Psalms 6:1

PSALM 6

PRAYER FOR MERCY IN SICKNESS

(FOR THE CHIEF MUSICIAN; ON STRINGED INSTRUMENTS; SET TO THE SHEMINITH. A PSALM OF DAVID)

For ages, Christian scholars have considered this Psalm to be one of the seven Penitential Psalms, namely, Psalms 6; Psalms 32; Psalms 38; Psalms 51; Psalms 102; Psalms 130; and Psalms 143. However, no sin whatever is mentioned in the Psalm; and it is not exactly clear why David felt that he was under the wrath of God.

Based upon the fact that David's enemies are mentioned, Leupold supposed that, "It was the opposition of David's enemies that made him feel that God was angry with him to such an extent that his health was badly impaired."[1] However, Rhodes believed that David's illness, from whatever cause, might have caused David's feelings of sinful guilt. He cited the common belief in those ages that, "Men suffered in proportion to their sins."[2] Certainly Job's "comforters" attributed his sickness to sin; and even the apostles of Jesus Christ indicated their acceptance of that generally-accepted opinion (John 9:1-3).

Our own view of the passage is that David was indeed guilty of some specific sin, or sins, which had, for a season alienated him from the love of God. The fact that we have no idea whatever regarding the exact nature of such sin has nothing whatever to do with it. Certainly, David himself was conscious of his own guilt and the ensuing wrath of God.

Regarding the ancient superscription (in parenthesis, above), "Set to the Sheminith," according to the margin in our version, means "set to the eighth," a reference to some specific tune, much as one of our song leaders would instruct the Church to turn to a certain hymn number.

Psalms 6:1-3

"O Jehovah, rebuke me not in thine anger,

Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah, for I am withered away,

O Jehovah, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

My soul also is sore troubled:

And thou, O Jehovah, how long?"

"Thine anger ... thy hot displeasure." Such a consciousness of God's anger and displeasure is always the result of the believer's indulgence in some sin; but, as noted above, we are not given any hint whatever of what David's actual sin in this instance might have been.

David's terrible illness was threatening his very life, and he had earnestly prayed for God's healing hand to be laid upon him; but that healing had not come. This is evident in the words of Psalms 6:3, "O Jehovah, how long?"

"Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah." In Dr. George DeHoff's commentary on this verse, he has this priceless little paragraph:

"David did not cry for justice; he cried for mercy. I once participated in a funeral with a splendid young minister who kept saying, "The deceased is in the hands of a just God." I suggested to him that if he ever had a part in preaching my funeral, I would appreciate it if he would say that, "I am in the hands of a merciful God." It is mercy and not justice that all of us need."[3]

Leupold also commented on this, writing that, "There is no thought of personal worth that deserves recognition."[4] David did not plead any innocence or merit upon his own part, but the loving mercy of God as the basis of his plaintive cry for God to help him.