Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament
Psalms 6
Psalm 6: a plea from weakness, tears and the fear of death
General context
The speaker asks the Lord not to rebuke him in his anger or chasten him in his hot displeasure. He asks for mercy because he is weak, and for healing because his bones are vexed; his soul too is sore vexed, and he asks, but thou, O Lord, how long? He asks the Lord to return, deliver his soul and save him for his mercies' sake, giving as reason that in death there is no remembrance of God and in the grave no one gives him thanks. He says he is weary with groaning, that all night he makes his bed swim and waters his couch with tears, and that his eye is consumed with grief and grows old because of all his enemies. Then he turns on the workers of iniquity, telling them to depart, because the Lord has heard the voice of his weeping. He states that the Lord has heard his supplication and will receive his prayer, and closes by asking that all his enemies be ashamed and sore vexed, and that they return and be ashamed suddenly.
Cited passages: Psalms 6:1, Psalms 6:2, Psalms 6:3, Psalms 6:4, Psalms 6:5, Psalms 6:6, Psalms 6:7, Psalms 6:8, Psalms 6:9, Psalms 6:10
Psalms 6 (KJV)
1O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
3My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long?
4Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.
5For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
6I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
7Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
8Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.
9The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.
10Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.
This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.
Historical context
The text as printed carries no heading, so no author, occasion or instrument is stated in this source. The speaker is a single "I" whose trouble is described in bodily terms: weakness, vexed bones, a consumed eye, nightly tears. The psalm does not name an illness, and it does not say whether the anger and chastening of verse 1 have already begun or are feared. Enemies and "workers of iniquity" appear, but nothing states what they have done except that the speaker's grief is "because of all mine enemies". Verse 5 gives the speaker's own reasoning about death and the grave, that there is no remembrance or thanksgiving there; that is the speaker's plea, not a narrator's statement. The turn in verse 8 reports that the Lord "hath heard", but the text gives no event or answer between verse 7 and verse 8 to explain the change. The words "Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity" are echoed in Luke 13:27, "depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity", where a different speaker uses them.
Cited passages: Psalms 6:2, Psalms 6:1, Psalms 6:7, Psalms 6:5, Psalms 6:8, Luke 13:27
Literary context
The poem moves from plea to complaint to a sudden confidence. Verses 1-4 are a string of requests addressed to the Lord, with "O Lord" repeated in nearly every line and the unfinished question "how long?" left hanging. Verses 5-7 give reasons and describe the suffering, with the night, the bed and the couch making the grief concrete. Verse 8 changes addressee without warning, turning from the Lord to the workers of iniquity, and "the voice of my weeping" is now said to have been heard. "Vexed" is used of the speaker's bones and soul in verses 2-3 and then turned back on the enemies in verse 10, who are to be "sore vexed"; likewise the speaker asks the Lord to "return" in verse 4 and asks that the enemies "return and be ashamed" at the end. The psalm's closing wish is that shame should fall "suddenly", matching the suddenness of its own turn.
Cited passages: Psalms 6:3, Psalms 6:6, Psalms 6:8, Psalms 6:10, Psalms 6:4
Key moments
- Rebuke me not in anger (Psalms 6:1). The speaker asks the Lord not to rebuke or chasten him in anger.
- Weak, vexed bones (Psalms 6:2). He asks for mercy and healing because he is weak and his bones are vexed.
- No thanks from the grave (Psalms 6:5). He argues that in death there is no remembrance of God.
- A bed swimming with tears (Psalms 6:6). He is weary with groaning and waters his couch with tears all night.
- Depart, workers of iniquity (Psalms 6:8). He turns on the wicked, saying the Lord has heard his weeping.
- Let the enemies be ashamed (Psalms 6:10). He asks that all his enemies be ashamed and vexed suddenly.
For reflection
Nothing is narrated between the tears of verse 7 and the confidence of verse 8; what might account for a prayer that changes its tone without reporting any change in circumstances?
