Psalm 6

I’m surrounded by enemies

I hurt all over

A psalm of David. Note to music leader: use stringed instruments. Use a low octave. [1]

1LORD, please don’t get mad and chew me out.
Don’t punish me in a rage.
2Be kind, LORD, because I’m sick.
Heal me, LORD, for I hurt all over.
3I’m deeply discouraged and depressed.
LORD, how much longer?
4Come back, LORD. Rescue me.
Show me your loving mercy. Save me.
5Who can talk about you when they’re dead?
Is any corpse in the grave praising you?

I soaked the bed with tears

6I’ve moaned myself to exhaustion.
Every night I soak the bed with tears.
I soak it from all my sobbing.
7My eyes are worn out from crying.
I’m going blind because of my enemies.
8Just get away from me, you wicked people.
The LORD has heard me crying.
9The LORD has heard my prayers
The LORD approves of what I said.
10My enemies are in for a shameful shock.
They’re going to back off, back down in shame.

Footnotes

Intro Notes for Psalms

Intro Notes for Book 1 of 5 in Psalms

16:1

The subtitle wasn’t part of the original psalm. And the possible byline “of David,” isn’t necessarily a byline. The vague phrase could mean the song was written by David, about David, or was inspired by David. Almost half of the psalms are attributed to David in this way, 73 of 150. Ancient Jewish history tells of David playing a lyre and writing songs. For one, he wrote a song of mourning at the battlefield death of King Saul and his sons: “How have the mighty fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:19-27 New American Standard Bible). An ancient Jewish scroll from about the time of Jesus, discovered among the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, reports that David wrote 3,600 songs. “Use a low octave” is a guess. It’s based on the idea that the lyrics are solemn, and a good fit with music played in quiet tones and in a bass octave. The Hebrew word, sheminith, is a mystery, like selah.