Psalm 6

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.[a]

1 O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your rage.
2 Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak.
    Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
3 I am sick at heart.
    How long, O Lord, until you restore me?

4 Return, O Lord, and rescue me.
    Save me because of your unfailing love.
5 For the dead do not remember you.
    Who can praise you from the grave?[b]

6 I am worn out from sobbing.
    All night I flood my bed with weeping,
    drenching it with my tears.
7 My vision is blurred by grief;
    my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.

8 Go away, all you who do evil,
    for the Lord has heard my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my plea;
    the Lord will answer my prayer.
10 May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified.
    May they suddenly turn back in shame.

Footnotes

  1. 6:Title Hebrew with stringed instruments; according to the sheminith.
  2. 6:5 Hebrew from Sheol?

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Questions:

  1. Verse 1: it seems as though David starts this psalm in the middle of a story – he believes that God is angry with him and he wants to rebuke and discipline him. Under what circumstances do you jump to a conclusion that God is displeased with you?
  2. Verse 2: David asks for the Lord to give compassion because he is weak, in pain and needs healing. These prayers are simple and direct. When do you find yourself praying simple and direct prayers?
  3. Verse 3: David prays a ‘hurry up’ prayer. What is your experience of the Lord answering prayers of this type?
  4. Verse 4: what drives David’s prayer in this verse?
  5. Verse 5: what point is David making in this verse?
  6. Verse 6: how do you feel when David describes the depth of his grief?
  7. Verse 7: who is David speaking to in verses 6 & 7 and what is his intent in doing so?
  8. Verse 8: what gives David the confidence to rebuke his enemies?
  9. Verse 9: what is David’s new found confidence based on?
  10. Verse 10: how would you summarise David’s prayer for his enemies?