Psalms 38:15-22

15 For 1I hope in You, O LORD; You 2will answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, "May they not rejoice over me, Who, when my foot slips, 3would magnify themselves against me."
17 For I am 4ready to fall, And 5my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I 6confess my iniquity; I am full of 7anxiety because of my sin.
19 But my 8enemies are vigorous and strong, And many are those who 9hate me wrongfully.
20 And those who 10repay evil for good, They 11oppose me, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, 12do not be far from me!
22 Make 13haste to help me, O Lord, 14my salvation!

Psalms 38:15-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 38

\\<>\\. This psalm was composed by David under some sore affliction, and when in great distress of mind by reason of sin, perhaps his sin with Bathsheba; and was written as a memorial of his sense of sin, of his great afflictions, and deliverance from them; and therefore is said to be "to bring to remembrance", or to refresh his memory with the said things. Kimchi and Ben Melech think the psalm was made for the sake of such as are in distress, to put them in mind and teach them how to pray. The Targum calls the psalm, ``a good remembrance concerning Israel;'' and Jarchi says it was to remember the distress of Israel before the Lord, and that it is said with respect to all Israel; though others think the word "lehazcir" is the name of a psalm tune; and Aben Ezra was of opinion that it was the first word of some pleasant poem. The Septuagint version adds, ``concerning the sabbath,'' as if it was wrote to put persons in mind of that day; whereas there is nothing in the whole psalm that has any such tendency.

Cross References 14

Footnotes 4

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