TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 6:1–7. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
These verses speak the language of a heart truly humbled under humbling providences, of a broken and contrite spirit under great afflictions, sent on purpose to awaken conscience and mortify corruption. Those heap up wrath who cry not when God binds them; but those are getting ready for mercy who, under God's rebukes, sow in tears, as David does here. Let us observe here,
I.The representation he makes to God of his grievances.
He pours out his complaint before him. Whither else should a child go with his complaints, but to his father? 1. He complains of bodily pain and sickness (Psa 6:2): My bones are vexed. His bones and his flesh, like Job's, were touched. Though David was a king, yet he was sick and pained; his imperial crown could not keep his head from aching. Great men are men, and subject to the common calamities of human life. Though David was a stout man, a man of war from his youth, yet this could not secure him from distempers, which will soon make even the strong men to bow themselves. Though David was a good man, yet neither could his goodness keep him in health. Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. Let this help to reconcile us to pain and sickness, that it has been the lot of some of the best saints, and that we are directed and encouraged by their example to show before God our trouble in that case, who is for the body, and takes cognizance of its ailments. 2. He complains of inward trouble: My soul is also sorely vexed; and that is much more grievous than the vexation of the bones. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, if that be in good plight; but, if that be wounded, the grievance is intolerable. David's sickness brought his sin to his remembrance, and he looked upon it as a token of God's displeasure against him; that was the vexation of his soul; that made him cry, I am weak, heal me. It is a sad thing for a man to have his bones and his soul vexed at the same time; but this has been sometimes the lot of God's own people: nay, and this completed his complicated trouble, that it was continued upon him a great while, which is here intimated in that expostulation (Psa 6:3), Thou, O Lord! how long? To the living God we must, at such a time, address ourselves, who is the only physician both of body and mind, and not to the Assyrians, not to the god of Ekron.
II.The impression which his troubles made upon him.
They lay very heavily; he groaned till he was weary, wept till he made his bed to swim, and watered his couch (Psa 6:6), wept till he had almost wept his eyes out (Psa 6:7): My eye is consumed because of grief. David had more courage and consideration than to mourn thus for any outward affliction; but, when sin sat heavily upon his conscience and he was made to possess his iniquities, when his soul was wounded with the sense of God's wrath and his withdrawings from him, then he thus grieves and mourns in secret, and even his soul refuses to be comforted. This not only kept his eyes waking, but kept his eyes weeping. Note,
1.It has often been the lot of the best of men to be men of sorrows; our Lord Jesus himself was so. Our way lies through a vale of tears, and we must accommodate ourselves to the temper of the climate.
2.It well becomes the greatest spirits to be tender, and to relent, under the tokens of God's displeasure. David, who could face Goliath himself and many another threatening enemy with an undaunted bravery, yet melts into tears at the remembrance of sin and under the apprehensions of divine wrath; and it was no diminution at all to his character to do so.
3.True penitents weep in their retirements. The Pharisees disguised their faces, that they might appear unto men to mourn; but David mourned in the night upon the bed where he lay communing with his own heart, and no eye was a witness to his grief, but the eye of him who is all eye. Peter went out, covered his face, and wept.
4.Sorrow for sin ought to be great sorrow; so David's was; he wept so bitterly, so abundantly, that he watered his couch.
5.The triumphs of wicked men in the sorrows of the saints add very much to their grief. David's eye waxed old because of his enemies, who rejoiced in his afflictions and put bad constructions upon his tears. In this great sorrow David was a type of Christ, who often wept, and who cried out, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, Heb 5:7.
III.The petitions which he offers up to God in this sorrowful and distressed state.
1.That which he dreads as the greatest evil is the anger of God. This was the wormwood and the gall in the affliction and the misery; it was the infusion of this that made it indeed a bitter cup; and therefore he prays (Psa 6:1), O Lord! rebuke me not in thy anger, though I have deserved it, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. He does not pray, "Lord, rebuke me not; Lord, chasten me not;" for, as many as God loves he rebukes and chastens, as a father the son in whom he delights. He can bear the rebuke and chastening well enough if God, at the same time, lift up the light of his countenance upon him and by his Spirit make him to hear the joy and gladness of his loving-kindness; the affliction of his body will be tolerable if he have but comfort in his soul. No matter though sickness make his bones ache, if God's wrath do not make his heart ache; therefore his prayer is, "Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath; let me not lie under the impressions of that, for that will sink me." Herein David was a type of Christ, whose sorest complaint, in his sufferings, was of the trouble of his soul and of the suspension of his Father's smiles. He never so much as whispered a complaint of the rage of his enemies - "Why do they crucify me?" or the unkindness of his friends - "Why do they desert me?" But he cried with a loud voice, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Let us thus deprecate the wrath of God more than any outward trouble whatsoever and always beware of treasuring up wrath against a day of affliction.
2.That which he desires as the greatest good, and which would be to him the restoration of all good, is the favour and friendship of God. He prays, (1.) That God would pity him and look upon him with compassion. He thinks himself very miserable, and misery is the proper object of mercy. Hence he prays, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord! in wrath remember mercy, and deal not with me in strict justice." (2.) That God would pardon his sins; for that is the proper act of mercy, and is often chiefly intended in that petition, Have mercy upon me. (3.) That God would put forth his power for his relief: "Lord, heal me (Psa 6:2), save me (Psa 6:4), speak the word, and I shall be whole, and all will be well." (4.) That he would be at peace with him: "Return, O Lord! receive me into thy favour again, and be reconciled to me. Thou hast seemed to depart from me and neglect me, nay, to set thyself at a distance, as one angry; but now, Lord, return and show thyself nigh to me." (5.) That he would especially preserve the inward man and the interests of that, whatever might become of the body: "O Lord! deliver my soul from sinning, from sinking, from perishing for ever." It is an unspeakable privilege that we have a God to go to in our afflictions, and it is our duty to go to him, and thus to wrestle with him, and we shall not seek in vain.
IV.The pleas with which he enforces his petitions, not to move God (he knows our cause and the true merits of it better than we can state them), but to move himself. 1. He pleads God's mercy; and thence we take some of our best encouragements in prayer: Save me, for thy mercies' sake. 3. He pleads God's glory (Psa 6:5): "For in death there is no remembrance of thee. Lord, if thou deliver me and comfort me, I will not only give thee thanks for my deliverance, and stir up others to join with me in these thanksgivings, but I will spend the new life thou shalt entrust me with in thy service and to thy glory, and all the remainder of my days I will preserve a grateful remembrance of thy favours to me, and be quickened thereby in all instances of service to thee; but, if I die, I shall be cut short of that opportunity of honouring thee and doing good to others, for in the grave who will give the thanks?" Not but that separate souls live and act, and the souls of the faithful joyfully remember God and give thanks to him. But, (1.) In the second death (which perhaps David, being now troubled in soul under the wrath of God, had some dreadful apprehensions of) there is no pleasing remembrance of God; devils and damned spirits blaspheme him and do not praise him. "Lord, let me not lie always under this wrath, for that is sheol, it is hell itself, and lays me under an everlasting disability to praise thee." Those that sincerely seek God's glory, and desire and delight to praise him, may pray in faith, "Lord, send me not to that dreadful place, where there is no devout remembrance of thee, nor are any thanks given to thee." (2.) Even the death of the body puts an end to our opportunity and capacity of glorifying God in this world, and serving the interests of his kingdom among men by opposing the powers of darkness and bringing many on this earth to know God and devote themselves to him. Some have maintained that the joys of the saints in heaven are more desirable, infinitely more so, than the comforts of saints on earth; yet the services of saints on earth, especially such eminent ones as David was, are more laudable, and redound more to the glory of the divine grace, than the services of the saints in heaven, who are not employed in maintaining the war against sin and Satan, nor in edifying the body of Christ. Courtiers in the royal presence are most happy, but soldiers in the field are more useful; and therefore we may, with good reason, pray that if it be the will of God, and he has any further work for us or our friends to do in this world, he will yet spare us, or them, to serve him. To depart and be with Christ is most happy for the saints themselves; but for them to abide in the flesh is more profitable for the church. This David had an eye to when he pleaded this, In the grave who shall give thee thanks? Psa 30:9; Psa 88:10; Psa 115:17; Isa 38:18. And this Christ had an eye to when he said, I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world.
We should sing these verses with a deep sense of the terrors of God's wrath, which we should therefore dread and deprecate above any thing; and with thankfulness if this be not our condition, and compassion to those who are thus afflicted: if we be thus troubled, let it comfort us that our case is not without precedent, nor, if we humble ourselves and pray, as David did, shall it be long without redress.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
5 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
When we speak of God’s wrath, we do not hold that it is an emotional reaction on his part but something that he uses in order to correct by stern methods those who have committed many terrible sins. That the so-called wrath of God and what is called his anger has a corrective purpose, and that this is the doctrine of the Bible is clear from the words of Psalm 6: “Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, nor correct me in your wrath.”
When you hear of anger and rage in God’s case, do not get the idea of anything typical of human beings; the words, you see, arise from considerateness. The divine nature, after all, is free of all these passions.
In fear of which condemnation the Church prays in this Psalm, and says, "Reprove me not, O Lord, in Your anger" [Psalm 6:1]. The Apostle too mentions the anger of the judgment; "You treasure up unto yourself," he says, "anger against the day of the anger of the just judgment of God." [Romans 2:5] In which he would not be reproved, whosoever longs to be healed in this life. "Nor in Your rage chasten me." "Chasten," seems rather too mild a word; for it avails toward amendment. For for him who is reproved, that is, accused, it is to be feared lest his end be condemnation. But since "rage" seems to be more than "anger," it may be a difficulty, why that which is milder, namely, chastening, is joined to that which is more severe, namely, rage. But I suppose that one and the same thing is signified by the two words. For in the Greek θυμὸς, which is in the first verse, means the same as ὀ ργὴ, which is in the second verse. But when the Latins themselves too wished to use two distinct words, they looked out for what was akin to "anger," and "rage" was used. Hence copies vary. For in some "anger" is found first, and then "rage:" in others, for "rage," "indignation" or "choler" is used. But whatever the reading, it is an emotion of the soul urging to the infliction of punishment. Yet this emotion must not be attributed to God, as if to a soul, of whom it is said, "but Thou, O Lord of power, judgest with tranquillity." [Wisdom 12:18] Now that which is tranquil, is not disturbed. Disturbance then does not attach to God as judge: but what is done by His ministers, in that it is done by His laws, is called His anger. In which anger, the soul, which now prays, would not only not be reproved, but not even chastened, that is, amended or instructed. For in the Greek it is, παιδεύσῃς, that is, instruct. Now in the day of judgment all are "reproved" that hold not the foundation, which is Christ. But they are amended, that is, purged, who "upon this foundation build wood, hay, stubble. For they shall suffer loss, but shall be saved, as by fire." What then does he pray, who would not be either reproved or amended in the anger of the Lord? What else but that he may be healed? For where sound health is, neither death is to be dreaded, nor the physician's hand with caustics or the knife.
We have heard some people trying to excuse this most pernicious disease of the soul [anger] in such a way as to endeavor to extenuate it by a rather shocking way of interpreting Scripture: as they say that it is not injurious if we are angry with the brethren who do wrong, since, say they, God is said to rage and to be angry with those who either will not know him or, knowing him, spurn him, as here: “And the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people”; or where the prophet prays and says, “O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, neither chasten me in your displeasure”; not understanding that while they want to open to people an excuse for a most pestilent sin, they are ascribing to the divine Infinity and Fountain of all purity a taint of human passion.
He does not beg to be uncensured but rather not to be censured in anger, nor does he plead to avoid discipline but not to suffer it with wrath. Discipline me like a father, he asks, not like a judge; like a physician, not like a torturer. Do not fit the punishment to the crime; instead, temper justice with lovingkindness.
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Summary
Psalms 6:1, the opening plea of the first Penitential Psalm, is a fervent cry from David to the LORD, beseeching Him not to administer discipline in the full intensity of His anger or hot displeasure. Acknowledging God's sovereign right to correct and chasten His people, the psalmist expresses a deep fear of overwhelming, destructive wrath, distinguishing it from the corrective, redemptive discipline that aims for restoration and spiritual growth rather rather than annihilation. This verse sets the tone for a psalm of deep personal distress, profound confession, and an urgent appeal for divine mercy and grace in the face of suffering and perceived divine judgment.
Context
Literary Context
Psalm 6 stands as the inaugural "Penitential Psalm," a collection (including Psalm 32, Psalm 38, Psalm 51, Psalm 102, Psalm 130, and Psalm 143) characterized by expressions of profound sorrow over sin, earnest confession, and desperate pleas for divine mercy and deliverance from suffering. Immediately preceding Psalm 6, Psalm 5 is a morning prayer for deliverance from the wicked, setting a tone of dependence on God's righteousness and justice. Following Psalm 6, Psalm 7 is a prayer for vindication against false accusers, further highlighting the psalmist's struggles with adversaries. Thus, Psalm 6 is situated within a series of psalms that grapple with the psalmist's personal anguish, the presence of enemies, and the seeking of God's intervention, often with an underlying sense of personal culpability or deep distress that feels like divine judgment. The superscription "To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David" indicates its musical setting (likely for stringed instruments, possibly an eight-stringed lyre) and traditional authorship, further embedding it within the Davidic corpus of prayers and laments.
Historical & Cultural Context
While the specific historical circumstances of David's distress are not detailed in the psalm, traditional interpretations suggest it could stem from severe illness, the oppression of adversaries, or a deep conviction of sin, perhaps related to events like his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11) or the rebellion of Absalom (2 Samuel 15). In ancient Israelite thought, suffering was often directly linked to divine displeasure or judgment for sin, though the Old Testament also presents instances where suffering is not a direct consequence of personal sin (Job 1-2; cf. John 9:2-3). The cultural understanding of divine discipline included the belief that God, as a righteous king and father, would correct His people. However, there was also a profound fear of God's consuming wrath, which could bring about utter destruction. David's prayer reflects this tension, acknowledging God's right to discipline while appealing for that discipline to be tempered with mercy, lest it become destructive fury.
Key Themes
This opening verse introduces several profound themes that resonate throughout Psalm 6 and the broader Psalter. Firstly, it highlights the critical distinction between Divine Discipline vs. Destructive Wrath. David is not asking to be free from all correction, but from a punishment that feels like overwhelming, consuming judgment, devoid of redemptive purpose. This theme is echoed in passages like Proverbs 3:11-12 and Hebrews 12:5-11, which clarify that God's discipline is an act of love for our spiritual growth and not an expression of arbitrary rage. Secondly, the verse exemplifies Humility and Dependence. David's prayer demonstrates a profound recognition of God's sovereignty and a desperate reliance on His compassionate nature, acknowledging his own vulnerability before divine justice. This humility is a hallmark of true repentance and faith, as seen in the tax collector's prayer in Luke 18:13. Thirdly, it serves as a powerful model for Prayer in Distress. The psalmist brings his deepest anguish and fear before God with raw honesty, seeking alleviation from severe suffering and appealing to God's character as merciful and gracious, as also reflected in Psalm 130:1-2.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term (H3198) is a primitive root meaning "to be right (i.e. correct); reciprocal, to argue; causatively, to decide, justify or convict." It implies a strong, authoritative reprimand or a sharp, decisive intervention to stop or restrain. While it can carry a sense of indignation or displeasure, its primary aim is often to bring about correction or conviction. In this context, David fears a rebuke so severe it feels like destructive judgment rather than corrective guidance, a divine act of setting things right that might overwhelm him.
This word (H3256) is a primitive root meaning "to chastise, literally (with blows) or figuratively (with words); hence, to instruct." It carries the sense of discipline, instruction, or training, much like a parent disciplines a child for their good. It implies a pedagogical purpose, designed to teach, correct, and mature. David is not asking to be free from all discipline, but from a form of chastening that is overwhelming and devoid of its redemptive, instructive intent.
This is a very intense term for wrath (H2534), derived from a word meaning "heat." It figuratively refers to anger or poison (from its fever), often associated with burning anger, fury, or rage. Unlike "anger" (ʼaph, H639), which can be a controlled indignation or a flaring of the nostrils, chêmâh suggests an unbridled, consuming passion. David's plea is that God's discipline, whatever its form, would not be administered with this kind of destructive, unmitigated fury that would obliterate him.
Verse Breakdown
"O LORD,"
This direct address to Yahweh (H3068), the covenant God of Israel, immediately establishes the personal and relational nature of the prayer. It signifies a cry from a place of deep intimacy and dependence, appealing to God's character as both sovereign and merciful, recognizing His ultimate authority over life and death.
"rebuke me not in thine anger,"
David acknowledges God's right to rebuke (yâkach, H3198) and His capacity for anger (ʼaph, H639), but pleads for restraint. He fears a rebuke that stems from an overwhelming, destructive wrath rather than a corrective, redemptive indignation. This is a plea for God's discipline to be tempered with mercy, preventing utter devastation and ensuring that correction leads to restoration.
"neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure."
This parallel clause reinforces the first, intensifying the plea. "Chasten" (yâçar, H3256) implies discipline for instruction and growth, but "hot displeasure" (chêmâh, H2534) speaks of intense, burning fury. David is asking that God's corrective discipline not be delivered with a consuming, unmitigated rage that would obliterate him rather than refine him, emphasizing the desire for a fatherly correction over a judge's condemnation.
Literary Devices
Psalms 6:1 primarily employs Synonymous Parallelism, a prominent feature of Hebrew poetry, where the second clause ("neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure") reiterates and intensifies the meaning of the first ("O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger"). This repetition amplifies the psalmist's fervent plea, emphasizing the critical distinction between corrective discipline and destructive wrath. The terms "anger" (ʼaph) and "hot displeasure" (chêmâh) are used to convey escalating degrees of divine wrath, creating a sense of urgency and desperation in David's appeal. The verse also functions as a direct Supplication, an earnest and humble appeal to God, characteristic of lament psalms, where the petitioner lays bare their distress before the divine. There is an implicit Metonymy where "anger" and "hot displeasure" stand for the severe and potentially destructive actions that flow from these intense divine emotions.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 6:1 profoundly articulates the tension between God's perfect justice and His boundless mercy. It reveals a theological understanding that while God is righteous and holy, capable of righteous indignation against sin, His ultimate desire for His people is not destruction but restoration. David's plea is a recognition that divine discipline, when administered in love, serves to refine and correct, leading to repentance and spiritual growth. However, he also acknowledges the terrifying possibility of God's unmitigated wrath, which he desperately seeks to avoid. This verse invites believers to consider the nature of God's discipline, which, though painful, is ultimately for our good, and to approach Him with humility, trusting in His compassionate character even amidst suffering, knowing that His heart is not to willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 6:1 offers a profound template for prayer in moments of deep distress, whether due to personal sin, severe illness, or external oppression. It teaches us to approach God with raw honesty about our fears and suffering, yet always with a humble recognition of His sovereignty and righteousness. Instead of demanding relief, David pleads for mercy, distinguishing between God's corrective hand and His consuming wrath. This verse encourages us to examine our own hearts when facing trials: Are we resisting God's discipline, or are we humbly submitting to His refining work? Do we trust that even in our suffering, God's ultimate intention for His children is not destruction but sanctification? It reminds us that our loving Father disciplines those He loves, and we can appeal to His character for grace, even when we feel the weight of our failures or the intensity of His corrective hand, knowing that His discipline is always for our ultimate good and holiness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the difference between God's "anger" and "hot displeasure" in this verse?
While both terms denote divine wrath, "anger" (Hebrew: ʼaph, H639, literally "nose" or "nostril") often refers to a more general indignation or controlled displeasure, sometimes depicted as a flaring of the nostrils. It signifies God's righteous response to sin or disobedience. "Hot displeasure" (Hebrew: chêmâh, H2534), however, is a more intense and consuming term, implying burning rage or fury, often associated with unbridled passion. David's use of both terms in Psalms 6:1 highlights his deep fear of God's unmitigated, destructive wrath, distinguishing it from corrective discipline. He acknowledges God's right to be angry but pleads that His discipline would not be administered with such overwhelming, consuming force that would lead to his utter destruction rather than his restoration. It's a plea for God's discipline to be tempered by His mercy, ensuring its purpose is redemptive rather than annihilating.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 6:1 finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While David pleaded for God's anger and hot displeasure not to fall upon him, Christ, the perfect Son, willingly bore the full measure of God's righteous wrath against sin on the cross. The "chastening" that brought us peace, and the "stripes" by which we are healed, fell upon Him, as prophesied in Isaiah 53:5. Because Jesus endured the ultimate rebuke and the "hot displeasure" of God for humanity's sin, those who are "in Christ" are no longer subject to God's condemning wrath (Romans 8:1). Instead, any discipline we experience as believers is now the loving correction of a Father for His children, intended for our good and holiness (Hebrews 12:7-11). Through Christ, David's plea is answered for all who believe: we are chastened, but not in God's destructive fury, because Christ absorbed that fury on our behalf, securing our adoption and eternal reconciliation with a God who is now for us, not against us (Romans 8:31-32).