Psalms Chapter 38

“O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure, etc.] This and the following clause are the same as in (<190601>Psalm 6:1), only instead of wrath there it is anger.”

“To bring to remembrance, or, remind God of His mercy and himself of his sin. Appealing to God for relief from His heavy chastisement, the Psalmist avows his integrity before men, complains of the defection of friends and persecution of enemies, and in a submissive spirit, casting himself on God, with penitent confession he pleads God's covenant relation and his innocence of the charges of his enemies, and prays for divine comfort and help. (Psa. 38:1-22) He deprecates deserved punishment, which is described (Psa 6:1), under the figure of bodily disease [Psa 38:3].”

“O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath - See the notes at Psalms 6:1, where the same language occurs, except in the change of a single Hebrew “word,” that is, “wrath,” though expressing the same idea. Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure - See the notes at Psalms 6:1. The Hebrew in both is the same, except that in this place the negative particle is omitted, but without affecting the sense. It is not improbable that the one was copied from the other, or that this was composed with the language of the former in the memory. Thus we often use language with which we are familiar, as being well adapted to express our…”

“Arrows - Thy judgments outward and inward. Psalms 38:3”

“Ps 38 This psalm is a lament and prayer for healing. The psalmist’s suffering is associated with his unconfessed sin. He confesses his sin and entrusts his case to the Lord. 38:title asking God to remember him: The meaning of this phrase is uncertain (also in 70:title). 38:1-17 These verses form a prelude to the psalmist’s confession (38:18) and describe his woeful condition. 38:1-4 The psalmist’s sins had triggered the Lord’s anger and rage, resulting in the arrows and blows of discipline and rebuke; as a result, his whole body is sick.”

“(Title), This deeply penitential Psalm is supposed to have been composed by David under some grievous affliction, either bodily or mental, or both, after his illicit intercourse with Bathsheba. to bring: Psa 70:1 \*title rebuke: Psa 6:1, Psa 88:7, Psa 88:15, Psa 88:16; Isa 27:8, Isa 54:8; Jer 10:24, Jer 30:11; Hab 3:2; Heb 12:5-11 hot: Deu 9:19 Psalms 38:2”

“(Heb.: 38:2-9) David begins, as in Psa 6:1-10, with the prayer that his punitive affliction may be changed into disciplinary. Bakius correctly paraphrases. Psa 38:2 : Corripe sane per legem, castiga per crucem, millies promerui, negare non possum, sed castiga, quaeso, me ex amore ut pater, non ex furore et fervore ut judex; ne punias justitiae rigore, sed misericordiae dulcore (cf. on Psa 6:2). The negative is to be repeated in Psa 38:2, as in Psa 1:5; Psa 9:19; Psa 75:6. In the description, which give the ground of the cry for pity, נחת, is not the Piel, as in Psa 18:35, but the Niphal of the Kal נחת immediately…”