Psalm 38

Psalm 38 is the 38th psalm of the Book of Psalms, entitled "A psalm of David to bring to remembrance",[1] is one of the 7 Penitential Psalms.[2] In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible, and in the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 37.

This article is about Psalm 38 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 38 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 39.
Psalm 38
A psalm of David to bring to remembrance
"O lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath"
Psalm 38 (Vulgate: 37) from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry manuscript
Other name
  • Psalm 37
  • Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me
Textby David
LanguageHebrew (original)

In the English King James Version of the Bible, it begins: "O lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath". In Latin, it is known as "Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me".[3]

The title "to bring to remembrance" also applies to Psalm 70.[2]

Text

Hebrew Bible version

The following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 38:[4]

Verse Hebrew
1 .מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד לְהַזְכִּיר
2 .יְהוָה--אַל-בְּקֶצְפְּךָ תוֹכִיחֵנִי; וּבַחֲמָתְךָ תְיַסְּרֵנִי
3 .כִּי-חִצֶּיךָ, נִחֲתוּ בִי; וַתִּנְחַת עָלַי יָדֶךָ
4 .אֵין-מְתֹם בִּבְשָׂרִי, מִפְּנֵי זַעְמֶךָ; אֵין-שָׁלוֹם בַּעֲצָמַי, מִפְּנֵי חַטָּאתִי
5 .כִּי עֲוֺנֹתַי, עָבְרוּ רֹאשִׁי; כְּמַשָּׂא כָבֵד, יִכְבְּדוּ מִמֶּנִּי
6 .הִבְאִישׁוּ נָמַקּוּ, חַבּוּרֹתָי: מִפְּנֵי, אִוַּלְתִּי
7 .נַעֲוֵיתִי שַׁחֹתִי עַד-מְאֹד; כָּל-הַיּוֹם, קֹדֵר הִלָּכְתִּי
8 .כִּי-כְסָלַי, מָלְאוּ נִקְלֶה; וְאֵין מְתֹם, בִּבְשָׂרִי
9 .נְפוּגוֹתִי וְנִדְכֵּיתִי עַד-מְאֹד; שָׁאַגְתִּי, מִנַּהֲמַת לִבִּי
10 .אֲדֹנָי, נֶגְדְּךָ כָל-תַּאֲוָתִי; וְאַנְחָתִי, מִמְּךָ לֹא-נִסְתָּרָה
11 .לִבִּי סְחַרְחַר, עֲזָבַנִי כֹחִי; וְאוֹר-עֵינַי גַּם-הֵם, אֵין אִתִּי
12 .אֹהֲבַי, וְרֵעַי--מִנֶּגֶד נִגְעִי יַעֲמֹדוּ; וּקְרוֹבַי, מֵרָחֹק עָמָדוּ
13 .וַיְנַקְשׁוּ, מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשִׁי, וְדֹרְשֵׁי רָעָתִי, דִּבְּרוּ הַוּוֹת; וּמִרְמוֹת, כָּל-הַיּוֹם יֶהְגּוּ
14 .וַאֲנִי כְחֵרֵשׁ, לֹא אֶשְׁמָע; וּכְאִלֵּם, לֹא יִפְתַּח-פִּיו
15 .וָאֱהִי--כְּאִישׁ, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-שֹׁמֵעַ; וְאֵין בְּפִיו, תּוֹכָחוֹת
16 .כִּי-לְךָ יְהוָה הוֹחָלְתִּי; אַתָּה תַעֲנֶה, אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהָי
17 .כִּי-אָמַרְתִּי, פֶּן-יִשְׂמְחוּ-לִי; בְּמוֹט רַגְלִי, עָלַי הִגְדִּילוּ
18 .כִּי-אֲנִי, לְצֶלַע נָכוֹן; וּמַכְאוֹבִי נֶגְדִּי תָמִיד
19 .כִּי-עֲוֺנִי אַגִּיד; אֶדְאַג, מֵחַטָּאתִי
20 .וְאֹיְבַי, חַיִּים עָצֵמוּ; וְרַבּוּ שֹׂנְאַי שָׁקֶר
21 .וּמְשַׁלְּמֵי רָעָה, תַּחַת טוֹבָה-- יִשְׂטְנוּנִי, תַּחַת רדופי- (רָדְפִי-) טוֹב
22 אַל-תַּעַזְבֵנִי יְהוָה: אֱלֹהַי, אַל-תִּרְחַק מִמֶּנִּי
23 .חוּשָׁה לְעֶזְרָתִי: אֲדֹנָי, תְּשׁוּעָתִי

King James Version
  1. O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
  2. For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.
  3. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
  4. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
  5. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
  6. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
  7. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.
  8. I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
  9. Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.
  10. My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
  11. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
  12. They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
  13. But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
  14. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
  15. For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
  16. For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
  17. For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.
  18. For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.
  19. But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
  20. They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.
  21. Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.
  22. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

Content

The psalm's topic is God's displeasure at sin (verses 1–11), and the psalmist's sufferings and prayers (verses 12–22).[5][6] The psalm opens with a prayer, David felt as if he had been forgotten of his God. It then passes intermittently between complaint and hope.[7] Benjamin Weiss noted the "depth of misery into which the psalmist gradually plunges in his complaints, then the sudden grasp at the arm of mercy and omnipotence".[8]

Possibly written late in David's life,[9] although Coffman's believes it was early in David's reign,[10] it was often conjectured as a biography of sorts for David.[11] John Calvin thought rather it was David's intent to commit to music to transmit what he had learnt through his life of the relationship he had with his Lord, before he died.[12]

Uses

Judaism

Verse 22 is part of the long Tachanun recited on Mondays and Thursdays.[13][14]

New Testament

Verse 11 is quoted in Luke 23:49.[15]

Catholic Church
Psalm motet Domine ne in furore, a setting of Psalm 37 (Vulgate numbering, a.k.a. Psalm 38 in Hebrew numbering) by Josquin des Prez.

From around AD 530, this Psalm was traditionally sung in monasteries during matins on Mondays, according to the Rule of St. Benedict.[16][17][18] Since reform of the Office of Readings after Vatican II, Psalm 37 is now recited during the liturgy of the hours on Friday in the second week of the four-weekly cycle of liturgical prayers.

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the eighth day of the month,[19] as well as at Mattins on Ash Wednesday.[20]

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

Verse 1 (which is almost identical to verse 1 of Psalm 6) is quoted in chapter 6 of 1 Meqabyan, a book considered canonical by this church.[21]

Musical settings

Musical settings of Psalm 38 include:

References
  1. Matthew Henry, Commentaries on Psalm 38
  2. Kirkpatrick, A. (1906), Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Psalm 38, accessed 3 November 2021
  3. Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 37 (38) Archived 2017-05-07 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
  4. "Psalms Chapter 38 תְּהִלִּים". mechon-mamre.org. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  5. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
  6. John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes.
  7. Charles H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David.
  8. Benjamin Weiss
  9. Christopher Love
  10. Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible.
  11. Charles H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David.
  12. Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 9: Psalms, Part II, tr. by John King, [1847–50].]
  13. The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 129
  14. D’après le Complete Artscroll Siddur, compilation des prières juives.
  15. Kirkpatrick, A. F. (1901). The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Vol. Book IV and V: Psalms XC-CL. Cambridge: At the University Press. p. 838. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  16. Règle de saint Benoît, traduction par Prosper Guéranger, p. 46, Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, réimpression
  17. "La distribution des Psaumes dans la Règle de Saint Benoît | Mont des Cats".
  18. Psautier latin-français du bréviaire monastique, 1938p. 149.
  19. Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 196ff
  20. "The Book of Common Prayer: Proper Psalms On Certain Days" (PDF). The Church of England. p. 6. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  21. "Torah of Yeshuah: Book of Meqabyan I - III".
  22. Three Psalms by Josquin Desprez: 1935 edition at the International Music Score Library Project
  23. Gottfried Vopelius (1682). Neu Leipziger Gesangbuch, pp. 648–651.
  24. Cornelius Becker (1602). Der Psalter Dauids Gesangweis, "Der XXXVIII. Psalm"
  25. Zahn, Johannes (1890). Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder (in German). Vol. III. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann. pp. 131–132, 558–559.
  26. Scores of Herr straf mich nicht in Deinem Zorn, SWV 135, by Heinrich Schütz in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
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