Psalm 38:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.

NIV: My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body.

NASB: For my sides are filled with burning, And there is no healthy part in my flesh.

CSB: For my insides are full of burning pain, and there is no soundness in my body.

NLT: A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken.

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

NKJV: For my loins are full of inflammation, And there is no soundness in my flesh.

David continues his poetic description (Psalm 38:2, 5) of the pain he feels under God's corrective rebuke. The word "burning" derives from a Hebrew term meaning "to scorch." The imagery is of extreme inflammation. Modern afflictions such as shingles can cause intense pain on the sides of the body, accompanied by a rash, chills, and nausea. Such a condition would make it nearly impossible to find relief either by standing, sitting, or lying down. The slightest movement can trigger the sensation of one's ribs being on fire. Other statements in this psalm appear to be metaphors, so David most likely is not describing a physical disease. He is, however, pointing out the drastic misery which guilt and shame are inflicting on him.

In the same way, David also comments that no part of his body is healthy. Sin, itself, can lead to physical consequences through disease or injury. Intense emotional pain can also cause symptoms in one's physical body. That is not to say all sickness is due to the suffering person's sin. Physical suffering might be tied directly to sin (John 5:14), or it may be completely unrelated (John 9:1–3). David seems fully aware that his experience—in whatever combination of physical and emotional stress—was due to his choice to sin against God (Psalm 38:1).

Psalm 38:1–8 resembles Psalm 32:3–4. In both passages, David describes pain he experiences because of his sin. He recognizes here that his physical suffering has come because of his immoral action. He sees the pain as part of the Lord's disciplining of him. In the moment, his situation seems too much to bear, making him miserable. It's possible Psalm 38 was written in response to David's sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:7–9).

David cries out to God in repentance for his sin. He feels the weight of shame and conviction, as if being pierced by arrows, ravaged by disease, crushed, and blinded. His friends have abandoned him; his enemies plot his demise. All of these have been brought about because of his "iniquity." Throughout this misery, David does not abandon hope. Instead, he confidently calls on the Lord to forgive and rescue him.

Psalm 38 and Psalm 32 are similar. They both express David's deep sense of guilt, his contrition, and his confession. Both psalms refer to the ill effect David's sins exerted on his physical condition. Psalm 38's descriptions seem mostly symbolic, but his anguish is very literal. Likely, the sins in question were adultery with Bathsheba and the arranged murder of her husband (2 Samuel 12:7–9). If so, these themes connect directly to Psalm 51. David asks God to forgive him and heal him.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.