HolyStudy
Bible IndexRead BibleNotesChurchesMissionPrivacyTermsContact
© 2026 HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurchesSign in
HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurches
Sign in

Psalms 38

1

O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

2

For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.

1
3

There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.

4

For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

5

My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.

6

I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

7

For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.

8

I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

9

Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

10

My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

11

My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

12

They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

1
13

But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

14

Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

15

For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

16

For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.

17

For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.

18

For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

19

But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

20

They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

21

Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me.

22

Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

← Previous ChapterNext Chapter →

Psalms 38

Psalm 38 is a penitential lament expressing remorse for sin and its physical and emotional consequences as divine discipline, exemplifying the theological concerns of Book 2. The psalmist employs vivid imagery and direct address to God, establishing the intimate dialogue between worshiper and the divine that characterizes the psalmic tradition. The theological assertions center on God's character as both judge and redeemer, creating a comprehensive vision of divine justice and mercy integrated with human experience. The psalm reflects on both personal circumstance and communal identity, suggesting that individual faith finds validation through shared experience with the covenant community. The liturgical context indicates this psalm's function in worship where personal piety integrates with communal celebration of God's acts and attributes. The concluding movement typically affirms confidence in God's faithfulness, exemplifying the psalmic pattern of transformation through prayer and remembrance of divine acts throughout history.

Psalms 38:1

The psalmist opens with an urgent prayer not to be rebuked in God's anger or disciplined in God's wrath. The verbs 'rebuke' and 'discipline' suggest forms of divine correction, and the psalmist asks to be spared from their intensity. The opening suggests that the psalmist understands his condition as potentially the result of transgression subject to divine judgment. This psalm appears to be a prayer of one who is profoundly afflicted and fears that God's anger is the cause. The intensity of the opening establishes that the psalmist faces both physical suffering and the anxiety of divine displeasure.

Psalms 38:2

The psalmist describes how God's arrows have sunk into him and God's hand has come down upon him. The imagery of arrows suggests the swift and painful wounding that has pierced the psalmist. The reference to God's hand coming down suggests comprehensive divine action that has affected the psalmist's entire being. These verses employ the language of divine punishment, establishing that the psalmist's affliction is understood as the effect of God's wrath.

Psalms 38:3

The psalmist describes how there is no health in his whole body because of his sin, and his bones have no rest because of his transgression. The lack of health throughout the body suggests comprehensive physical affliction. The explicit connection between sin and physical suffering establishes that the psalmist understands his condition as consequence for transgression. The reference to bones having no rest suggests constant and pervasive pain. This verse establishes the psalmist's understanding that his suffering is the result of his sin.

Psalms 38:4

The psalmist describes how his iniquities have gone over his head like a heavy burden, too heavy for him to bear. The imagery of a burden suggests the weight and overwhelming nature of guilt and its consequences. The phrase 'too heavy for him to bear' establishes that the psalmist has reached the limit of his capacity to endure. This verse expresses the crushing psychological weight of acknowledged sin and its consequences.

Psalms 38:5

The psalmist describes how his wounds stink and fester because of his foolishness. The visceral language of stinking and festering wounds emphasizes the repulsiveness and corruption that accompanies the consequences of sin. The attribution to foolishness suggests that the psalmist recognizes his transgression as stemming from folly and poor judgment. This verse conveys the psalmist's sense of horror at the state his sin has produced.

Psalms 38:6

The psalmist describes how he is bowed down and brought very low, and all day long he walks about mourning. The physical posture of being bowed down suggests not merely psychological depression but the actual bending of the body under the weight of affliction. The description of constant mourning throughout the day emphasizes the totality of the suffering. This verse portrays the psalmist as sunk in profound grief and affliction.

Psalms 38:7

The psalmist describes how his loins are filled with burning and there is no soundness in his flesh. The vivid language of burning in the loins suggests acute physical pain in the depths of the body. The assertion that there is no soundness anywhere suggests comprehensive physical deterioration. This verse emphasizes the totality of the physical affliction affecting the psalmist.

Psalms 38:8

The psalmist describes how he is faint and crushed and groans because of the tumult of his heart. The emotional and psychological dimension of the suffering surfaces: the psalmist's heart is in tumult, disturbed and overwhelmed. The groaning suggests the vocalization of the internal disturbance. This verse indicates that the psalmist's suffering encompasses both physical and emotional dimensions.

Psalms 38:9

The psalmist declares that all his longing is known to God and his groaning is not hidden from God. The affirmation that God knows the psalmist's desires and hears his groaning establishes that nothing escapes God's awareness. This verse shifts from the description of suffering to the recognition that God is fully aware of the psalmist's condition. The acknowledgment of God's knowledge provides a bridge toward petition.

Psalms 38:10

The psalmist describes how his heart pounds and his strength fails him, and the light of his eyes has gone from him. The acceleration of the heart suggests the anxiety and fear that accompanies profound affliction. The failure of strength and the dimming of the light of the eyes suggest comprehensive physical and psychological deterioration. This verse portrays the psalmist on the verge of complete collapse.

Psalms 38:11

The psalmist describes how his friends and companions stand aloof from his affliction, and his kinsmen stand far off. The social isolation compounds the physical suffering: those who should offer support instead withdraw. This verse conveys the particular cruelty of suffering: not only physical pain but the abandonment of those closest to the psalmist.

Psalms 38:12

The psalmist describes how those who seek his life lay snares, and those who want to hurt him speak of destruction and plot deceit all day. The addition of enemies actively working toward his harm adds another dimension to the suffering. The mention of those seeking his life introduces the possibility that part of the affliction comes from human hostility, not merely divine judgment. This verse suggests that the psalmist faces both the consequences of his sin and active persecution from enemies.

Psalms 38:13

The psalmist declares that he is like a deaf man who hears not, and like a mute who opens not his mouth. The image of deafness and muteness suggests that the psalmist has ceased to engage in normal communication and social interaction. The silence and withdrawal suggest profound shock and resignation. This verse portrays the psalmist as withdrawn and isolated, unable or unwilling to speak.

Psalms 38:14

The psalmist describes how he is like a man who hears not and in whose mouth are no arguments. The similarity to one who cannot hear and who offers no arguments suggests the psalmist's apparent surrender and cessation of self-defense. This verse portrays complete withdrawal from the ordinary exchanges of human life.

Psalms 38:15

The psalmist declares 'But for you, O LORD, I wait; you will answer, O Lord my God.' The affirmation that the psalmist waits for God and expects God's answer marks a turning point from passive suffering to active hope. This verse establishes that despite the withdrawal and apparent resignation, the psalmist maintains an orientation toward God. The waiting suggests patient expectation grounded in faith.

Psalms 38:16

The psalmist declares 'For I said, "Do not let them rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips."' The request that enemies not be allowed to rejoice over his misfortune suggests that his concern is not merely for himself but for the vindication of God's justice. The mention of foot slipping suggests a moment of stumbling, and the psalmist does not want this to be interpreted as permanent defeat. This verse indicates that the psalmist's concern is the perception of God's righteousness.

Psalms 38:17

The psalmist describes how he is on the verge of falling and his pain is constantly with him. The acknowledgment of the constant pressure of affliction emphasizes the unrelenting nature of the suffering. This verse conveys the exhaustion and despair that comes from unceasing pain.

Psalms 38:18

The psalmist declares 'I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin.' The explicit confession of sin and the acknowledgment of anxiety because of transgression indicate that the psalmist has reached the point of full recognition and admission. The confession suggests a movement from resistance to acceptance of the connection between sin and suffering. This verse marks the turning point toward repentance.

Psalms 38:19

The psalmist describes how his enemies are vigorous and strong and many are those who hate him without cause. The strength of the enemies and the unjustified nature of some of the hostility suggest that not all the opposition can be attributed to the psalmist's sin. This verse introduces the complexity: while the psalmist acknowledges his own transgression, he also faces unjustified opposition from enemies. The suffering is multi-sourced.

Psalms 38:20

The psalmist declares 'Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow what is good.' The inversion described—rendering evil for good—suggests the cruelty of the enemies in responding to the psalmist's attempts at righteousness with hostility. The psalmist's commitment to good is itself made a cause of accusation. This verse indicates that the psalmist faces opposition not because he is wicked but because he seeks to do good.

Psalms 38:21

The psalmist appeals 'Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, be not far from me.' The fear of abandonment returns at this crucial moment when the psalmist has confessed his sin and acknowledged God's role in his affliction. The plea for God not to be far suggests anxiety that the distance between the psalmist and God might increase. This verse expresses the desperate need for assurance of God's continued presence.

Psalms 38:22

The psalm concludes with the appeal 'Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.' The final plea for help emphasizes the urgency and the continued trust that God is the psalmist's salvation. The appeal for haste suggests that the psalmist has reached the limit of his endurance and cannot wait. The psalm ends not with resolution but with the continued appeal for divine intervention. The concluding verses establish that despite the acknowledgment of sin and the suffering it has produced, the psalmist's ultimate hope and expectation rest entirely with God.