Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Psalms Chapter 6 mean?

Seven psalms are labelled as “penitential” for their intense focus on repentance from sin. These are Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143. This example does not give details, so we’re not sure exactly what David is repenting for. What’s clear is that he connects this specific instance of physical suffering—possibly some illness—to God’s discipline (Psalm 6:1–3).

The situation is dire enough that David fears for his life. At least some of his concern is related to his enemies. This might refer to Philistines (1 Samuel 21:10–13), king Saul (1 Samuel 19:2), or his rebellious son, Absalom (Psalm 3). David pleads with God to spare him, pointing out that a dead body does not worship or praise (Psalm 6:4–5).

Despite a period of fear and despair (Psalm 6:6–7), David resolves that God will rescue him. He warns his enemies to flee, knowing that the Lord has heard him and will respond (Psalm 6:8–10).

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.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,nor discipline me in your wrath.

Parts of this psalm suggest David was suffering from some literal disease or illness (Psalm 6:2, 4, 6). And yet, the first statements made are references to sin, repentance, and discipline. Nothing in the psalm explains why David believed the Lord was angry with him. Perhaps, he had committed a sin, either a behavioral sin or an attitudinal sin. He may have experienced a lapse of faith, fearing his enemies instead of God. Regardless, David wants a close relationship with the Lord, and so he pleads to avoid discipline.

David addresses the Lord as the covenant-keeping God of Israel. He knows the Lord is faithful and will not abandon His chosen people. He recognizes the fact that the Lord issues a warning before He chastens His children. Revelation 3:19 shows this sequence. In His address to the church at Laodicea, Jesus said, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”

Context Summary
Psalm 6:1–3 begins with a mournful expression of David’s grief. He asks the Lord to withdraw His hand of discipline from him, and he describes the misery he is experiencing under that discipline. David is distressed physically and spiritually. His bones ache and his soul is greatly troubled.

Verse 2. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.

Feeling that chastening was about to take place, David feels physically distressed. He writes, “my bones are troubled.” The Hebrew word for “troubled” can mean “weak, faint, troubled, or terrified.” Whatever had come between David and the Lord had taken a heavy toll on David’s strength. He felt close to death; he was languishing. This might have been a literal disease, something David might have seen as a punishment from God.

David asks the Lord to be gracious to him. The only way to escape his wretched condition is to receive what he does not deserve, namely, God’s grace. It is by grace alone that the Lord saves and forgives. Sin separates the sinner from the Lord, but grace erases the sin and draws the sinner to the Lord. In his letter to the Romans, Paul writes, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23–24).

Verse 3. My soul also is greatly troubled.But you, O Lord — how long?

Not only was David languishing physically, but he was also languishing spiritually. The Hebrew word translated “troubled” here is translated as “dismayed” in Genesis 45:3, where it describes the trouble felt by Joseph’s conscience-stricken brothers when Joseph revealed himself to them in Egypt. It is also used in Judges 20:41 as the word “dismayed”: “Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them.” The Septuagint uses the word tarasso for troubled, which is also used in John 12:27 where Jesus says, “Now is my soul troubled.” At the time, Jesus was anticipating His crucifixion, to which He would voluntarily submit.

We’re not sure why David is asking for forgiveness or a reprieve. Nor do we know exactly what he is experiencing. All we know is that David wonders how long he would suffer before being rescued. Of course, the Lord’s timing is always right. He removes His chastening when it has taught His children a valuable lesson and caused them to turn back to Him (Hebrews 12:7–11).

Verse 4. Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;save me for the sake of your steadfast love.

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.

Context Summary
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.

Verse 5. For in death there is no remembrance of you;in Sheol who will give you praise?

A theme of David’s life was a sincere desire to praise and worship God (Psalm 9:1–2; 34:1; 145:1–2). As his situation becomes dire, David may have thought death was near. He notes that those who are dead cannot honor God or worship Him. “Sheol” refers to the grave or the realm of the dead. Old Testament believers did not have as clear a picture of life beyond the grave as do New Testament believers. David was thinking that dead bodies cannot remember the Lord and praise Him.

He wants the Lord to deliver him and keep him alive so he can reflect on God’s character and goodness and praise Him for both. However, Old Testament believers did have a faint idea of what lay beyond death. For instance, in Psalm 49:15 the psalmist declares, “But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.”

Verse 6. I am weary with my moaning;every night I flood my bed with tears;I drench my couch with my weeping.

The cause for David’s misery is not given in this psalm. It might have been anguish over his own personal sin, or the effects of a disease, or both. He might have been suffering from a dire threat from enemies. In his misery, David wept profusely. His tears drenched his bed and couch.

In another of the “penitential Psalms,” David says he was feeble and crushed and he groaned (Psalm 38:8). David states: “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you” (Psalm 38:9). Adding to his misery, his friends and relatives have forsaken him and his enemies plot to destroy him (Psalm 38:11–12). David had known peaceful sleep in the past. In Psalm 4:8 he writes: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”

Somehow David’s confidence in the Lord, which had allowed him to sleep securely, had vanished. Now he cannot sleep at all. Loss of confidence in the Lord as our protector can cause us, too, to weep and lose sleep.

Context Summary
Psalm 6:6–7 continues to depict David’s intense struggle with anguish and a fear of death. He describes sleeplessness and intense grief. He writes that he filled his bed and couch with tears. His sleeplessness and grief even affected his eyesight.

Verse 7. My eye wastes away because of grief;it grows weak because of all my foes.

Whether from an illness, fearful stress, or simply from tears, David’s grief caused his eyesight to fail. Here, he lays the blame for his poor eyesight on his foes. Unfortunately, in a lapse of faith he had taken his eyes off the Lord and placed them on his enemies. It is debilitating to stop looking to the Lord for protection and guidance.

When a fierce storm arose on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus walked on the water toward the disciples, whose boat was being buffeted by the waves and wind. The disciples saw Jesus, but they thought they were seeing a ghost. However, the Lord assured them that it was He and told them not be afraid. Peter answered, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). At Jesus’ command, Peter began walking on the sea toward Jesus. But, when he took his eyes off Jesus and saw the wind, Peter began to sink. Jesus saved Peter, though, by taking hold of him and escorting him back to the boat.

Whatever the cause, David must have felt that he was sinking. His eyes were dull, and he needed to focus on the Lord.

Verse 8. Depart from me, all you workers of evil,for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.

David celebrates a renewed confidence in God by warning his enemies to flee. He calls them “workers of evil.” His foes were determined in mind and heart to perform wicked deeds. Their persecution of David was one such act of evil. The Lord had answered his prayer for deliverance.

God sympathizes and responds to the weeping of His people (Psalm 56:8). Grief may not reach the Lord in the form of words, but He hears and understands all the same (Romans 8:26). Hebrews 4:15 assures us that Jesus is our sympathetic high priest “who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus experienced deep sorrow. As He prayed, He was in agony, “and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). He understands how we feel when we sorrow deeply!

Context Summary
Psalm 6:8–10 changes the mood dramatically: from despair and gloom to joy and encouragement. David believes the Lord has answered his prayer for deliverance and will vanquish his enemies. This renewed confidence is a fitting conclusion to the psalm.

Verse 9. The Lord has heard my plea;the Lord accepts my prayer.

With great confidence David exclaims his faith that God has heard his cries. Believers should be encouraged by David’s experience. The same Lord who answered his prayer also promises to answer ours.

Psalm 50:15 promises, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” James 5:13 asks, “Is anyone among you suffering?” The answer is, “Let him pray.” Psalm 9:9–10 provides this assurance: “The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.” Prayer is listed as part of the spiritual armor with which God equips believers (Ephesians 6:10–18). Paul writes in Ephesians 6:18: “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” James 5:16 assures us, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Verse 10. All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

David’s despair, physical distress, and fear of his enemies vanished when the Lord answered his prayer for deliverance. Here, he demonstrates confidence in the Lord’s vindication. He had been troubled (Psalm 6:4–7), but now David is confident that his enemies will be routed. Their efforts to destroy him would boomerang on them. They would be turned back and suddenly be put to shame.

Believers hold a guarantee of victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Jesus promised, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The apostle Paul sounds a note of victory in Romans 8. After listing the troubles that believers experience: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and the sword, he exults: “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Like David, believers today are on the winning side!

End of Psalm 6.

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