Psalm 38/Overview/Background

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  • Sickness is a common form of divine punishment (Ps 6:1-2, 102:3-4, 10-11; Keel 1997, 80).
    • YHWH is the ultimate judge and so has the right to condemn or acquit David accordingly.
  • Sickness is sometimes used metaphorically to describe spiritual or mental suffering.
  • Disease could lead to ostracism because it is a result of divine judgment and because of the Levitical laws concerning some diseases that require the sick person to leave camp (Ryken et al. 1982, 2182; Lev 13:46; 14:19-20; see John 9:1).