Psalm 6:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

NIV: All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

NASB: All my enemies will be put to shame and greatly horrified; They shall turn back, they will suddenly be put to shame.

CSB: All my enemies will be ashamed and shake with terror; they will turn back and suddenly be disgraced.

NLT: May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified. May they suddenly turn back in shame.

KJV: Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

NKJV: Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.

David's despair, physical distress, and fear of his enemies vanished when the Lord answered his prayer for deliverance. Here, he demonstrates confidence in the Lord's vindication. He had been troubled (Psalm 6:4–7), but now David is confident that his enemies will be routed. Their efforts to destroy him would boomerang on them. They would be turned back and suddenly be put to shame.

Believers hold a guarantee of victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Jesus promised, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). The apostle Paul sounds a note of victory in Romans 8. After listing the troubles that believers experience: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and the sword, he exults: "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). Like David, believers today are on the winning side!

Psalm 6:8–10 changes the mood dramatically: from despair and gloom to joy and encouragement. David believes the Lord has answered his prayer for deliverance and will vanquish his enemies. This renewed confidence is a fitting conclusion to the psalm.

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 5/8/2024 8:29:05 AM