Psalms 6:5-10

5 For none there is in death, that is mindful of thee; but in hell who shall acknowledge to thee? (For there is no one among the dead, who remembereth thee; who shall praise thee in Sheol, or the land of the dead?/who shall praise thee in the grave?)
6 I travailed in my wailing, I shall wash my bed by each night; I shall moisten, either make wet, my bedstraw with my tears. (I am travailed, or made weary, from all my wailing, and each night I wash my bed with my weeping; yea, I moisten my bedstraw with my tears.)
7 Mine eye is troubled of strong vengeance; I wax eld among all mine enemies. (My eyes be full of grief; they grow old because of all my enemies.)
8 All ye that work wickedness, depart from me; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. (All ye who do evil, go away from me; for the Lord hath heard the sound of my weeping.)
9 The Lord hath heard my beseeching; the Lord hath received my prayer. (The Lord hath heard my plea; the Lord hath received my prayer.)
10 All mine enemies be ashamed, and be troubled greatly; be they turned (al)together, and be they ashamed full swiftly. (Let all my enemies be ashamed, and be greatly troubled; yea, let them be turned away, and be they quickly ashamed/and be they greatly confused.)

Psalms 6:5-10 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, a Psalm of David. What is designed by "the chief musician," and what is meant by "neginoth," have been observed preciously, See Gill on "Ps 4:1." As for "sheminith," it seems to be one particular sort of the "neginoth," or stringed instrument, which this man had the care of; see the title of Psalm 12:1: which most of the Hebrew writers {y} understand of the harp of eight strings, to which this psalm was set; and which, from the number of its strings, was called "sheminith," which signifies "the eighth": and this receives confirmation from 1 Chronicles 15:21. The eighth string was added to the harp by Simonides, according to Pliny {z}: but if such an harp is here meant, this refutes it, for David lived long before Simonides. Though some {a} have thought it refers to a poem or song of eight notes, to the tune of which this psalm was sung; or to the eighth note, which was grave, and which we call the bass. As for the eighth day of circumcision, of which some Jewish writers mystically interpret it; or the eighth, that is, the first day, or Lord's day, to which some of the ancient Christian writers refer it, or the eighth age, or millennium, as Theodoret; these can by no means be admitted of. The occasion of it was either some bodily disease the psalmist laboured under, or some distress of soul, on account of sin; and the rather this seems to be the case, seeing the psalm begins with the same words as Psalm 38:1, in which the psalmist so much bewails his iniquity. Some have thought it was drawn up for the use of any and every sick person; and others say it was written on the account of Israel in captivity, who were then as sick persons {b}: but rather the occasion of it was bodily sickness, inward guilt of conscience for sin, and distress by enemies; as appears from, Psalm 6:3.

{y} Targum, Jarchi, Kimchi, & Ben Melech in loc. {z} Nat. Hist. l. 7. c. 56. {a} In Aben Ezra in loc. {b} Vid. Kimchi & Aben Ezra in loc.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.