Was it his physical and emotional pains? » O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. In other words, David is writing this psalm with a view to getting God’s attention – having him remember David in that way. because of my sin. A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance] Made purposely for a memorial, both of what he had suffered and from what he had been delivered. Bad Advertisement? So what part of scripture are we obedient to, to be IN covenant with The Most High? So, let’s not be ashamed to pray that promise back to him. I didn’t speak.”. And so, even though David has now confessed his sin and sought to do good – well, his enemies are still there and they’re not just going to magically disappear. And who else in this life do you have that will tend to stick with you beside these people that David mentions? And yet, that would mean we’d need to ignore the next two verses where David returns to lamenting his enemies who are multiplying. In other words, David’s manifold physical ailments are keeping his friends away. In Psalm 38 the idea was that David did well to not defend himself. The Lord will hasten to help those who trust in him as their salvation. Psalm 38 Bible Commentary. The less we notice the unkindness and injuries that are done us, the more we consult the quiet of our own minds. We enter the New Covenant like Abraham or David entered their covenants with God – by God’s gracious initiation and unbreakable promise. Psalms 38 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary has been valued for generations and consulted by Bible scholars everywhere But now that David has considered the horrible nature of his sin once more, he turns back to consider its consequences in verse 5. But David’s problems are going a step farther. Do we think that sickness and disease is ever a part of God’s chastening of us? His emotional sorrow creates a physical response. And yet, he doesn’t stay there very long because in verse 10 he returns to his physical struggles. David was already being rebuked and chastened in God’s wrath and hot displeasure. 16 For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me:when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me. So, these folks are planning to kill David. Have you ever been experiencing chastening for sin? Was the reason for all of this simply due to his friends forsaking him? Psalm 38 Commentary. Is it David’s sin? Hyperbole is not lying. John Trapp Complete Commentary. Yet many let their wounds rankle, because they delay to go to their merciful Friend. And what we discover throughout this psalm is that these things were already happening. 21 Forsake me not, O LORD:O my God, be not far from me. God is like a giant whose hand he is using to press down upon the helpless David. Inhalt. Psalms is divided into five books : Psalms 1-41, which witness to David's life and faith; Psalms 42-72, a group of historical writings; Psalms 73-99, ritual psalms; Psalms 90-106, reflecting pre-captivity sentiment and history; and Psalms 107-150, dealing with the captivity and return to Jerusalem. We’re not thinking of expressing our difficulties and struggles with such vivid pictures. Your email address will not be published. But neither would I discourage a little emotional maturing on the part of all of us by means of really vividly describing our suffering in concrete word pictures. And so, David seems to take some comfort in the knowledge that God knows all about his suffering. The guilt of sin is a burden to the whole creation, which groans under it. I’m not saying that we need to express ourselves in the exact same ways as David does. David is saying that God – in his eyes – has become his enemy. GodRules Store: Bargains; New Releases; Best Sellers ; Your Own Online Business News/Reviews: World News ; Movie Reviews ; Book Search Are you a Christian? I didn’t speak. Just a reminder to the piece of “not being forsaken”. It will be a burden to the sinners themselves, when they are heavy-laden under it, or a burden of ruin, when it sinks them to hell. And they’re leaving because they see how afflicted he is by God. 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger;neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. Psalm 38 begins a group of four related psalms that closes Book I (i.e., Psalms 38-41).These four psalms are linked by central themes. So, may the Lord not forsake a single one of us. And then, the light of David’s eyes would be his physical energy, his life, or his sight. The true believer's trouble will be made useful; he will learn to wait for his God, and will not seek relief from the world or himself. Your email address will not be published. Ver. And that’s why we just saw him vowing to confess and sorrow over his sin. And that’s probably what makes it so difficult for David to focus on God for very long. David says he is ready to halt – that is, he’s ready to stumble and fall. ist ein Psalm Davids aus dem ersten Buch des Psalters. To bring to remembrance. And at the same time, it’s also unscriptural to think that God never uses sickness or disease to chasten his people because of their sin. A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering. Well then, how is saying those things any better than praying to God and speaking of God’s arrows being shot into you and causing your flesh to rot? David was suffering all of these things – as he admits – because of his sin. It’s gone over his head. 7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease:and there is no soundness in my flesh. His enemies are pursuing him at the exact same time as all of this other stuff is happening, according to verse 12. God is responding to David the way he is because God is angry because of David’s sin. 2 Herr, sei nicht länger zornig und strafe mich nicht in deiner Wut! Psalms 38 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, filling six volumes, provides an exhaustive look at every verse in the Bible. In it, David is rehearsing the fact that his sin has caused God to attack him. David's sins and his afflictions … The New Covenant was inaugurated with Jesus’ death and anyone who has died and risen with him now has the benefit of his sins and lawless deeds never being remembered against him again by the Lord. And meanwhile – as all of the enemies gang up on David, as all of his loved ones abandon him, as all of his physical and emotional difficulties crowd around him – he acknowledges his own personal helplessness before all of it in verses 13 and 14. But even these are leaving David. Psalms 38, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, by the leading authority in the Church of Christ, presents a verse level look at the Bible. And if he were to try to lift his sin and put it somewhere else – so to speak – that would be an impossible task. Psalm 38 Neues Leben. Psalm 38:15. I hate to over-emphasize the metaphorical nature of the psalms. 5 My wounds stinkand are corrupt because of my foolishness. 2 HERR, strafe mich nicht in deinem Zorn und züchtige mich nicht in deinem Grimm! When, at any time, we are distempered in our bodies, we ought to remember how God has been dishonoured in and by our bodies. 13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not;and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. Study the bible online using commentary on Psalm 38 and more! It’s as if he’s in a court of law as the defense – but he can’t hear any of the arguments and he can’t speak in his own defense. i. And even in this verse you see the wedding of the physical and emotional. What is coming across to David as rebuke and chastening? But immediately it seems that David slips back into thinking about his problems once more in both verses 16 and 17. Psalm 38 is a lament psalm. Earmark Psalms 38:4. With context here that we can forsake him therefore, we must remember this when we are being met with resistance to our sin. He mourns and is troubled emotionally and that causes him to be bowed down physically. (1-11) The psalmist's sufferings and prayers. When we sin and confess it to the Lord, we might think that that will fix everything. Don’t worry of overstating things. 10 My heart panteth, my strength faileth me:as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. He’s drowning in it. It’s a poetic device called hyperbole. It’s like David can sort of lift his head and put his focus on God for a brief moment. And yet, it’s at that point when he breaks out in verse 15 with a declaration of confidence in the Lord. Psalm 38. by The Warehouse | Published September 23, 2018. Thank you for this clear explanation of Psalm 38. So, Davis is saying to God “please stop doing these things to me.”. I think the remembrance that this psalm is referring to is God remembering – taking note of – David in all of his trouble. David was very sensible of the present workings of corruption in him. “Since with God to remember is to act, this word speaks of laying before Him a situation that cries out for His help.” (Derek Kidner) one psalm at a time . Der 38. All of these problems of his have caused his friends to leave him as well. And you’d like to think that that would solve all of David’s problems. David was already being rebuked and chastened in God’s wrath and hot displeasure. And so, we start thinking that sickness can NEVER be a result of personal sin. David, in the complaints he makes of his enemies, seems to refer to Christ. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In the previous psalm David showed his godliness by his silence before his accusers (I am like a mute who does not open his mouth, Psalm 38:13). I want to be careful not to interpret something as figurative and poetic when perhaps it was meant to be understood as literal. Commentaries, history books, and more are linked to this page. When we perceive our true condition, the Good Physician will be valued, sought, and obeyed. 14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not,and in whose mouth are no reproofs. because of your indignation; there is no health in my q bones. It’s overwhelming for him. David's sins and his afflictions are the cause of his grief and the matter of his complaints. KJV Psalm 38:1 . I believe the feeling of God not been present is God’s way of drawing us nearer to him and to get us to open up and speak out how we feel more as we bow before him. We see that in verse 11. As a result, David is suffering physically and emotionally. Thank you for your view of Psalm 38 it helped me so very much. No. So, David has so far been very focused on his own physical and emotional state. That’s how it can be said to “pant.”. So, when it comes down to it – what was responsible for David’s numerous difficulties? They communicate truth – but the truth is indirect – it’s represented by the pictures that he paints. which gives us an inspiration that God is our only hope in this world and he haers our cry and prayers. Our sin can cause irreversible damage sometimes. Thank you for this explanation of psalm 38. But our enemies do us real mischief only when they drive us from God and our duty. 17 For I am ready to halt,and my sorrow is continually before me. That’s how he feels. Was it ultimately the enemies? Now, we can point out that God has not literally tak… And that’s why David sees the need to end this psalm in a kind of unsettled and open-ended way – seeking the Lord’s continued help for the lingering effects of his confessed sin. David's troubles were the chastisement and the consequence of his transgressions, whilst Christ suffered for our sins and ours only. Er wird zur Gruppe der sogenannten Bußpsalmen gezählt. How often do I try and down play the consequences of my sin, as it relates to GODs mercy and grace. See Psalms 38:4 in… The King James Bible Geneva Bible (1599) View accompanying works… Geneva Notes (1560) John Gill’s Commentary Matthew Henry’s Commentary Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. The story of the murder … Well, then David returns to the physical results of his sin in verse 7. Even his family isn’t going to get close to him. But now in verse 6 he will speak of his emotional difficulties. He wouldn’t treat his own sin as a light matter. See 1 Chronicles 16:4, Exodus 30:16, Leviticus 2:2; Leviticus 6:15. Matthew Henry :: Commentary on Psalms 38 ← Back to Matthew Henry's Bio & Resources . It’s OK. 3 There is p no soundness in my flesh. O LORD, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage! We hear Jesus in the Gospels tell his disciples that neither this man nor his parents sinned to lead him to be a paralytic. 2 For thine arrows stick fast in me,and thy hand presseth me sore. Others are Psalms 32, and 51. And yet, that’s exactly how David felt – as if God was shooting arrows right into his body. I think sometimes we look at the book of Job – for example – and we think that Job’s friends were wrong for thinking that everything Job suffered was a direct result of Job’s sin. 19 But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong:and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. Wonderfully written. Verse 2. Well, what makes David think that God is actually doing this to him? That those who were his enemies now sought to accomplish their purposes against him with better hopes of success, by taking advantage of his sickness. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. Der Psalm beginnt – nach einer Zuschreibung zu David und der Einordnung zum Gedenkopfer (Vers 1) – damit, dass der Psalmbeter seine schwere Krankheit schildert (Vers 2–9). David reports a lack of soundness in his flesh and no rest in his bones. You must not relinquish this to a commentator. This is one of the penitential psalms; it is full of grief and complaint from the beginning to the end. But that’s not the only thing that’s leaving him. I have gotten a better picture of how David really felt about sin in his life and how he did not take God’s favor for granted. Nothing will disquiet the heart of a good man so much as the sense of God's anger. Then David rehearses the fact that he did seek the Lord in prayer about all of his awful problems in verse 16. 4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head:as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. Psalm 38. God has a hand that is pressing down on him. And for that reason – even though David can’t see the end to this trial – he is going to hope in the Lord. The groanings which cannot be uttered, are not hid from Him that searches the heart, and knows the mind of the Spirit. Why does David need God to take note of and remember him? And that leads David to expound on the good that he’s done for these men in times past in verses 13 and 14. : 38:16-23) Become utterly useless in himself, he renounces all self-help, for (כּי) he hopes in Jahve, who alone can help him. HINT: Since there are such a large number of resources on this page (>10,000 links) you might consider beginning with the more recent commentaries that briefly discuss all 150 Psalms - Paul Apple (750 pages), Thomas Constable, David Guzik, Bob Utley.For more devotional thoughts consider Spurgeon's The Treasury of … He feels pressured in life and he knows that he is in danger – and he is recognizing it as all God’s doing. But then we have statements that balance that view out – like the fact that some in the church at Corinth were SICK because of their sin of divisiveness. Amen, a great explanation an yes I can relate to David feeling that God is not present. ADAM CLARKE'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - PSALMS 38 Psalms 37 - Psalms 39 >> - HELP - FB - TWITTER - GR VIDEOS - GR FORUMS - GR YOUTUBE . O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath:neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. I feel like I can be more descriptive of my consequences, more open to call them out to GOD as I request his forgiveness. So, let’s look at the superscription of Psalm 38 first. 3 Denn deine Pfeile stecken in mir, und deine Hand drückt mich. 4 Es ist nichts Gesundes an meinem Leibe wegen deines Drohens und ist nichts Heiles an meinen Gebeinen wegen meiner Sünde. 6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly;I go mourning all the day long. And even though David’s mind sucked him right back to his problems in this life – David once again has his eyes on his relationship with the Lord in verse 18. Have you ever found yourself ending your prayers like this? All you have to rely on is the Lord ending his silence and coming to your aid. A question for us all. So, I think the big problem here in interpreting lament psalms for us is that when we’re lamenting to God, our laments are so bland. 11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore;and my kinsmen stand afar off. I am using it as an introduction to our prayer meeting. Your arrows have struck deep, and your blows are … And so, my question at this point is – is David really saying that he has literal wounds that are literally stinking and rotting? Thank you. If there were not sin in our souls, there would be no pain in our bones, no illness in our bodies. So, David made a brief appeal to God in verse 9 and then here in verse 10, he’s right back to highlighting his physical problems that have resulted from his sin. He’s picturing himself as helpless to return any defense against these realities. And so, David is left in this really awful position of not being able to defend himself. All Rights Reserved. 15 For in thee, O LORD, do I hope:thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. Beautifully written and Doctrinally sound. Table of Contents hide. Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (Heb. 20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries;because I follow the thing that good is. 18 For I will declare mine iniquity;I will be sorry for my sin. And yet, it sometimes just doesn’t. Add to that – his friends are leaving him and his enemies are increasing in number and in power. In verse 4 he actually recognizes that it’s not the punishment of his sin that’s the most overwhelming reality – actually, his sin itself is. Psalm 38:12 "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." Nothing goes nearer to the heart of a believer when in affliction, than to be under the apprehension of God's deserting him; nor does any thing come more feelingly from his heart than this prayer, "Be not far from me." Is it God’s mercy? Get a Copy of … He will never forsake those who are IN covenant with Him. Neither did God literally take his physical hand and press it down on David. The way to keep the heart quiet, is to keep ourselves in the love of God. So, with his physical and emotional condition laid out before himself and the Lord, David turns his thoughts toward God with an appeal to him in verse 9. Psalms 38 Commentary, this commentary, filling six volumes, provides an exhaustive look at every verse in the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. Psalms 38:4. Psalms 38 Commentary, this commentary is a triumph of rigorous scholarship and sound theology by two highly respected theologians But our feeling and thoughts when under stress, or worried can lead us to think God is not near. Study the bible online using commentary on Psalms 38 and more! As I’m studying through this psalm and other lament psalms, I find myself wondering why David needs to be so imaginative in his description of his suffering as a result of his sin. No clear resolution to your problems? May the Lord not be far from any one of us – just as in truth he is near to each of us – and will draw near to us as we draw near to him. So, Davis is saying to God “please stop doing these things to me.” Well, what makes David think that God is actually doing this to him? Psalms 38 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, by the leading authority in the Church of Christ, presents a verse level look at the Bible. ii. So, it’s an unscriptural stretch to think that every sickness or disease or trial is a direct result of someone’s sin. He waits for His answer, for (כי) he says, etc. And I can kind of struggle with this. And yet, it’s not that David is focused solely on God’s punishing his sin. Bible > Bible Commentary; Charles H. Spurgeon’s Treasury of David; Psalm; Psalm 38; Charles H. Spurgeon’s Treasury of David << Psalm 37 | Psalm 38 | Psalm 39 >> (Read all of Psalm 38) Exposition - Explanatory Notes and Quaint Sayings Hints to the Village Preacher - Works Upon This Psalm TITLE. No – God has reason for doing what he’s doing – as we see in verse 3. Die Bibel 1 Ein Psalm Davids, der den Herrn an uns erinnern soll. Good men, by setting their sorrow continually before them, have been ready to fall; but by setting God always before them, they have kept their standing. Psalms 38:1 « A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. Read Psalms 38 commentary using Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). He’s helpless to defend himself. Psalms 38 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this verse-by-verse commentary contain gems of information found nowhere outside the ancient Jewish writings 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. Wicked men hate goodness, even when they benefit by it. The way to keep the heart quiet, is to keep ourselves in the love of God. So, David did pray to the Lord about his problems. Psalms 38 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is a triumph of rigorous scholarship and sound theology by two highly respected theologians May the Lord – who alone is our salvation – be swift to help us in every trial, problem, and difficulty each of us is experiencing and wrestling with today. A Psalm of David, to bring remembrance. And yet, we’ve already seen David speaking in highly poetic terms – God’s arrows are stuck in him. And don’t we know what that’s like – to have our emotions affect our physical appearance? The way we describe our pain and suffering as a result of our sin or for any other reason can be so… bland and colorless. Hyperbole is stating emotional truth. What right can a sinner have to yield to impatience or anger, when mercifully corrected for his sins? That’s where we start in verse 1. Psalms 38 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary was written by the Thomas Coke, one of the founders of the Methodist Church in the United States. So, as we bring our laments to God we can use hyperbole. He wasn’t going to be ambivalent toward it. And the question here is – Who or what is to be brought to remembrance? Sin is the cause of this experiencing wrath, and the wrath is the cause of the bodily derangement; sin as an exciting cause of the wrath always manifests itself outwardly even on the body as a fatal power. He said that the “light of his eyes” had gone away in verse 10. One commentary I read by a man named Derek Kidner put it something like this –  to think that sickness is never the result of sin is as unwise as thinking that it is always the result of sin. This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Psalm 38 – The Sick Sinner’s Only Hope This psalm is titled A Psalm of David. So, basically he says in those two verses, “Verse 13 – I didn’t hear. This was beautifully written thank you for sharing this explanation, god bless, I keep hearing in my head to read this psalm and how you interpreted it makes a lot a sense for my life. PSALMS RESOURCES Commentaries, Sermons, Illustrations, Devotionals. Psalm 38 Lutherbibel 2017 In schwerer Heimsuchung (Der dritte Bußpsalm) 1 Ein Psalm Davids, zum Gedenkopfer. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 38:1-11 Nothing will disquiet the heart of a good man so much as the sense of God's anger. Read Psalm 38 commentary using The Treasury of David. But a sense of guilt is too heavy to bear; and would sink men into despair and ruin, unless removed by the pardoning mercy of God. And what we discover throughout this psalm is that these things were already happening. And I think I’m not alone. (12-22). The word translated “sore” is far more often translated as “plague” in the KJV. Psalm 38 (Chapter XXXVIII Study) This is one of the penitential psalms; it is full of grief and complaint from the beginning to the end. So, David has been describing his physical difficulties that he connects to his sin. Psalms 38 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is a one-volume commentary prepared by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown But a sense of guilt is too heavy to bear; and would sink men into despair and ruin, unless removed by the pardoning mercy of God. David is obviously doing that here in this psalm. 2 For your n arrows have sunk into me, and your hand o has come down on me. God has attacked David – as if he were an archer with bow and arrows. Verse 14 – I didn’t hear. But David’s problems aren’t limited to his physical and emotional state. Here he did well to not speak his doubts and fears while the wicked are before me. All are confessions of sin in the midst of troubles—the troubles in at least three of these being serious illness and enemies (while the other, Psalm 40, concerns enemies rising during a time of distress, which could also be related to a time of illness). He has promised to never leave or forsake us. And no doubt there was some disease that David is experiencing as a result of God’s chastening. 4 Weil ich unter deinem Zorn leide, bin ich krank am ganzen Körper und meine Gesundheit ist dahin wegen meiner Sünde. So, here are a few thoughts to help explain why we tend to be so puzzled over how the psalmists tend to be highly imaginative in the way they describe their situation – especially in lament psalms. Now, we can point out that God has not literally taken a bow and arrow and shot them into David. 4. The way to keep the heart quiet, is to keep ourselves in the love of God. God's displeasure at sin. So, it’s as if David pictures himself in a sea of his sin. He was going to own it and confess it and sorrow over it. So, we have here the picture here of David’s heart beating quickly. That’s where we start in verse 1. But a sense of guilt is too heavy to bear; and would sink men into despair and ruin, unless removed by the pardoning mercy of God. And so that leads to one more thing we ought to consider. Psalm (nach griechischer Zählung der 37.) But he’s not claiming that God’s actions are unjustified. Because every time he does, he’s reminded of the one who is chastening him over personally offending this loving God – who loves his people too much to let us continue in our sin. But when it comes down to it, of these first ten verses of this psalm, David’s attention is mainly on his own suffering as a result of his sin. So, even though David himself is pictured as not being able to hear – he knows one who can hear – the Lord his God. But David is and he does throughout the book of Psalms. David, in his troubles, was a type of Christ in his agonies, of Christ on his cross, suffering and deserted. © 2021 Christianity.com. These images are very metaphorical and non-literal. Verse 2. And God’s righteous anger toward David’s sins has some very unpleasant results. Psalm 35 Commentary David’s Seeing Their Good | 13-14. Even David’s remembrance of praying for deliverance from these troubling realities brings back to his mind those very same troubling realities. What is coming across to David as rebuke and chastening? Why does David need God to take note of and remember him? He is physically suffering as a result of his sin. This was a new aggravation of his affliction. First, let’s look at ourselves. Those who loves you – your friends – your kinsmen – these are the people who – if anyone is going to stick with you – it’s them. In that sense they are “before” the Lord. 8 I am feeble and sore broken:I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. Commentary on Psalm 38:1-11 (Read Psalm 38:1-11) Nothing will disquiet the heart of a good man so much as the sense of God's anger. 12 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Now, emotional truth may not be – and usually is not – factual truth. Now, it’s one thing for friends and family to forsake you. Required fields are marked *. Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary (concise), Matthew Henry Bible Commentary (complete), California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He’s going to confidently expect the Lord’s help. 9 Lord, all my desire is before thee;and my groaning is not hid from thee. If we are truly penitent for sin, that will make us patient under affliction. 22 Make haste to help me,O Lord my salvation. And so, he’s saying that at least one of those things is leaving him. Yes – that’s how David is feeling about the whole situation. For example, God was not really shooting arrows at David. And I think what David is experiencing here is this. So, stinking and rotting wounds? In Psalm 38:4wrath is called זעם as a boiling up.