Psalm 6 Verse-by-Verse

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Welcome to the DRAFT Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 6!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
2. The verse in Hebrew and English.
3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.
4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.
5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

Superscription (v. 1)

v. 1

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
1	לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ בִּ֭נְגִינוֹת עַֽל־הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃	For the director, with stringed instruments, on the octave. A psalm by David.

Expanded Paraphrase

It is for the director of music, to be performed with stringed instruments on the octave. This is a psalm, which is a song, written by David, the king.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The phrase on the octave (עַל־הַשְּׁמִינִית) (cf. Ps 12:1) is difficult to interpret. See The Meaning of הַשְּׁמִינִית in Ps. 6:1 for an in-depth discussion. In short, the word שְּׁמִינִית is probably a musical term. Beyond this general claim, however, it is difficult to say much with any degree of confidence. As HALOT notes, "the final answer must remain undecided." Nevertheless, of the two main options given by translations ("eight-stringed instrument" and "octave"), the 'octave' interpretation, suggested by the use in 1 Chron. 15:21 where it is parallel to the term עֲלָמוֹת, seems more likely. In the past, scholars had objected to this view on the grounds that the heptatonic scale was foreign to ancient Israelite music. Several 20th-century discoveries, however, provide evidence that a heptatonic scale was probably known in Mesopotamia and Ugarit at a very early time and therefore might have been known also in Israel. One of these texts, the so-called Akkadian "Tuning Text", which gives detailed information about different ways to tune a lyre, appears to assume the existence of a heptatonic scale. Interestingly, another text, the 15th-century Hurrian hymn discovered at Ugarit, has an Akkadian colophon that specifies the use of one of the tunings mentioned in the "Tuning Text." It would be reasonable to guess, then, especially in light of the fact that the שְּׁמִינִית is usually associated with "stringed instruments" (Ps 6:1; 1 Chron 15:21), that the word gives information for how the stringed instruments were to be tuned (perhaps to a lower octave).
• On the term for the director, see Lamnaṣṣēaḥ.
• On the term by David, see Ledavid.
• The phrase with stringed instruments (בִּנְגִינוֹת) occurs also in the superscriptions of Pss 4; 54; 55; 67; 76.

Plea (vv. 2-6)

Watch the Overview video on vv. 2-6.

In the first section of the psalm (vv. 2-6), the psalmist pleas for YHWH to turn from anger to mercy. The section consists of two sub-sections (vv. 2-4 // vv. 5-6), each of which follows a similar sequence. They each begin by asking YHWH to turn from his anger (vv. 2a, 5a), and they each each with a question (vv. 4b, 6a). The questions even sound similar to one another: עַד מָתָי // מִי יוֹדֶה (mem + dalet + yod). These two parts of vv. 2-6 together function like an a-line and a b-line in a parallel couplet. There is repetition and intensification across the two parts, and together the two parts give a single picture. The structure might be visualized as follows:

v. 2

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
2a	יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ֥ תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי	YHWH, do not correct me in your anger,
2b	וְֽאַל־בַּחֲמָתְךָ֥ תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי׃	and do not discipline me in your wrath.

Expanded Paraphrase

YHWH, you are my father and I, the king, am your son. I have sinned against you, and you have become angry, and you have begun to discipline me as a father disciplines his son. I accept your fatherly discipline, but I only ask that you do not correct (punish) me in your anger lest I die, and do not discipline me in your wrath.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The prepositional phrases in your anger (בְּאַפְּךָ) and in your wrath (בַּחֲמָתְךָ) are fronted for marked focus. The psalmist is not requesting that YHWH refrain from discipline per se, but that YHWH refrain from discipline in anger: "Let it not be in your anger that you discipline me!" The phrase "your anger", with the pronoun "your" presupposes that YHWH has anger, i.e., that he is angry with the psalmist.
• The terms anger (אַף) and wrath (חֵמָה) are synonymous, and it is difficult to discern the difference in meaning. Both terms refer to a "state of extreme displeasure" or "excitement" (SDBH), and both are associated with fire and heat. The second word "wrath" (חֵמָה) is slightly less common, and, given the tendency of Hebrew poetry to use more intense language in the b-line of a poetic couplet, might indicate a more intense form of anger.
• Verse 2 uses two synonymous terms to describe YHWH's corrective action: correct me (תוֹכִיחֵנִי) and discipline me (תְיַסְּרֵנִי). SDBH defines the first term as an "action by which humans or deities inflict a penalty on others as retribution for what they have done" and the second term as an "action by which humans or deities respond to negative behavior of (other) humans by administering some sort of punishment, which may range from a verbal rebuke to physical correction." If the SDBH definitions are correct, then the use of these verbs implies some previous wrong-doing, probably on the part of the psalmist. It would seem that David has sinned against YHWH and is facing the consequences.
• These words for discipline and correction are appropriate in the context of a father-son relationship; fathers are obligated to discipline their sons when their sons disobey Because the Davidic king is YHWH's "son" (2 Sam 7:14), the parenting imagery is especially appropriate in Ps 6:2.
• The context suggests that YHWH's correction in anger has already begun (hence his desperate state, his prayer for mercy, and his request for YHWH to "turn back [from anger]" in v. 5). Therefore, his request is that YHWH would stop correcting in anger (cf. Ps. 4:5, "stop sinning"). As Wendland writes, "The Hebrew text as rendered in English may suggest to some readers/hearers that the psalmist is praying that God would not begin to 'discipline' him. However, as v. 3 indicates, the psalmist is rather appealing that God would not continue to apply such discipline so that it seems 'wrathful' in nature."

v. 3

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
3a	חָנֵּ֥נִי יְהוָה֮ כִּ֤י אֻמְלַ֫ל אָ֥נִי	Have mercy on me, YHWH, for I am languishing.
3b	רְפָאֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֖י נִבְהֲל֣וּ עֲצָמָֽי׃	Heal me, YHWH, for my bones have become dismayed.

Expanded Paraphrase

Instead of anger, have mercy on me, YHWH, for I am languishing due to the sickness which you have brought on me as discipline for my sin, sickness being a common punishment for sin. Heal me, YHWH, for my bones have become dismayed. My sickness has brought me near death, and the nearness of death has made be so fearful and distressed that my body has started to shake.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• Instead of anger (see v. 2), David asks for mercy (חָנֵּנִי), i.e., he asks YHWH to turn from anger and be "favorably disposed" towards him (SDBH). He grounds his request (כִּי) in the fact that he is languishing (אֻמְלַל), i.e., he is experiences "weakness, sadness, and shame" as a result of being "unable to function as can be expected" (SDBH).
• In the second half of the verse, David prays with greater specificity. The prayer for mercy (v. 3a) becomes a concrete prayer for healing: heal me (רְפָאֵנִי). It is debated whether the requested "healing" is literal or figurative. See our exegetical issues page, Sickness and Enemies in Psalm 6, for an in-depth discussion of the issue. In short, there is good reason to think that Psalm 6 is a prayer for healing from physical sickness. Physical sickness is suggested primarily by the language of healing and sickness within the psalm itself (e.g., 'heal me'; 'my bones'; 'my eye'; etc.). There is no clear indication that this language should be interpreted metaphorically, though this is certainly possible. That literal sickness is in view becomes even more likely when Psalm 6 is compared with the very similar psalm, Psalm 38, where sickness is clearly present. This interpretation is also supported by the fact that Hezekiah alludes to Psalm 6 (or, at least uses similar language) in his own prayer "when he was sick" (Isa 38:9-20).
• The word dismayed (נִבְהֲלוּ), which describes an emotional state that includes fear, distress, and trembling, is a key word in this psalm. Although it is relatively rare elsewhere, it occurs up three times in this psalm alone (vv. 3b, 4a, 11a). The following visual shows the distribution of repeated words and roots across the psalm. The most common words in this psalm are the divine name, the word "all" (כֹּל), and the word "dismayed" (נִבְהַל).

• Since "dismay" is an emotion, and since bones can refer to the "seat of the emotions," it is likely that "bones" in Psalm 6 refers not only to the physical body, but (by synecdoche) to whole person. At the same time, the use of the image supports the idea that the psalmist is suffering physically. Bones were also thought to be "the seat of one's physical strength and health."

v. 4

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
4a	וְ֭נַפְשִׁי נִבְהֲלָ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד	And my soul has become very dismayed.
4b	וְאַתָּ֥ה יְ֝הוָ֗ה עַד־מָתָֽי׃	And you, YHWH, how long?

Expanded Paraphrase

And my soul has become very dismayed. And you, YHWH... How long will you continue to discipline me in your anger?

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• David continues to describe his dreadful state using language even more intense than the previous verse. The language of "bones" intensifies to the language of soul (וְנַפְשִׁי) and "dismayed" becomes very dismayed (נִבְהֲלָה מְאֹד). The emotions of the psalm might be summarized as follows:

• The phrase my soul is an emotionally charged way of speaking of oneself, and, in English, it is often best translated with the pronoun "I." The phrase here, which functions as the subject of the clause, is fronted before the verb as the topic of the clause: "and as for my soul (וְנַפְשִׁי), it is greatly dismayed." With this new marked topic comes an expectation of some new information. But this expectation is subverted when the previous line is repeated nearly verbatim (only the situation is intensified [מאֹד]). Despite the new topic, the discourse goes nowhere (but down!) and leaves the reader (along with the psalmist) asking, "how long?" (v. 4b).
• The topic of v. 4a ("my soul") is set in contrast with the topic of v. 4b: and you, YHWH (וְאַתָּה יְהוָה). As Wendland notes, "the pronoun [you"] (v. 4b) forcefully contrasts with ["my soul"] in the preceding line (v. 4a), as the two protagonists, divine and human, are syntactically placed into prominent opposition."
• The psalmist does not actually complete his thought in v. 4b. And you, YHWH, how long? is a sentence fragment. The broken grammar reflects the psalmist's state of dismay. If we had to supply the elided information to make a full clause, we might say, "and you, YHWH, how long will you continue to discipline me in your anger?" But the psalm itself leaves the clause incomplete.
• The question how long? (עַד־מָתָי) is a rhetorical question. It is not an attempt to elicit information but an expression of dismay and frustration.
• In John 12:27, Jesus appears to allude to v. 4a when he says "Now my soul is deeply troubled" (NLT).

v. 5-6

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
5a	שׁוּבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה חַלְּצָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י	Turn back, YHWH. Rescue my soul.
5b	ה֝וֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי לְמַ֣עַן חַסְדֶּֽךָ׃	Save me for the sake of your loyalty.
6a	כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין בַּמָּ֣וֶת זִכְרֶ֑ךָ	For there is no commemoration of you in the world of the dead.
6b	בִּ֝שְׁא֗וֹל מִ֣י יֽוֹדֶה־לָּֽךְ׃	In Sheol, who praises you?

Expanded Paraphrase

Turn back, YHWH. Stop disciplining me in anger. Instead, rescue my soul from death. Save me for the sake of your loyalty. You made a covenant with me, and you are committed to fulfilling your covenant obligations. You have said that your loyalty would never depart from my house. You should act because I am close to death. And if I die, I will not be able to praise you, For there is no commemoration of you in the world of the dead. In Sheol the world of the dead, who praises you? No one praises you in the world of the dead.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes on Verse 5

• The verb translated as turn back (שׁוּבָה) has been interpreted to mean either "return (from absence)" (NLT) or "relent (from anger)" (NET). See the exegetical issue page, The Meaning of שׁוּבָה in Ps. 6:5, for an in-depth discussion of the issue. In short, the plea for YHWH to "turn" is most likely a request for YHWH to change the course of his activity — to turn from anger to mercy, from punishment to healing (cf. vv. 2–3). This well-attested meaning of the word שׁוּב (cf. Isa 63:17; Ps 90:13; Exod 32:12; etc.) is the most appropriate meaning in the context of Ps. 6, in which the psalmist's basic problem is not that YHWH is absent, but that YHWH is angry and actively inflicting punishment (vv. 2–4).
• The requests for YHWH to rescue and save are, specifically, requests for YHWH to rescue him from death (cf. v. 6). The GNT makes this assumption explicit when it says, "rescue me from death."
• The psalmist grounds his plea in YHHW's loyalty (חַסְדֶּךָ), which recalls YHWH's promise to David in 2 Sam 7: "I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him (וְהֹֽכַחְתִּיו) with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love (וְחַסְדִּי) will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you" (2 Sam 7:14-15, NIV). The term "loyalty" (NIV: "love"), which occurs in both passages, refers to a "state in which humans or deities are committed towards fulfilling their obligations and show that by their actions" (SDBH). SDBH suggests "loyalty" as a possible English gloss. The following Venn diagram explores some of the similarities and differences between the English word "loyalty" and the Hebrew word חֶסֶד:

Notes on Verse 6

• The discourse particle for (כִּי) marks v. 6 as the grounds for the plea in v. 5. If YHWH does not rescue David from death, then he will die. And, if he dies, he will not be able to praise YHWH, because the dead, by virtue of being cut off from congregational worship in the temple, cannot praise YHWH. And YHWH desires praise. Therefore, the psalmist argues, YHWH should rescue him from death.
• The world of the dead (מָוֶת, lit: "death") was "considered to be a remote place, deep in the earth, with power over humankind, without remembrance, without praising God" (SDBH). The word is parallel to the proper noun Sheol (שְׁאוֹל), a place of great depth (Deut 32:22), guarded by gates (Isa 38:10), associated with darkness (Job 17:13), dust (Job 17:16), and silence (Ps 31:18).
• The word translated as commemoration (זִכְרֶךָ) is an important word in the psalm. It refers to an "action by which memories of certain divine activities are celebrated in word or song" (SDBH). The NLT translation, therefore, is somewhat misleading: "For the dead do not remember you." As Childs notes, the psalmist "suffers not because of the inability to remember YHWH in death, as the word is often translated. Rather, the parallelism ["who can praise you?"] indicates that the problem arises from the failure of the dead to share in the praise of Yahweh which characterizes Israel's worship (cf. Ps. 88.11; Isa. 38:18)." At the same time, the noun זַכֶר often refers to an "appellation through which one can be remembered" (SDBH). It is often a synonym of the word "name" (שֵׁם). This is significant in Ps 6, because in vv. 7-8, where the psalmist's suffering is at its deepest, the psalm never mentions YHWH's name. In vv. 2-6, he mentions YHWH's name five times. But in vv. 7-8, it is as though David has descended into the world of the dead, the place where YHWH is neither named or praised. But then in the fourth section (vv. 9-11), David regains energy, confidence, and authority, and he proclaims YHWH's name three times, as though he has come back from the dead. The NIV does an excellent job of capturing these nuances by translating אֵין...זִכְרֶךָ as "no one proclaims your name" (NIV).

• The question in v. 6b, who can praise you?, is a rhetorical question. The psalmist is making a strong assertion: "absolutely no one can praise you in Sheol" (cf. GNT, "no one can praise you there"). The interrogative form is poetically significant, however, because it parallels the interrogative in v. 4b. Both vv. 2-4 and vv. 5-6 thus end with a question, a note of unresolved desperation and uncertainty.

Death (vv. 7-8)

Watch the Overview video on vv. 7-8.

The following visual shows how vv. 7-8 fit within the larger structure of the psalm: This section (vv. 7-8) is prominent in a number of ways.

1. There is an abundance of figurative language and imagery: weary sighing (7a), the darkness of "night" (v. 7b), a flood of tears that causes his bed to float and melt (7bc), an eye that wastes away (8ab).
2. Verse 7 is the only tricolon in the Psalm. Verse 7a is the middle line of the Psalm, and it is also the shortest (7 syllables).
3. Rare words (words occurring ten times or less in the OT) cluster in this section (indicated in the visual below with italics).
4. This is the most phonologically marked section in the psalm. There is dense alliteration (indicated in the visual below with green and pink boxes).
5. There is the sudden mention of "adversaries" at the end of the section (delayed identification).
6. The word "all" or "every" is repeated (indicated int he visual below with a circle). The words "night" and "adversaries" also sound similar (double liquid).

The effect of this clustering of features is to draw attention to this third section of the poem, wherein David, on the brink of death, reaches to the heights of poetic/rhetorical technique in order to express the depths of his suffering in a last-ditch effort to persuade YHWH to rescue him.

v. 7

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
7a	יָגַ֤עְתִּי ׀ בְּֽאַנְחָתִ֗י	I have grown weary because of my groaning.
7b	אַשְׂחֶ֣ה בְכָל־לַ֭יְלָה מִטָּתִ֑י	I drench my couch every night.
7c	בְּ֝דִמְעָתִ֗י עַרְשִׂ֥י אַמְסֶֽה׃	With my tears I melt my bed.

Expanded Paraphrase

See the desperateness of my situation; see how close to death I am. I have grown weary because of my groaning. I drench my couch every night. With my tears I melt (drench) my bed. It is as though I am already in Sheol, the place where you are not named.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• This highly marked verse begins the third section of the psalm (vv. 7-8), where YHWH's name is not mentioned (cf. v. 6). It is as though the psalmist is already experiencing the pains of Sheol (a place associated with darkness [cf. "night" v. 7b] and chaotic waters [cf. "flood... tears" v. 7bc]).
• This verse uses some rare words, probably chosen for the sake of their sound (see visual above on the prominence of vv. 7-8). The verb drench (אַשְׂחֶה v. 7b) occurs only three times in the Hebrew Bible and only here in the hiphil stem. Because in the qal stem it means “to swim,” in the hiphil stem it probably means “to cause to swim,” which is probably a hyperbolic way of saying “to flood/drench.”
• The verb melt (אַמְסֶה v. 7c) occurs a few other times in the Bible, mostly in the Psalms. It means literally to “melt” or to “dissolve into liquid” (e.g. the melting of ice in Ps. 147:18). In Psalm 6, it is used in the hyperbolic image of a flood of tears turning a couch to liquid. Together, the words "melt" and "drench" dramatically depict the psalmist adrift in a watery chaos. His tears drench his bed (v. 7b) and then the bed itself turns into water (v. 7c).
• Verse 7 uses two different words to describe the place where the psalmist sleeps: my bed (מִטָּתִי) and my couch (עַרְשִׂי). The mention of a "bed"/"couch" supports the idea that the psalmist is a king, i.e., "David" (v. 1), since "in the ancient Near East a bed was a piece of luxury furniture... Ordinary individuals slept on the ground on spreads or rugs, covered with a cloak (Jgs. 4:18; Ex. 22:26–27)." The mention of a "bed" also supports the idea that the psalmist is suffering from some sickness (see above), since beds were sometimes associated with sickness (cf. 2 Kgs 1:4; Ps 41:4). The two words ("bed" and "couch") probably have the same referent, and it is difficult to discern a difference in meaning. TDOT suggests that the first word, "bed" (מִטָּה), which is the more common word, "refers to a bed with a wooden frame," while the second word, "couch" (עֶרֶשׂ) "denotes a more luxurious bed with frame, cushions, and the like."

v. 8

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
8a	עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה מִכַּ֣עַס עֵינִ֑י	My eye has wasted away because of vexation.
8b	עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה בְּכָל־צוֹרְרָֽי׃	It has become weak because of all my adversaries.

Expanded Paraphrase

My eye has wasted away because of vexation. It has become weak because of all my adversaries.I am vexed because of my enemies, who have exacerbated the situation. They have interpreted my sickness as a sign of sin and divine rejection, and they seek to take advantage of my weak position.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• David continues to vividly portray his desperate situation. New emotions are introduced ("vexation" [grief and anger]) as well as a new participant ("my adversaries"). These adversaries, who have come to take advantage of his apparent fall from divine favor, cause him "vexation" (grief and anger), which contributes further to the deterioration of his health.
• A person's eye was viewed as an indicator of a person's health - "sparkling when the body is healthy and strong, but dim when weak or sick" (SDBH).
• As in the previous verse, v. 8 uses rare words, probably chosen for their sound and for the sake of heightening the prominence of vv. 7-8.
• The verb has wasted away (עָשְׁשָׁה) occurs three times in the Bible, only in the Psalms and only in the qal stem. It is a stative verb. The precise meaning of the word is uncertain. HALOT gives the following options, “(a) to become dark, clouded is acceptable for Ps. 6:8 and 31:10, and (b) to be weak is not necessarily excluded; on the other hand (c) to decompose is only relevant for Ps. 31:11; in all instances (d) to swell up is possible and therefore to be preferred.”
• The verb has become weak (עָתְקָה), which occurs only here in the Psalms, appears to have the concrete meaning “move (away)” (BDB, HALOT). This meaning is metaphorically extended to mean “move on in years” i.e., “to be/grow old” both in this passage and in Job 21:7.
• The identity of the psalmist's adversaries is not immediately clear. See Sickness and Enemies in Psalm 6 for an in-depth discussion of the issue. In short, comparison between Ps 6 and Ps 38 (which is very similar yet more detailed) suggests that the psalmist's adversaries come as a result of the sickness and thus contribute further to his suffering. As Waltke writes, "His enemies interpret [his sickness] as God's curse that validates their rejection of him as 'I AM's' chosen king." The relationships among the three main participants in the psalm (David, YHWH, and the enemies) might be visualized as follows:

Answer (vv. 9-11)

Watch the Overview video on vv. 9-11.

The following visual shows how vv. 9-11 fit within the overall structure of the psalm. There are several correspondences between this final section (vv. 9-11) and between the psalm's first section (vv. 2-4). Not only are they these sections same length (3 verses, 6 lines), but they are also similar in content and sounds:

v. 2 יסר ("discipline") and contextual domain behaviour ("discipline")

v. 3 YHWH have mercy (חנן); YHWH heal me (רפא)

v. 4 "very dismayed" / "how long?" (time)

v. 9 סור ("move away") and contextual domain behaviour ("evil")

v. 10 "YHWH... my supplication" (חנן); "YHWH... my prayer" (="heal me")

v. 11 "very dismayed" / "in an instant" (time)

The effect of the repetition in the last section is to highlight the complete resolution and reversal of the situation. David's prayer has been heard, his question of "how long?" has been answered ("in an instant!"), and the deep dismay that he experienced is now imparted to his enemies on whom YHWH's punishment rightfully falls.

v. 9-10

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
9a	ס֣וּרוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי כָּל־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן	Move away from me, all workers of evil.
9b	כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֥ע יְ֝הוָ֗ה ק֣וֹל בִּכְיִֽי׃	For YHWH has heard the sound of my weeping.
10a	שָׁמַ֣ע יְ֭הוָה תְּחִנָּתִ֑י	YHWH has heard my supplication.
10b	יְ֝הוָ֗ה תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י יִקָּֽח׃	YHWH will accept my prayer.

Expanded Paraphrase

YHWH promised that his loyalty would not move away from me. So, in my authority as the king, with YHWH still on my side, I say, Move away from me, all workers of evil. You have done evil in God's sight by opposing his anointed king. And, by opposing YHWH's anointed, you have opposed YHWH himself). For YHWH has not rejected me. Instead, he has heard the sound of my weeping. YHWH has heard my supplication. He will turn from anger and have mercy. YHWH will accept my prayer. He will heal me. This means that I will be vindicated, and it will become clear that YHWH has not rejected me as king. And, when I am vindicated, then you will be shown to be in the wrong, having opposed YHWH's rightful king. YHWH, who deals justly, will punish you, and you will be exposed as evil-doers and public failures.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes for Verse 9

• David suddenly turns to address his enemies as workers of evil (פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן). This sudden turning of the speaker to address an imaginary audience is a rhetorical device known as rhetorical device known as "apostrophe" (Greek for "turning away"). "It is a sudden breaking off in the course of speech, diverting it to some new person or thing." The following visual shows both how the psalm progresses in terms of speech acts and the addressee shifts in the second half of the psalm.

• The sudden shift in emotion (from fear, distress, and grief to confidence, vindication, and triumph) along with the repeated mention of YHWH's name gives the impression of a literary resurrection from the dead (see note above on v. 6).
• Jesus alludes to this verse in the New Testament. In Matthew 7:23, for example, he says "Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" (NIV; cf. Luke 13:27).

Notes for Verse 10

• In v. 10, the poet uses both a past tense qatal form, has heard (שָׁמַע), and future tense yiqtol form, will accept (יִקָּח). In v. 3, David prayed for YHWH to have mercy on him (חָנֵּנִי) and for YHWH to heal him (רְפָאֵנִי). In terms of the poetic structure (see note above on vv. 9-11), verse 10 mirrors verse 3, so that David's plea for mercy (תְּחִנָּתִי v. 10a) refers to his plea for YHWH to have mercy (v. 3a), and his prayer (תְּפִלָּתִי v. 10b) refers to his prayer for healing (v. 10b). By the time the psalmist reaches v. 10, YHWH has granted the first of these requests (hence, v. 10a is past tense: "YHWH has heard my supplication" = YHWH has taken up a merciful disposition), but he has not yet granted the second request for healing (hence, v. 10b is future tense: "YHWH will accept my prayer" = YHWH will heal me).

v. 11

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
11a	יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ ׀ וְיִבָּהֲל֣וּ מְ֭אֹד כָּל־אֹיְבָ֑י	Let all my enemies be shamed and very dismayed.
11b	יָ֝שֻׁ֗בוּ יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ רָֽגַע׃	Let them turn back. Let them be shamed in an instant.

Expanded Paraphrase

Let all my enemies be shamed and very dismayed just as I was shamed and dismayed for YHWH deals justly. Let them turn back away from me and depart. Let them be shamed in an instant.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• Now confident in YHWH's favor, David calls on YHWH to deal justly with his enemies. They will come to shame and "deep dismay" (יִבָּהֲלוּ מְאֹד v. 11a), just as he experienced shame and "deep dismay" (נִבְהֲלָה מְאֹד v. 4a). This complete reversal, underscored by the reversal of letters in v. 11b (שׁוּב // בוּשׁ), will happen without delay ("in an instant," v. 11b), even as his earlier suffering seemed to have no end ("how long?" v. 4b).
• The verbs in this verse, Let... be shamed and very dismayed... Let them turn... be shamed... could be either future indicatives (cf. NIV: "...will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame") or jussives (cf. NLT: "May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified. May they suddenly turn back in shame"). We have followed the ancient versions in understanding these verbs as jussives. The LXX, for example, translates this verse as follows: "May all my enemies be ashamed (αἰσχυνθείησαν) and be very much troubled (ταραχθείησαν); may they be turned back (ἀποστραφείησαν) and, in a moment, be very much put to shame (καταισχυνθείησαν)" (NETS).

Legends

Grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

Grammatical Term	Definition	Diagram	Example
Clausal Additions
Subject	The subject performs the action of the active verb or receives the action of a passive verb. With intransitive verbs	Indicated at the beginning of the main clausal line, and followed by a vertical line that crosses over the main clause line (separating the subject from the predicate).
Direct Object	Object that receives the direct action of a (transitive) verb	Indicate with a vertical line up from main clausal line
Predicate adjective/ Subject complement	A word used with a linking verb (ex. "to be"), renaming or restating the subject. Can be a whole prepositional phrase.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line. It can be on a stand if it is an embedded clause.
Object Complement	Word following a direct object to state what it has become.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line.
Infinitives	Can be subject, adverbial, or an infinitive construct.	Indicate with double vertical lines that cross the main clausal line. If used adverbially (ie. an embedded clause), place on a stand.
Participles	A verbal noun/adjective that can be used in three positions: (1) substantival; (2) attributive; (3) predicative.	Indicate with a round vertical line. Substantival participles are placed on a stand (they are embedded). Attributive participles are placed with a rounded line underneath what is modified.
Modifiers
Adjectives	A word modifying a noun to indicate quality, quantity, extent, or differentiating something from something else.	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Adverbs	A word that modifies a verb, adverb, adjective, prepositional phrase, clause, or sentence to express a relation (ex. manner, quality, or time).	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Construct relationships	Construction can express many different relationships between two (or more) nouns. English grammarians call this construction a ‘Construct’ (our term) or ‘Genitive’ phrase; Hebrew grammarians call it smīḵūt (סְמִיכוּת).	Indicate with a stair-step down from the modified word/clause/phrase.
Prepositional phrases	A phrase that consists of a preposition and its object and has adjectival or adverbial value	Indicate with a slanted vertical line connecting to a new clause.
Connectives	(1) Coordinating conjunctions join together words or word groups of equal grammatical rank (2) Subordinating conjunctions join a main clause and a clause which does not form a complete sentence by itself.	Indicate with a dashed line down from a vertical line marker.
Embedded clause	A clause inside another clause which can include substantival participles, adverbial infinitives, and prepositional phrases.	Indicate using stilts.
Particles
Subordinating particle	Indicates a dependent clause.	Indicate with a dashed line down from the antecedent to the pronoun.
Apposition	A word that is functioning as an explanatory equivalent as another in the sentence	Place on a line apart from the diagram but next to the word it is the equivalent of with an equal sign in between.
Vocative	Indicating a person being addressed (usually with a 2nd person verb)	Place on a line apart from the diagram next to the '()' indicating the gapped subject an equal sign in between.

Master Diagram

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

	Prepositional phrase	Construct chain	Construct chain within a prepositional phrase	Phrase-level waw	Article and כֹּל
Diagram Shading
Definition	- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus its object. The phrase usually modifies the clause or another constituent in the clause.	- A construct chain, also called a 'genitive phrase', is a grammatical encoding of the relationship 'A of B,' in which A is a phonologically modified noun (in the construct state), and B is a phonologically unmodified noun (the absolute state).	- Some construct chains occur within prepositional phrases	- A waw conjunction can join units of all sizes. Phrase level waw join units at the word or phrase level (i.e., below the level of the clause).	- Definite articles tell you something about the identifiability or inclusiveness about the word it is attached to - כֹּל is a quantifier that tells you about the scope of a word it is attached to

Expanded paraphrase

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

• Close but Clear (CBC) translation
• Assumptions which provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences

Bibliography

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Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.

Bratcher, Robert G., and William D. Reyburn. 1991. A Handbook on Psalms. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

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Calvin, John. Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Translated by James Anderson. Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Childs, Brevard S. 1962. Memory and Tradition in Israel. Studies in Biblical Theology 37. Naperville: Alec R. Allenson Inc.

Craigie, Peter C. 1983. Psalms 1–50. WBC 19. Waco, TX: Word.

DeClaisse-Walford, Nancy L., Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth LaNeel Tanner. 2014. The Book of Psalms. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1894. Biblischer Kommentar über die Psalmen. Biblischer Kommentar über das Alte Testament. Leipzig: Dörffling und Franke.

Foxvog, D. A., and A. D. Kilmer. 1979. “Music.” In The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.

Gentry, Peter. 2019. “A Preliminary Evaluation and Critique of Prosopological Exegesis.” SBJT 23, no. 2.

Goldingay, John. 2006. Psalms: Psalms 1–41. Vol. 1. BCOT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

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Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 1993. Die Psalmen I: Psalm 1–50. Neue Echter Bibel. Würzburg: Echter.

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Keel, Othmar. 1997. The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms. Winona Lake, Ind: Eisenbrauns.

Kilmer, A. D., R. L. Crocker, and R. R. Brown. 1976. Sounds from Silence : Recent Discoveries in Ancient Near Eastern Music. Berkeley: Bit Enki publications.

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Kuckhoff, Antonius. 2011. Psalm 6 Und Die Bitten Im Psalter: Ein Paradigmatisches Bitt-Und Klagegebet Im Horizont Des Gesamtpsalters. Bonner Biblische Beiträge, Bd. 160. Göttingen : [Bonn]: V & R unipress ; Bonn University Press.

Lewis, Theodore J. 1992. “Dead, Abode of The.” In Anchor Bible Dictionary, II:101–5. New York: Doubleday.

Mays, James Luther. 1994. Psalms. Interpretation. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox.

Mowinckel, Sigmund. 1962. The Psalms in Israel’s Worship. Oxford: Blackwell.

Radak. Radak on Psalms.

Rashi. Rashi on Psalms.

Rogerson, J. W., and J. W. McKay. 1977. Psalms. Vol. 1. The Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Spieckermann, Hermann. 2023. Psalmen. 1: Psalm 1 - 49. Das Alte Testament Deutsch, 14,1. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Waltke, Bruce K. 2014. The Psalms as Christian Lament: A Historical Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Wendland, Ernst R. 2019. “‘Do the Dead Praise God?’ A Literary-Structural Analysis and Translation of Psalm 6.” In Ancient Texts and Modern Readers: Studies in Ancient Hebrew Linguistics and Bible Translation, edited by Gideon Kotzé, Christian S. Locatell, and John A. Messarra, 228–245. Leiden: Brill.

Wilson, Gerald H. 2002. Psalms. Vol. 1. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

References

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