Psalm 38:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.

NIV: All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.

NASB: Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You.

CSB: Lord, my every desire is in front of you; my sighing is not hidden from you.

NLT: You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh.

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

NKJV: Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You.

Throughout this psalm, David confesses that he suffers because of his own sin (Psalm 38:1–4, 18). Much of these symptoms are poetic expressions of his guilt and shame: conviction brought by God (Psalm 38:5–8). It's fitting, then, that David chooses to refer to God using the Hebrew term Adōnā'y, or Adonai, which literally means "Master." This term was sometimes spoken when reading Scripture, rather than trying to pronounce God's self-identified name of YHWH. This reference shows that David is humble and regards himself as God's servant.

David also acknowledges that the Lord is omniscient: nothing is hidden from Him. The Lord was fully aware of David's pain and sighs, as well as his motives and his desires. Every believer should derive comfort, peace, and courage from the fact that the Lord knows all about his suffering. Such omniscience does not preclude the need to pray. Hebrews 4:14 tells us Jesus, the believers' great high priest, is available. The same passage assures us He sympathizes with our struggle since He experienced temptation but didn't sin (Hebrew 4:15). This is why we can confidently approach God in prayer, as we seek to "receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

Psalm 38:9–14 shows David's sincere humility. He addresses God as "Adonai," meaning "Lord" or "Master." He acknowledges that God knows all about his suffering, then continues to explain his misery. Guilt and conviction have caused him personal anguish. His sin created isolation from friends and relatives. It has given room for his enemies to attack him. In the face of this pressure, David feels entirely helpless.

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.