Psalms 6: Weeping Turned to Assurance

A night of tears that ends with God hearing David's cry.

Psalms 6: A Prayer of Weeping and Healing

This is the first of the penitential psalms, following Psalms 5, in which David asks the LORD not to rebuke him in anger but to heal his vexed bones and weary soul. He pictures himself flooding his bed with tears each night from grief and exhausted groaning.


To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. O LORD, rebuke me not in thy anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

\\6:1\\To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. O LORD, rebuke me not in thy anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

\\6:2\\Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are agitated.

\\6:3\\My soul is also greatly disquieted: but thou, O LORD, how long?

\\6:4\\Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: Oh save me for thy mercies sake.

\\6:5\\For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who will give thee thanks?

\\6:6\\I am weary with my groaning; all the night I make my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.

\\6:7\\My eye is consumed because of grief; it groweth old because of all my enemies.

\\6:8\\Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

\\6:9\\The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.

\\6:10\\Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly disquieted: let them return and be suddenly ashamed.

Verse 8 marks a sudden shift as David tells his enemies to depart, because the LORD has heard the voice of his weeping, a pattern of lament turning to trust also seen in <a href="/bible/wbt/psalms/chapter-88/10">Psalms 88:10-12</a> and continuing into <a href="/bible/wbt/psalms/chapter-7">Psalms 7</a>.