Psalm 38

O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

(Title

&) This deeply penitential Psalm is supposed to have been composed by David under some grievous affliction, either bodily or mental, or both, after his illicit intercourse with Bathsheba.

to bring

70.1 *title

rebuke

6.1 88.7,15,16 Isaiah 27.8 54.8 Jeremiah 10.24 30.11 Habakkuk 3.2 Hebrews 12.5-11

hot

Deuteronomy 9.19

For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.

thine

21.12 64.7 Job 6.4 Lamentations 3.12

thy hand

32.4 39.10,11 Deuteronomy 2.15 Ruth 1.13 1 Samuel 5.6,11 6.9

There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.

soundness

31.9 2 Chronicles 26.19 Job 2.7,8 33.19-22 Isaiah 1.5,6

neither

6.2 51.8 102.3,5

rest

Heb. peace, or, health. because.

51.8 90.7,8 Lamentations 3.40-42

For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

mine

40.12 Ezra 9.6

as an

Leviticus 7.18 Isaiah 53.11 Lamentations 1.14 Matthew 11.28 1 Peter 2.24

My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.

My wounds

The soul being invisible, its distempers are also so; therefore the sacred writers describe them by the distempers of the body. (See the Parallel Texts on these verses.) On reading these and similar passages, say Bp. Lowth, some, who were but little acquainted with the genius of Hebrew poetry, have pretended to enquire into the nature of the disease with which the poet was afflicted; not less absurdly, in my opinion, than if they had perplexed themselves to discover in what river he was plunged, when he complains that "the deep waters had gone over his soul."

7 32.3 Isaiah 1.5,6 Jeremiah 8.22

I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

troubled

Heb. wearied. bowed.

35.14 42.5 *marg:; 57.6 145.14

mourning

6.6 31.10 42.9 43.2 88.9 Job 30.28 Isaiah 38.14

For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.

my loins

41.8 2 Chronicles 21.18,19 Job 7.5 30.18 Acts 12.23

no

Verse 8

I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

roared

22.1,2 32.3 Job 3.24 30.28 Isaiah 59.11

Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

Lord

Instead of adonay, "Lord," several MSS. read yehowah, "Jehovah."

groaning

102.5,20 John 1.48 Romans 8.22,23,26,27 2 Corinthians 5.2

My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

heart

42.1 119.81-83 143.4-7 Isaiah 21.4

the light

6.7 69.3 88.9 119.123 1 Samuel 14.27-29 Lamentations 2.11 5.16,17

gone from

Heb. not with.

My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

lovers

31.11 Job 6.21-23 19.13-17 Matthew 26.56 John 16.32

stand

Luke 10.31,32

sore

Heb. stroke. kinsmen. or, neighbours. afar off.

Luke 22.54 23.49

They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

lay snares

10.9 64.2-5 119.110 140.5 141.9 2 Samuel 17.1-3 Luke 20.19,20

speak

35.20 62.3,4 2 Samuel 16.7,8 Luke 20.21,22

But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

39.2,9 2 Samuel 16.10-12 Isaiah 53.7 1 Peter 2.23

Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

that heareth

Amos 5.13 Micah 7.5 Mark 15.3-5 John 8.6

For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

in thee, etc

or, thee do I wait for. do.

39.7 123.1-3

hear

or, answer.

138.3

Lord

Here also, instead of adonay, one hundred and two MSS. read yehowah, "Jehovah."

For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.

For I said

13.3,4 35.24-26

foot

94.18 Deuteronomy 32.35

magnify

35.26

For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.

to halt

Heb. for halting.

35.15 *marg:; Micah 4.6,7

sorrow

6 6.6 77.2,3 Isaiah 53.3-5

For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

For

32.5 51.3 Job 31.33 33.27 Proverbs 28.13

sorry

2 Corinthians 7.7-11

But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

But

3.1 25.19 56.1,2 59.1-3

are lively, etc

Heb. being living are strong. Instead of chaymin, "lively" Bp. Lowth would read chinmon, "without cause:"--"but mine enemies without cause have strengthened themselves." As this emendation renders this member of the sentence parallel to the other, it is by no means improbable: see Ps 35:19; 79:5.

they that

35.19 69.4 Matthew 10.22 John 15.18-25 Acts 4.25-28

They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

render

7.4 35.12 109.3-5 1 Samuel 19.4-6 23.5,12 25.16,21 Jeremiah 18.20

because

Matthew 5.10 John 10.32 1 Peter 3.13,17,18 4.14-16 1 John 3.12

Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.

O my God

22.1,11,19,24 35.21,22

Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

Make

40.13,17 70.1,5 71.12 141.1

to help me

Heb. for my help. O Lord.

27.1 62.2,6 Isaiah 12.2