Psalm 6:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David. O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.

NIV: For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David. LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.

NASB: Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor discipline me in Your wrath.

CSB: Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger; do not discipline me in your wrath.

NLT: O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage.

KJV: {To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.} O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

NKJV: {To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. On an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David.} O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.

Parts of this psalm suggest David was suffering from some literal disease or illness (Psalm 6:2, 4, 6). And yet, the first statements made are references to sin, repentance, and discipline. Nothing in the psalm explains why David believed the Lord was angry with him. Perhaps, he had committed a sin, either a behavioral sin or an attitudinal sin. He may have experienced a lapse of faith, fearing his enemies instead of God. Regardless, David wants a close relationship with the Lord, and so he pleads to avoid discipline.

David addresses the Lord as the covenant-keeping God of Israel. He knows the Lord is faithful and will not abandon His chosen people. He recognizes the fact that the Lord issues a warning before He chastens His children. Revelation 3:19 shows this sequence. In His address to the church at Laodicea, Jesus said, "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent."

Psalm 6:1–3 begins with a mournful expression of David's grief. He asks the Lord to withdraw His hand of discipline from him, and he describes the misery he is experiencing under that discipline. David is distressed physically and spiritually. His bones ache and his soul is greatly troubled.

David begins Psalm 6 by asking the Lord to withhold discipline from him. He describes the anguish he is experiencing. His bones are in pain and his soul is troubled. It's not clear whether David is literally experiencing some illness, sorrow for his sin, danger from enemies, or some combination of all these concerns. Whatever the situation, David's health is failing and so is his confidence. And yet, he is ultimately assured that God will intervene. The psalm begins in repentance and ends in confidence.

This psalm is ascribed to David. No exact incident in David's life is identified in this passage. There seems to be a connection to a disease or other health issue. He may have written it during his old age, when his son Absalom rebelled against him (2 Samuel 15:12–14). Another possible inspiration is David's sorrow over his sin with Bathsheba (Psalm 51; 2 Samuel 12:9). Psalm 6 is one of seven penitential psalms: songs expressing confession and repentance. The other six are Psalms 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143.

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.

Accessed 5/4/2024 3:52:40 AM