Psalms 38
38
PSALM 38
Common Meter: 8,6,8,6
1In thy great indignation,
O Lord, rebuke me not;
Nor on me lay thy chast'ning hand,
in thy displeasure hot.
2For in me fast thine arrows stick,
thine hand doth press me sore:
3And in my flesh there is no health,
nor soundness any more.
This grief I have, because thy wrath
is forth against me gone;
And in my bones there is no rest,
for sin that I have done.
4Because gone up above mine head
my great transgressions be;
And, as a weighty burden, they
too heavy are for me.
5My wounds do stink, and are corrupt;
my folly makes it so.
6I troubled am, and much bow'd down;
all day I mourning go.
7For a disease that loathsome is
so fills my loins with pain,
That in my weak and weary flesh
no soundness doth remain.
8So feeble and infirm am I,
and broken am so sore,
That, through disquiet of my heart,
I have been made to roar.
9O Lord, all that I do desire
is still before thine eye;
And of my heart the secret groans
not hidden are from thee.
10My heart doth pant incessantly,
my strength doth quite decay;
As for mine eyes, their wonted light
is from me gone away.
11My lovers and my friends do stand
at distance from my sore;
And those do stand aloof that were
kinsmen and kind before.
12Yea, they that seek my life lay snares:
who seek to do me wrong
Speak things mischievous, and deceits
imagine all day long.
13But, as one deaf, that heareth not,
I suffer'd all to pass;
I as a dumb man did become,
whose mouth not open'd was:
14As one that hears not, in whose mouth
are no reproofs at all.
15For, Lord, I hope in thee; my God,
thou'lt hear me when I call.
16For I said, Hear me, lest they should
rejoice o'er me with pride;
And o'er me magnify themselves,
when as my foot doth slide.
17For I am near to halt, my grief
is still before mine eye:
18For I'll declare my sin, and grieve
for mine iniquity.
19But yet mine en'mies lively are,
and strong are they beside;
And they that hate me wrongfully
are greatly multiply'd.
20And they for good that render ill,
as en'mies me withstood;
Yea, ev'n for this, because that I
do follow what is good.
21Forsake me not, O Lord; my God,
far from me never be.
22O Lord, thou my salvation art,
haste to give help to me.
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Psalms 38: MP1650
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Psalms 38
38
Psalm 38#sn Psalm 38. The author asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies. He confesses his sin and recognizes that the crisis he faces is the result of divine discipline. Yet he begs the Lord not to reject him.
A psalm of David, written to get God’s attention.#tn The Hebrew text reads simply, “to cause to remember.” The same form, the Hiphil infinitive of זָכַר (zakhar, “remember”), also appears in the heading of Ps 70. Some understand this in the sense of “for the memorial offering,” but it may carry the idea of bringing one’s plight to God’s attention (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 303).
1 O Lord, do not continue to rebuke me in your anger!
Do not continue to punish me in your raging fury!#tn The words “continue to” are supplied in the translation of both lines. The following verses make it clear that the psalmist is already experiencing divine rebuke/punishment. He asks that it might cease.sn Compare Ps 38:1 with Ps 6:1, which has similar wording.
2 For your arrows pierce#tn The verb Hebrew נָחַת (nakhat) apparently here means “penetrate, pierce” (note the use of the Qal in Prov 17:10). The psalmist pictures the Lord as a warrior who shoots arrows at him (see Ps 7:12-13). me,
and your hand presses me down.#tn Heb “and your hand [?] upon me.” The meaning of the verb נָחַת (nakhat) is unclear in this context. It is preferable to emend the form to וַתָּנַח (vattanakh) from the verb נוּחַ (nuakh, “rest”). In this case the text would read literally, “and your hand rests upon me” (see Isa 25:10, though the phrase is used in a positive sense there, unlike Ps 38:2).
3 My whole body is sick because of your judgment;#tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh from before your anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger at the psalmist’s sin.
I am deprived of health because of my sin.#tn Heb “there is no health in my bones from before my sin.”
4 For my sins overwhelm me;#tn Heb “pass over my head.”
like a heavy load, they are too much for me to bear.
5 My wounds#sn The reference to wounds may be an extension of the metaphorical language of v. 2. The psalmist pictures himself as one whose flesh is ripped and torn by arrows. are infected and starting to smell,#tn Heb “my wounds stink, they are festering” (cf. NEB).
because of my foolish sins.#tn Heb “from before my foolishness.”
6 I am dazed#tn The verb’s precise shade of meaning in this context is not entirely clear. The verb, which literally means “to bend,” may refer to the psalmist’s posture. In Isa 21:3 it seems to mean “be confused, dazed.” and completely humiliated;#tn Heb “I am bowed down to excess.”
all day long I walk around mourning.
7 For I am overcome with shame#tn Heb “for my loins are filled with shame.” The “loins” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. The present translation assumes that נִקְלֶה (niqleh) is derived from קָלָה (qalah, “be dishonored”). Some derive it instead from a homonymic root קָלָה (qalah), meaning “to roast.” In this case one might translate “fever” (cf. NEB “my loins burn with fever”).
and my whole body is sick.#tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh” (see v. 3).
8 I am numb with pain and severely battered;#tn Heb “I am numb and crushed to excess.”
I groan loudly because of the anxiety I feel.#tn Heb “I roar because of the moaning of my heart.”
9 O Lord, you understand my heart’s desire;#tn Heb “O Lord, before you [is] all my desire.”
my groaning is not hidden from you.
10 My heart beats quickly;
my strength leaves me;
I can hardly see.#tn Heb “and the light of my eyes, even they, there is not with me.” The “light of the eyes” may refer to physical energy (see 1 Sam 14:27, 29), life itself (Ps 13:3), or the ability to see (Prov 29:23).
11 Because of my condition,#tn Or “wound,” or “illness.” even my friends and acquaintances keep their distance;#tn Heb “stand [aloof].”
my neighbors stand far away.#tn Heb “and the ones near me off at a distance stand.”
12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me;#tn Heb “lay snares.”
those who want to harm me speak destructive words;
all day long they say deceitful things.
13 But I am like a deaf man – I hear nothing;
I am like a mute who cannot speak.#sn I am like a deaf man…like a mute. The psalmist is like a deaf mute; he is incapable of defending himself and is vulnerable to his enemies’ deception (see v. 14).
14 I am like a man who cannot hear
and is incapable of arguing his defense.#tn Heb “and there is not in his mouth arguments.”
15 Yet#tn Or perhaps “surely.” I wait for you, O Lord!
You will respond, O Lord, my God!
16 I have prayed for deliverance, because otherwise they will gloat over me;#tn Heb “For I said, ‘Lest they rejoice over me.’” The psalmist recalls the motivating argument of his petition. He probably prefaced this statement with a prayer for deliverance (see Pss 7:1-2; 13:3-4; 28:1).
when my foot slips they will arrogantly taunt me.#tn Heb “they will magnify against me.” See Pss 35:26; 55:13.
17 For I am about to stumble,
and I am in constant pain.#tn Heb “and my pain [is] before me continually.”
18 Yes,#tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here. I confess my wrongdoing,
and I am concerned about my sins.
19 But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous;#tn Heb “and my enemies, life, are many.” The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “life”) fits very awkwardly here. The translation assumes an emendation to חִנָּם (khinam, “without reason”; note the parallelism with שֶׁקֶר [sheqer, “falsely”] and see Pss 35:19; 69:4; Lam 3:52). The verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority (note the parallel verb רָבַב, ravav, “be many”).
those who hate me without cause outnumber me.#tn Heb “are many.”
20 They repay me evil for the good I have done;
though I have tried to do good to them, they hurl accusations at me.#tn Heb “the ones who repay evil instead of good accuse me, instead of my pursuing good.”
21 Do not abandon me, O Lord!
My God, do not remain far away from me!
22 Hurry and help me,#tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Ps 22:19. O Lord, my deliverer!
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