What does Psalm 6:4 mean?
ESV: Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
NIV: Turn, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.
NASB: Return, Lord, rescue my soul; Save me because of Your mercy.
CSB: Turn, Lord! Rescue me; save me because of your faithful love.
NLT: Return, O Lord, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love.
KJV: Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.
NKJV: Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!
Verse Commentary:
David assumes the Lord has turned away from him. We're not sure if this is because of some sin he committed, or because of some desperate condition he is facing. It might be both, such as David experiencing an illness which he knew was connected to his sin. In response, he asks God to turn back and rescue him.
This plea is not based on any merit which David claims for himself. Instead, it's entirely rooted in the Lord's steadfast love. He realizes that the covenant-keeping Lord God loves His people regardless of their sins or adverse circumstances.
After making a second set of tablets and being commanded by the Lord, Moses arose early and ascended Mount Sinai with the tablets in hand. There the Lord met him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin" (Exodus 34:6–7). Perhaps David recalls these words from Exodus as he appeals for deliverance.
Verse Context:
Psalm 6:4–5 gives further hints that David is facing some kind of illness or disease. His requests here are specifically about his life, after earlier references to troubled bones (Psalm 6:2). In this brief section, David pleads with God for deliverance. He bases his plea on the Lord's steadfast love, and David's desire to praise God. He points out that a dead body cannot remember or worship the Lord.
Chapter Summary:
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.
Chapter Context:
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.
Book Summary:
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 4/28/2024 3:31:46 AM
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Text from ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB, NLT, KJV, NKJV © Copyright respective owners, used by permission.
