The psalmist recounts his supplication to God during illness, appealing to God not for himself but for God's own sake. The rhetorical question "What profit is there in my blood?" suggests that the psalmist's death would benefit no one. The plea "Does the dust praise you?" establishes that the dead cannot participate in worship and testimony. The argument employs a kind of enlightened self-interest: the psalmist appeals to God based on God's interest in being praised by the living. This verse suggests that prayer's most powerful form sometimes involves appealing to God's own values.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

Publish a note on this verse