially like:

When words give way to tears, God still hears the prayer of the heart.

Psalm 6:10 All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed; They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed.

KJV The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.

NET The LORD has heard my appeal for mercy; the LORD has accepted my prayer.

NLT The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD will answer my prayer.

BGT εἰσήκουσεν κύριος τῆς δεήσεώς μου κύριος τὴν προσευχήν μου προσεδέξατο

LXE The Lord has hearkened to my petition; the Lord has accepted my prayer.

CSB The LORD has heard my plea for help; the LORD accepts my prayer.

ESV The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer.

NIV The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.

YLT Jehovah hath heard my supplication, Jehovah my prayer receiveth.

Let all (KJV): Ps 5:10 7:6 25:3 35:26 40:14,15 71:13 83:16,17 86:17 109:28,29 Ps 112:10 132:18 Isa 26:11 Jer 20:11
sore (KJV): Ps 2:5 21:8,9
return (KJV): Job 6:29 Mal 3:18
and be (KJV): Pr 29:1 1Th 5:3

All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed; They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed.

C H Spurgeon - Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed. This is rather a prophecy than an imprecation, it may be read in the future, "All my enemies shall be ashamed and sore vexed." They shall return and be ashamed instantaneously,in a moment;their doom shall come upon them suddenly. Death's day is doom's day, and both are sure and may be sudden. The Romans were wont to say, "The feet of the avenging Deity are shod with wool." With noiseless footsteps vengeance nears its victim, and sudden and overwhelming shall be its destroying stroke. If this were an imprecation, we must remember that the language of the old dispensation is not that of the new. We pray for our enemies, not against them. God have mercy on them, and bring them into the right way.

Thus the Psalm, like those which preceed it, shews the different estates of the godly and the wicked. O Lord, let us be numbered with thy people, both now and forever!

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

Let all mine enemies be ashamed, etc. If this were an imprecation, a malediction, yet it was medicinal, and had rationem boni, a charitable tincture and nature in it; he wished the men no harm as men. But it is rather predictorium, a prophetical vehemence, that if they will take no knowledge of God's declaring himself in the protection of his servants, if they would not consider that God had heard, and would hear, had rescued, and would rescue his children, but would continue their opposition against him, heavy judgments would certainly fall upon them; their punishment should be certain, but the effect should be uncertain; for God only knows whether his correction shall work upon his enemies to their mollifying, or to their obduration ... In the second word,

Let them be sore vexed, he wishes his enemies no worse than himself had been, for he had used the same word of himself before, Ossa turbata, My bones are vexed; and Anima turbata, My soul is vexed; and considering that David had found this vexation to be his way to God, it was no malicious imprecation to wish that enemy the same physic that he had taken, who was more sick of the same disease than he was. For this is like a troubled sea after a tempest; the danger is past, but yet the billow is great still; the danger was in the calm, in the security, or in the tempest, by misinterpreting God's correction to our obduration, and to a remorseless stupefication; but when a man is come to this holy vexation, to be troubled, to be shaken with the sense of the indignation of God, the storm is past, and the indignation of God is blown over. That soul is in a fair and near way of being restored to a calmness, and to reposed security of conscience that is come to this holy vexation. John Donne.

Let all mine enemies or (all mine enemies shall) be ashamed, and sore vexed, etc. Many of the mournful Psalms end in this manner, to instruct the believer that he is continually to look forward, and solace himself with beholding that day, when his warfare shall be accomplished; when sin and sorrow shall be no more; when sudden and everlasting confusion shall cover the enemies of righteousness; when the sackcloth of the penitent shall be exchanged for a robe of glory, and every tear becomes a sparkling gem in his crown; when to sighs and groans shall succeed the songs of heaven, set to angels harps, and faith shall be resolved into the vision of the Almighty. George Horne.

HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER

The shame reserved for the wicked.

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