Psalms 38 Study Notes: A Plea for Mercy Under Discipline
Sick and in pain, David pleads that the LORD not discipline him in anger and traces his suffering to his own sin. Shunned by friends and hunted by enemies, he stays silent and waits for God, confesses his guilt, and closes with an urgent cry for help from his Savior.
General
What does David do about his sin in 38:18?
Answer: He openly confesses it and grieves over it
David openly admits his guilt and says he is troubled by his sin (38:18). He is not only sorry about the pain it has brought; he is grieved over the sin itself. This is true confession. The Bible promises mercy to those who confess: David found forgiveness when he confessed his sin to the LORD (Psalm 32:5), Proverbs 28:13 says the one who confesses and turns from sin finds mercy, and John says God, being faithful and just, forgives those who confess (1 John 1:9).
- Psalm 38:18 (BSB)“Yes, I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.”David openly confesses his iniquity and grieves over his sin.
- Psalm 32:5 (BSB)“Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”David confessed his sin and received God's forgiveness.
- Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”The one who confesses and renounces sin finds mercy.
- 1 John 1:9 (BSB)“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”God faithfully forgives and cleanses those who confess their sins.
Theological
What response to his iniquity does David make in 38:18?
Answer: He openly confesses it and grieves over it
David confesses his iniquity and is troubled over his sin (38:18), a godly sorrow directed at the sin itself rather than merely its consequences. Such confession meets God's pardoning mercy: David's own experience in Psalm 32:5, the proverb that the one who confesses and forsakes sin obtains mercy (Proverbs 28:13), and the apostolic promise that the faithful and just God forgives those who confess (1 John 1:9). Forgiveness rests on God's faithfulness, not on the worth of the confession.
- Psalm 38:18 (BSB)“Yes, I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.”David openly confesses his iniquity and grieves over his sin.
- Psalm 32:5 (BSB)“Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”David confessed his sin and received God's forgiveness.
- Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”The one who confesses and renounces sin finds mercy.
- 1 John 1:9 (BSB)“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”God faithfully forgives and cleanses those who confess their sins.
General
True or False: In 38:19-20 David says his enemies attack him because he has wronged them.
Answer: False
This is false. David says his enemies are many and hate him without cause, and that they pay back his good with evil, opposing him because he pursues what is good (38:19-20). So David holds two things together: before God he is guilty and confesses his sin (38:18), but before his enemies he has done nothing to earn their hatred. Other psalms describe people repaying evil for good (Psalm 35:12; 109:4-5). Peter says that enduring unjust suffering for doing right pleases God (1 Peter 2:20).
- Psalm 38:19-20 (BSB)“Many are my enemies without cause, and many hate me without reason. Those who repay my good with evil attack me for pursuing the good.”David's enemies hate him without cause and repay his good with evil.
- Psalm 35:12 (BSB)“They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.”Another psalm of David laments enemies who return evil for good.
- Psalm 109:4-5 (BSB)“In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love.”The psalmist's love and prayer are met with accusation and hatred.
- 1 Peter 2:20 (BSB)“How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.”Enduring suffering for doing good is commendable before God.
Theological
True or False: David presents his enemies in 38:19-20 as justly retaliating for wrongs he has done to them.
Answer: False
This is false. His enemies are numerous and hate him without cause; they pay back good with evil and oppose him for following the good (38:19-20). The psalm thus distinguishes two relations: before God David is guilty and confesses (38:18), yet before men he suffers unjustly. The same lament over good repaid with evil appears in Psalm 35:12 and 109:4-5, and Peter commends enduring suffering for doing good (1 Peter 2:20).
- Psalm 38:19-20 (BSB)“Many are my enemies without cause, and many hate me without reason. Those who repay my good with evil attack me for pursuing the good.”David's enemies hate him without cause and repay his good with evil.
- Psalm 35:12 (BSB)“They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.”Another psalm of David laments enemies who return evil for good.
- Psalm 109:4-5 (BSB)“In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love.”The psalmist's love and prayer are met with accusation and hatred.
- 1 Peter 2:20 (BSB)“How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.”Enduring suffering for doing good is commendable before God.
General
In 38:16-17, what does David fear his enemies will do if he stumbles?
Answer: Rejoice over him when he falls
David explains why he waits for God's answer: he has asked that his enemies not be allowed to gloat over him, those who mock him when his foot slips (38:16). He feels close to falling, and his pain never leaves him (38:17). He wants God to act so that his enemies cannot celebrate his ruin. Other psalms pray the same way (Psalm 13:4; 25:2), and Micah 7:8 answers a gloating enemy with confidence that God will lift the fallen one up. Psalm 94:18 shows God's loving devotion holding up the one whose foot slips.
- Psalm 38:16-17 (BSB)“For I said, “Let them not gloat over me—those who taunt me when my foot slips.” For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me.”David prays that his enemies not triumph over him as he nears a fall.
- Psalm 13:4 (BSB)“lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes rejoice when I fall.”David prays that his foes not rejoice at his fall.
- Psalm 25:2 (BSB)“in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.”David asks God not to let his enemies exult over him.
- Micah 7:8 (BSB)“Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.”The fallen one answers the gloating enemy with hope that the LORD will raise him.
- Psalm 94:18 (BSB)“If I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your loving devotion, O LORD, supports me.”God's loving devotion upholds the one whose foot is slipping.
Theological
As he waits for God's answer in 38:16-17, what does David fear his enemies will do?
Answer: Rejoice over him when he falls
Verse 16 supplies the reason for David's waiting: he has prayed that his enemies not be permitted to exult over him when his foot slips, and verse 17 admits how near he is to falling, with pain continually before him. The concern is that God's servant not become an occasion of triumph for the wicked. The same petition appears in Psalm 13:4 and 25:2, Micah 7:8 answers the gloating enemy with hope of being raised, and Psalm 94:18 testifies to God's loving devotion upholding the slipping foot.
- Psalm 38:16-17 (BSB)“For I said, “Let them not gloat over me—those who taunt me when my foot slips.” For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me.”David prays that his enemies not triumph over him as he nears a fall.
- Psalm 13:4 (BSB)“lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes rejoice when I fall.”David prays that his foes not rejoice at his fall.
- Psalm 25:2 (BSB)“in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.”David asks God not to let his enemies exult over him.
- Micah 7:8 (BSB)“Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.”The fallen one answers the gloating enemy with hope that the LORD will raise him.
- Psalm 94:18 (BSB)“If I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your loving devotion, O LORD, supports me.”God's loving devotion upholds the one whose foot is slipping.
General
How do David's loved ones, friends, and relatives respond to his illness in 38:11?
Answer: They keep away and stand far off
David's suffering isolates him. The people closest to him, those he loves, his friends, and his own relatives, avoid him because of his sickness and keep their distance (38:11). Meanwhile his enemies plot against him (38:12). Other sufferers in Scripture felt the same loneliness: in Psalm 31:11 the psalmist's friends run from him in the street, and Job says his brothers, relatives, and friends had failed and forgotten him (Job 19:13-14).
- Psalm 38:11-12 (BSB)“My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance. Those who seek my life lay snares; those who wish me harm speak destruction, plotting deceit all day long.”Friends and relatives keep away while enemies plot against David.
- Psalm 31:11 (BSB)“Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends—they flee when they see me on the street.”Another sufferer is shunned by neighbors and friends.
- Job 19:13-14 (BSB)“He has removed my brothers from me; my acquaintances have abandoned me. My kinsmen have failed me, and my friends have forgotten me.”Job describes being abandoned by relatives, acquaintances, and friends.
Theological
What does 38:11 say about the response of David's friends and kin to his affliction?
Answer: They keep away and stand far off
Affliction brings social isolation: loved ones, friends, and relatives shrink from his disease and hold themselves apart (38:11), even as enemies lay snares (38:12). Abandonment by intimates is a recurring motif in the laments of righteous sufferers (Psalm 31:11; Job 19:13-14).
- Psalm 38:11-12 (BSB)“My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance. Those who seek my life lay snares; those who wish me harm speak destruction, plotting deceit all day long.”Friends and relatives keep away while enemies plot against David.
- Psalm 31:11 (BSB)“Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends—they flee when they see me on the street.”Another sufferer is shunned by neighbors and friends.
- Job 19:13-14 (BSB)“He has removed my brothers from me; my acquaintances have abandoned me. My kinsmen have failed me, and my friends have forgotten me.”Job describes being abandoned by relatives, acquaintances, and friends.
General
What comfort does David state in 38:9 in the middle of his suffering?
Answer: God sees every desire and hears every groan
Between descriptions of pain, David turns to the Lord: all his longing is open before Him, and God hears every groan he utters (38:9). Even when David cannot put his pain into words, God knows it fully. Scripture teaches that God knows our words before we speak them (Psalm 139:4), that nothing is concealed from His sight (Hebrews 4:13), and that the Father knows what His children need before they ask (Matthew 6:8).
- Psalm 38:9 (BSB)“O Lord, my every desire is before You; my groaning is not hidden from You.”In the middle of his lament David rests in God's full knowledge of his longing.
- Psalm 139:4 (BSB)“Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.”God knows every word before it is spoken.
- Hebrews 4:13 (BSB)“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”Nothing in creation is concealed from God's sight.
- Matthew 6:8 (BSB)“Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”The Father knows His children's needs before they ask.
Theological
What confidence does David express in 38:9 about his longing and groaning?
Answer: God sees every desire and hears every groan
In the midst of lament David confesses that all his longing lies open before the Lord and that his groaning is known to Him (38:9). God's omniscience, which is a terror to the unrepentant, is comfort to the penitent sufferer: He knows the word before it is spoken (Psalm 139:4), nothing is concealed from His sight (Hebrews 4:13), and the Father knows His children's needs before they ask (Matthew 6:8).
- Psalm 38:9 (BSB)“O Lord, my every desire is before You; my groaning is not hidden from You.”In the middle of his lament David rests in God's full knowledge of his longing.
- Psalm 139:4 (BSB)“Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.”God knows every word before it is spoken.
- Hebrews 4:13 (BSB)“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”Nothing in creation is concealed from God's sight.
- Matthew 6:8 (BSB)“Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”The Father knows His children's needs before they ask.
General
How does Psalm 38 end?
Answer: With an urgent plea for God to come and help
The psalm does not end with the problem solved. David ends with an urgent prayer: he asks the LORD not to abandon him or stay far away, but to hurry to help him, and he calls Him his Savior (38:21-22). Even while suffering for his sin and surrounded by enemies, he still turns to God as the one who saves. Psalm 22:19, 27:9, and 70:5 contain similar cries for God to come near and not delay.
- Psalm 38:21-22 (BSB)“Do not forsake me, O LORD; be not far from me, O my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.”David closes with an urgent plea for God's nearness and help.
- Psalm 22:19 (BSB)“But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.”The psalmist begs the LORD not to be far off but to hurry to help.
- Psalm 27:9 (BSB)“Hide not Your face from me, nor turn away Your servant in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or forsake me, O God of my salvation.”David asks God, his Savior, not to leave or forsake him.
- Psalm 70:5 (BSB)“But I am poor and needy; hurry to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.”The poor and needy psalmist asks God to hurry and not delay.
Theological
On what note does Psalm 38 end in 38:21-22?
Answer: With an urgent plea for God to come and help
Psalm 38 ends unresolved, in petition rather than thanksgiving: David asks not to be forsaken, asks God to stay near and hurry to his aid, and names Him Lord and Savior (38:21-22). The penitent sufferer, still under discipline and hostility, clings to God as the one who saves. Comparable cries appear in Psalm 22:19, 27:9, and 70:5.
- Psalm 38:21-22 (BSB)“Do not forsake me, O LORD; be not far from me, O my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.”David closes with an urgent plea for God's nearness and help.
- Psalm 22:19 (BSB)“But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.”The psalmist begs the LORD not to be far off but to hurry to help.
- Psalm 27:9 (BSB)“Hide not Your face from me, nor turn away Your servant in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or forsake me, O God of my salvation.”David asks God, his Savior, not to leave or forsake him.
- Psalm 70:5 (BSB)“But I am poor and needy; hurry to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.”The poor and needy psalmist asks God to hurry and not delay.
General
What does David ask of the LORD in the opening line of Psalm 38?
Answer: Not to rebuke or discipline him in anger
The superscription marks this as David's psalm, given for remembrance. He does not ask God never to correct him. He asks that God not rebuke or discipline him in anger and wrath (38:1). He knows he deserves correction, but he pleads for mercy in how it comes. Psalm 6 opens with the same plea (Psalm 6:1), and Jeremiah prays to be corrected with justice rather than anger (Jeremiah 10:24). Hebrews teaches that God disciplines His children because He loves them (Hebrews 12:5-6).
- Psalm 38:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David, for remembrance. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath.”David opens by asking that God's correction not come in anger.
- Psalm 6:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments, according to Sheminith. A Psalm of David. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath.”Another psalm of David begins with the same plea.
- Jeremiah 10:24 (BSB)“Correct me, O LORD, but only with justice—not in Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing.”The prophet asks to be corrected with justice rather than anger.
- Hebrews 12:5-6 (BSB)“And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.””God's discipline of His children springs from His love for them.
Theological
What is the precise request of 38:1?
Answer: Not to rebuke or discipline him in anger
David does not request exemption from discipline but that it not come in wrath (38:1); he accepts correction while pleading that it be tempered by mercy. The identical plea opens Psalm 6, and Jeremiah 10:24 asks for correction with justice rather than anger. For God's children, discipline is an expression of fatherly love rather than punitive wrath (Hebrews 12:5-6).
- Psalm 38:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David, for remembrance. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath.”David opens by asking that God's correction not come in anger.
- Psalm 6:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments, according to Sheminith. A Psalm of David. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath.”Another psalm of David begins with the same plea.
- Jeremiah 10:24 (BSB)“Correct me, O LORD, but only with justice—not in Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing.”The prophet asks to be corrected with justice rather than anger.
- Hebrews 12:5-6 (BSB)“And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.””God's discipline of His children springs from His love for them.
General
In 38:13-15, what does David do instead of answering the people who speak against him?
Answer: He waits for the LORD to give the answer
David's enemies lay traps and talk about ruining him (38:12). He does not argue back; he acts as if deaf, hearing nothing, and as if mute, saying nothing (38:13-14). Instead he waits for the LORD, confident that God will answer (38:15). He leaves his defense in God's hands. A similar response is seen in Jesus: when He was insulted and suffered, He did not threaten but handed Himself over to the God who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23), and God tells His people to leave vengeance to Him (Romans 12:19).
- Psalm 38:12-15 (BSB)“Those who seek my life lay snares; those who wish me harm speak destruction, plotting deceit all day long. But like a deaf man, I do not hear; and like a mute man, I do not open my mouth. I am like a man who cannot hear, whose mouth offers no reply. I wait for You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God.”David answers his plotting enemies with silence and waits for God to answer.
- 1 Peter 2:23 (BSB)“When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.”Christ did not answer abuse with threats but entrusted Himself to God the Judge.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Believers leave vengeance to God rather than taking it themselves.
Theological
According to 38:13-15, what takes the place of self-defense when David's enemies plot and speak destruction?
Answer: He waits for the LORD to give the answer
Faced with snares and deceitful plotting (38:12), David refuses to answer, becoming as one deaf and mute (38:13-14), and turns instead to waiting on the LORD, who will answer (38:15). His silence is not resignation but trust that entrusts vindication to God. A comparable response is seen in Christ, who when reviled did not retaliate but committed Himself to the righteous Judge (1 Peter 2:23), and it accords with the command to leave vengeance to God (Romans 12:19).
- Psalm 38:12-15 (BSB)“Those who seek my life lay snares; those who wish me harm speak destruction, plotting deceit all day long. But like a deaf man, I do not hear; and like a mute man, I do not open my mouth. I am like a man who cannot hear, whose mouth offers no reply. I wait for You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God.”David answers his plotting enemies with silence and waits for God to answer.
- 1 Peter 2:23 (BSB)“When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.”Christ did not answer abuse with threats but entrusted Himself to God the Judge.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Believers leave vengeance to God rather than taking it themselves.
General
In 38:3-5, what does David say is the cause of his bodily pain and festering wounds?
Answer: His own sin and sinful folly
David directly links his suffering to his own sin: his body has no health and his bones no rest because of his sin, his guilt is like a load too heavy to carry, and his wounds fester because of his foolishness (38:3-5). He does not blame others. He pictures God's arrows striking him and God's hand pressing on him (38:2), and he goes on to describe being bowed over, numb, and in burning pain, with a racing heart and dimming eyes (38:6-8, 10). Psalm 32:3-4 describes a similar weight when David kept silent about his sin, and Psalm 40:12 speaks of sins overtaking the psalmist. Yet the Bible does not teach that every illness comes from a person's own sin; Jesus said a man's blindness was not caused by his or his parents' sin (John 9:2-3). In this psalm, though, David himself makes the connection.
- Psalm 38:3-5 (BSB)“There is no soundness in my body because of Your anger; there is no rest in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have overwhelmed me; they are a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds are foul and festering because of my sinful folly.”David connects his bodily suffering and festering wounds to his own sin and folly.
- Psalm 32:3-4 (BSB)“When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah”David describes the physical weight he felt while his sin went unconfessed.
- Psalm 40:12 (BSB)“For evils without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed within me.”Another psalm laments sins that have overtaken and overwhelmed the psalmist.
- John 9:2-3 (BSB)“and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him.”Jesus shows that not every affliction is caused by the sufferer's own sin.
Theological
To what does David attribute his physical affliction in 38:3-5?
Answer: His own sin and sinful folly
David traces his affliction to his own iniquity: no health in his flesh and no rest in his bones because of his sin, iniquities that overwhelm him like a weight too great to carry, and wounds festering because of his folly (38:3-5). His confession is specific and self-accusing. He sees God's own hand in the affliction (38:2), and the lament continues through a bent back, burning pain, a racing heart, and fading sight (38:6-8, 10). Psalm 32:3-4 records the same bodily weight of unconfessed sin, and Psalm 40:12 laments sins that have overtaken the psalmist. Scripture does not make every affliction the direct result of personal sin (John 9:2-3), but here the psalmist himself names the cause.
- Psalm 38:3-5 (BSB)“There is no soundness in my body because of Your anger; there is no rest in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have overwhelmed me; they are a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds are foul and festering because of my sinful folly.”David connects his bodily suffering and festering wounds to his own sin and folly.
- Psalm 32:3-4 (BSB)“When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah”David describes the physical weight he felt while his sin went unconfessed.
- Psalm 40:12 (BSB)“For evils without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed within me.”Another psalm laments sins that have overtaken and overwhelmed the psalmist.
- John 9:2-3 (BSB)“and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him.”Jesus shows that not every affliction is caused by the sufferer's own sin.