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Psalm Six
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 6
To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith
a Psalm of David. What is
designed by "the chief musician"
and what is meant by
"neginoth"
have been observed preciously
See Gill on Psalm 4:1. As for "sheminith"
it
seems to be one particular sort of the "neginoth"
or stringed
instrument
which this man had the care of; see the title of Psalm 12:1
which most of the Hebrew
writersF25Targum
Jarchi
Kimchi
& Ben Melech in loc.
understand of the harp of eight strings
to which this psalm was set; and
which
from the number of its strings
was called "sheminith"
which
signifies "the eighth": and this receives confirmation from 1 Chronicles 15:21. The eighth string was
added to the harp by Simonides
according to PlinyF26Nat. Hist. l.
7. c. 56. : but if such an harp is here meant
this refutes it
for David lived
long before Simonides. Though someF1In Aben Ezra in loc. have
thought it refers to a poem or song of eight notes
to the tune of which this
psalm was sung; or to the eighth note
which was grave
and which we call the
bass. As for the eighth day of circumcision
of which some Jewish writers
mystically interpret it; or the eighth
that is
the first day
or Lord's day
to which some of the ancient Christian writers refer it
or the eighth age
or
millennium
as Theodoret; these can by no means be admitted of. The occasion of
it was either some bodily disease the psalmist laboured under
or some distress
of soul
on account of sin; and the rather this seems to be the case
seeing
the psalm begins with the same words as Psalm 38:1
in which the psalmist so much
bewails his iniquity. Some have thought it was drawn up for the use of any and
every sick person; and others say it was written on the account of Israel in
captivity
who were then as sick personsF2Vid. Kimchi & Aben
Ezra in loc. : but rather the occasion of it was bodily sickness
inward guilt
of conscience for sin
and distress by enemies; as appears from
Psalm 6:3.
Psalm 6:1 O
Lord
do not rebuke
me in Your anger
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
YLT
1To the Overseer with
stringed instruments
on the octave. -- A Psalm of David. O Jehovah
in Thine
anger reprove me not
Nor in Thy fury chastise me.
O Lord
rebuke me not in thine anger
The Lord
sometimes rebukes or reproves men by his spirit
and sometimes by his word and
ministers
and sometimes by his providences
and that on account of sin; to
bring to a sense and acknowledgment of it; and particularly for remissness in
duty
or neglect of it; and for trusting in the creature
or in any outward
enjoyment
boasting of it
and loving it too much; and these rebukes of his own
people are always in love
and never in wrath
though they sometimes fear they
are; see Psalm 88:7
Lamentations 3:1; and therefore deprecate
them
as the psalmist here does; not the thing itself
but the manner in which
it is apprehended it is done
or doing;
neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure; when God
chastens his own people it is not in a way of vindictive wrath
or as a proper
punishment for sin; for this would be contrary to Christ's suretyship
engagements and performances
and to the doctrine of his satisfaction for sin;
it would draw a veil over it
and render it of none effect; it would be
contrary to the justice of God to punish both surety and principal; and to the
everlasting love of God to them
in which he always rests
and from which there
can be no separation; nor would they be dealt with as children; and besides
would be condemned with the world
and killed with the second death; whereas
they will not
though chastened of God
it is the chastening of a father
is
very instructive to them
and is always for their good
spiritual and eternal;
is in measure
in judgment
and in love; and never in fury and hot displeasure;
but this being feared
is deprecated.
Psalm 6:2 2 Have mercy on me
O Lord
for I am
weak; O Lord
heal me
for my bones are troubled.
YLT
2Favour me
O Jehovah
for I
[am] weak
Heal me
O Jehovah
For troubled have been my bones
Have mercy upon me
O Lord
.... He knew he was a
sinner
both by original sin and actual transgression
which he was always
ready to own; he knew that what he had done deserved the wrath of God
even his
hot displeasure; and that for such things it came upon the children of
disobedience: he knew that there was mercy with God through Christ
and
therefore he flees unto it
pleads for it
and entreats the manifestation of
forgiving love: he pleads no merits of his own
nor makes any mention of former
works of righteousness done by him
but throws himself upon the mercy of God in
Christ; giving this as a reason
for I am weak; either in body
through
some disease upon him; or in soul
being enfeebled by sin
and so without
spiritual strength to do that which was good of himself; to exercise grace
and
perform duty
and much less to keep the law of God
or make atonement for sin
or to bear the punishment of it;
O Lord
heal me; meaning either his body
for God is the
physician of the body
he wounds and he heals; so he healed Hezekiah and
others; and he should be sought to in the first place by persons under bodily
disorders: or else his soul
as in Psalm 41:4; sin is the disease of the soul
and a very loathsome one it is
and is incurable but by the balm of Gilead
and
the physician there; by the blood of Christ
and forgiveness through it; and
the forgiveness of sin is the healing of the diseases of the soul
Psalm 103:3;
for my bones are vexed; with strong pain;
meaning his body
as Kimchi and Aben Ezra observe; because these are the
foundation of the body
and the more principal parts of it: and this may be
understood of his grief and trouble of heart for his sins and transgressions
which is sometimes expressed by the bones being broke
and by there being no
rest in them
Psalm 51:8.
Psalm 6:3 3 My soul also is greatly
troubled; But You
O Lord—how
long?
YLT
3And my soul hath been
troubled greatly
And Thou
O Jehovah
till when?
My soul is also sore vexed
.... Or "exceedingly
troubled"F3נבהלה מאד
"turbata est valde"
V. L. "conturbata"
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator; "territa valde": Pagninus
Montanus;
"consternata valde"
Cocceius.
and even frightened and thrown into
a consternation with indwelling sin
and on account of actual transgressions
and by reason of the hidings of God's face
and through the temptations of
Satan
and because of the fear of death; to which Old Testament saints were
very incident.
But thou
O Lord
how long? it is an abrupt
expression
the whole he designed is not spoken
being hindered through the
grief and sorrow with which his heart was overwhelmed; and is to be supplied
after this manner
"shall
I have refreshment?'
as
the Chaldee paraphrase; or
"wilt
thou look and not heal me?'
as
Jarchi; or
"my
soul be troubled?'
as
Aben Ezra; or
"shall
I be afflicted
and thou wilt not heal me?'
as
Kimchi; or
"wilt
thou afflict me
and not arise to my help?'
see
Psalm 13:1.
Psalm 6:4 4 Return
O Lord
deliver me! Oh
save me for Your mercies’ sake!
YLT
4Turn back
O Jehovah
draw
out my soul
Save me for Thy kindness' sake.
Return
O Lord
.... By this it seems that the Lord had
withdrawn himself
and was departed from the psalmist
wherefore he entreats
him to return unto him
and grant him his gracious presence. God is immense and
omnipresent
he is everywhere: going away and returning cannot be properly
ascribed to him; but he
nay be said to depart from his people
as to sensible
communion with him
and enjoyment of him
when he hides his face
withdraws his
gracious presence
and the comfortable discoveries and influences of his love;
and he may be said to return when he visits them again
and manifests his love
and favour to them: the Jewish writersF4Jarchi
Aben Ezra
Kimchi
& Ben Melech in loc. interpret it
"return
from the fierceness of thine anger
'
as
in Psalm 85:3; and though there is no such
change in God
as from love to wrath
and from wrath to love; but inasmuch as
there is a change in his dispensations towards his people
it is as if it was
so; and thus it is apprehended by them;
deliver my soul; from the anxiety
distress
and sore
vexation it was now in
for of all troubles soul troubles are the worst: and
from all enemies and workers of iniquity which were now about him
and gave him
much grief and uneasiness; and from death itself
he was in fear of;
O
save me for thy mercy's sake; out of all troubles of
soul and body
and out of the hands of all enemies
inward and outward; and
with temporal
spiritual
and eternal salvation; not for his righteousness's
sake
as Kimchi well observes; for salvation is according to the abundant mercy
of God
and not through works of righteousness done by men
otherwise it would
not be of grace.
Psalm 6:5 5 For in death there is
no remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks?
YLT
5For there is not in death
Thy memorial
In Sheol
who doth give thanks to Thee?
For in death there is no remembrance of thee
.... Of the
goodness
truth
power
and faithfulness of God; no notice can be taken nor
mention
made either of the perfections or works of God
whether of nature or
of grace
by a dead man to others; he is wholly useless to men on earth with
respect to these things;
in the grave who shall give thee thanks? for mercies
temporal or spiritual; the dead cannot praise the Lord among men
only the
living; see Psalm 30:9; wherefore the psalmist desires
that he might live and praise the Lord: this argument is taken from the glory
of God
which end cannot be answered among men by death
as by life. It does
not follow from hence that the soul either dies or sleeps with the body
and is
inactive until the resurrection morn
neither of which are true; or that the
souls of departed saints are unemployed in heaven; they are always before the
throne
and serve the Lord day and night; they remember
with the utmost
gratitude and thankfulness
all the goodness and grace of God unto them
and
praise him for all his wondrous works: but the sense is
that when a saint is
dead
he can no more serve and glorify God on earth among men.
Psalm 6:6 6 I am weary with my
groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.
YLT
6I have been weary with my
sighing
I meditate through all the night [on] my bed
With my tear my couch I
waste.
I am weary with my groanings
.... By reason of bodily
illness
or indwelling sin
or the guilt of actual transgressions
or the
hidings of God's face
or a sense of divine wrath
or the temptations of Satan
or afflictions and crosses of various kinds
or fears of death
or even earnest
desires after heaven and eternal happiness
or the low estate of Zion; each of
which at times occasion groaning in the saints
as in the psalmist
and is the
common experience of all good men. The psalmist being weary of his disease
or
of sin
groaned till he was weary with his groaning; inward groaning affects
the body
wastes the animal spirits
consumes the flesh
and induces weariness
and faintness; see Psalm 102:5;
all the night make I my bed to swim: I water my couch with my
tears; these are hyperbolical phrasesF5See the latter in
Homer. Odyss 17. v. 110. Odyss. 19. prope finem.
expressing more than is intended
and are not to be literally understood; for such a quantity of tears a man
could never shed
as to water his couch and make his bed to swim with them
but
they are used to denote the multitude of them
and the excessiveness of his
sorrow; see Psalm 119:136; and these tears were shed
not to atone and satisfy for sin
for nothing but the blood and sacrifice of
Christ can do that; but to express the truth and reality
as well as the
abundance of his grief; and this was done "all the night long"; see Job 7:3; when he had leisure to think and
reflect upon his sins and transgressions
and when he was clear of all company
and no one could hear or see him
nor interrupt him in the vent of his sorrow
and when his disease might be heavier upon him
as some diseases increase in
the night season: this may also be mystically understood
of a night of
spiritual darkness and desertion
when a soul is without the discoveries of the
love of God
and the influences of his grace; and has lost sight of God and
Christ
and interest in them
and does not enjoy communion with them; and throughout
this night season weeping endures
though joy comes in the morning. And it may
be applicable to David's antitype
to the doleful night in which he was
betrayed
when it was the hour and power of darkness
and when he had no other
couch or bed but the ground itself; which was watered
not only with his tears
but with his sweat and blood
his sweat being as it were great drops of blood
falling to the ground; so he is often said to sigh and groan in spirit
Mark 7:34.
Psalm 6:7 7 My eye wastes away because
of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies.
YLT
7Old from provocation is
mine eye
It is old because of all mine adversaries
Mine eye is consumed because of grief
.... Either by
reason of the affliction he laboured under
which could not he joyous
but
grievous; or because
of the sin that was in him
and those that he had
committed
which were grieving to him; or through the sins of other professors
of religion
or profane sinners
whom he beheld with grief of heart and weeping
eyes: the wordF6מכעס "prae ira"
Pagninus; "prae indignatione"
Montanus
Musculus; "ex
indignatione"
Piscator. used signifies anger and indignation
and sorrow
arising from thence
and may denote either indignation in himself at his
enemies
who were rejoicing at his calamities; or the sense he had of the anger
of God
and his hot displeasure
which he feared he was rebuking and chastening
him with; and now his heart being filled with grief on one or other of these
accounts
or all of them
vented itself in floods of tears
which hurt the
visive faculty; for through much weeping the eye is weakened and becomes dim;
and through a multitude of tears
and a long continuance of them
it fails; see
Job 17:7;
it waxeth old because of all mine enemies; saints have
many enemies
sin
Satan
and the world; and these are very oppressive ones
as
the wordF7צורדיו
"angustiatores"
Montanus; "angustiis afficientes me"
Vatablus; "oppressores meos"
Junius & Tremellius
Gejerus. here
signifies; such as beset them about
straiten them on all hands
and press them
sore; and they must be pressed down by them
were it not that he that is in
them is greater than he that is in the world; and David's enemies gave him so
much trouble
and caused him to shed such plenty of tears
that his eye waxed
old
was shrunk up
and beset with wrinkles
the signs of old age; or it was
removed out of its place
as the word is rendered in Job 18:4; or the sight was removed from
that
it was gone from him
Psalm 38:10.
Psalm 6:8 8 Depart from me
all you
workers of iniquity; For the Lord has heard the voice of my
weeping.
YLT
8Turn from me all ye workers
of iniquity
For Jehovah heard the voice of my weeping
Depart from me
all ye workers of iniquity
.... The
psalmist being fully assured that God had heard his prayer
that he should
recover from his disorder
or be delivered out of his calamities
whether
corporeal or spiritual
has on a sudden a spring of joy
faith
and comfort; as
sometimes there is a quick transition from comfortable to uncomfortable frames;
see Psalm 30:7; so on the contrary
there is as
quick a passage from uncomfortable to comfortable ones; see Lamentations 3:18; who may be called
"workers of iniquity" See Gill on Psalm 5:5; and these were either his open
enemies
as Saul and his men
or Absalom and the conspirators with him
whom he
bids to cease from following and pursuing after him; or his secret ones
hypocritical courtiers
that were about him
who were wishing and hoping for
his death. It is the lot of God's people to be among the workers of iniquity;
Lot was among the Sodomites
David was in Meshech and in the tents of Kedar
Isaiah was among men of unclean lips; Christ's lily is among thorns
and his
sheep among goats; and though in some respects a civil conversation with wicked
men cannot be avoided
for then good men must needs go out of the world; yet as
little company should be kept with them as can be
and no fellowship should be
had with them in sinful practices
nor in superstitious worship; and though
there will not be a full and final separation from them in the present state of
things
there will be hereafter
when these very words will be used by David's
antitype
the Lord Jesus Christ; not only to profane sinners
but to carnal
professors of religion
who have herded themselves with the people of God
Matthew 25:41. The reason why the psalmist
took heart and courage
and ordered his wicked persecutors
or sycophants
to
be gone from him
was his assurance of being heard by the Lord;
for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping; referring to
what is said Psalm 6:6; he had not only lifted up his
voice in prayer
but he had wept and made supplication
as Jacob did
Hosea 12:4; sometimes God brings his people
to the throne of grace weeping
and with supplications leads them
Jeremiah 31:9; and then hears their cry and
answers them.
Psalm 6:9 9 The Lord has heard my
supplication; The Lord
will receive my prayer.
YLT
9Jehovah hath heard my
supplication
Jehovah my prayer receiveth.
The Lord hath heard my supplication
.... Which he had
presented to him
Psalm 6:1; in which he deprecates his anger
and hot displeasure; entreats his free favour
grace
and mercy; desires
healing for soul or body
or both; prays a return of his gracious presence; and
deliverance and salvation out of all his troubles
from all his enemies
and
from death itself. The wordF8תחנתי
"supplices pro gratia preces meas"
Michaelis: so Ainsworth. used
properly signifies petitions for grace and mercy
which the psalmist put up
under the influence of the spirit of grace and supplication
and which were
heard;
the Lord will receive my prayer; instead of a burnt
offering
as Aben Ezra glosses it; as sweet incense
as what is grateful and
delightful
coming up out of the hands of Christ the Mediator
perfumed with
the sweet incense of his mediation: the wordF9תפלה
"est propria oratio habita ad juris et aequi arbitrum"; Cocceius in
Psal. iv. 2. signifies prayer made to God as the righteous Judge
as the God of
his righteousness
who would vindicate his cause and right his wrongs; and a
believer
through the blood and righteousness of Christ
can go to God as a
righteous God
and plead with him even for pardon and cleansing
who is just
and faithful to grant both unto him. The psalmist three times expresses his
confidence of his prayers being heard and received
which may be either in
reference to his having prayed so many times for help
as the Apostle Paul did
2 Corinthians 12:8; and as Christ his
antitype did
Matthew 26:39; or to express the certainty
of it
the strength of his faith in it
and the exuberance of his joy on
account of it.
Psalm 6:10 10 Let all my enemies be
ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed
suddenly.
YLT
10Ashamed and troubled
greatly are all mine enemies
They turn back -- ashamed [in] a moment!
Let all mine enemies be ashamed
.... Or "they shall
be ashamed"F11יבשו "pudore
afficientur"
Pagninus
Montanus; "pudefient"
Coeceius
Schmidt; so Ainsworth. ; and so the following clauses may be rendered
and be
considered as prophecies of what would be; though if this be considered as an
imprecation
it is wishing no ill; wicked men are not ashamed of their
abominations committed by them
neither can they blush; it would be well if
they were ashamed of them
and brought to true repentance for them; and if they
are not ashamed now
they will be hereafter
when the Judge of quick and dead
appears;
and sore vexed; or "troubled"F12יבהלו "conturbantur"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. ; as his bones had been vexed
and his soul had been sore vexed by
them; as he knew they would be through disappointment at his recovery
and at
his deliverance from the distresses and calamities he was now in
when he
should sing for joy of heart
and they should howl for vexation of spirit;
let them return; meaning either from him
from pursuing
after him; or to him
to seek his favour
and be reconciled to him
and be at
peace with him
as Aben Ezra and Kimchi explain it; unless this word should
only signify "again"
as it sometimes does
and be read in connection
with what follows;
and let them be again ashamed
suddenlyF13ישבו יבושו "iterum confundantur"
Gejerus. ;
intimating that his deliverance would be sudden
in a moment
in a very little
time
and so would be their disappointment
shame
and confusion. Jarchi
from
R. Jonathan and R. Samuel bar Nachmani
refers this to the shame of the wicked
in the world to come.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)