4 Return, Jehovah, free my soul; save me for thy loving-kindness' sake.
Arise, Jehovah, anticipate him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, thy sword;
Then called I upon the name of Jehovah: I beseech thee, Jehovah, deliver my soul.
O God of hosts, return, we beseech thee; look down from the heavens, and behold, and visit this vine;
Deliver my soul from the sword; my only one from the power of the dog;
that he might display in the coming ages the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For ye are saved by grace, through faith; and this not of yourselves; it is God's gift:
to [the] praise of [the] glory of his grace, wherein he has taken us into favour in the Beloved:
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to thy loving-kindness remember thou me, for thy goodness' sake, Jehovah.
Behold, instead of peace I had bitterness upon bitterness; but thou hast in love delivered my soul from the pit of destruction; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
Jehovah, deliver my soul from the lying lip, from the deceitful tongue.
For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, my feet from falling.
Remember not against us the iniquities of [our] forefathers; let thy tender mercies speedily come to meet us: for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, because of the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and forgive our sins, for thy name's sake.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 6
Commentary on Psalms 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 6
David was a weeping prophet as well as Jeremiah, and this psalm is one of his lamentations: either it was penned in a time, or at least calculated for a time, of great trouble, both outward and inward. Is any afflicted? Is any sick? Let him sing this psalm. The method of this psalm is very observable, and what we shall often meet with. He begins with doleful complaints, but ends with joyful praises; like Hannah, who went to prayer with a sorrowful spirit, but, when she had prayed, went her way, and her countenance was no more sad. Three things the psalmist is here complaining of:-
This psalm is like the book of Job.
To the chief musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith. A psalm of David.
Psa 6:1-7
These verses speak the language of a heart truly humbled under humbling providences, of a broken and contrite spirit under great afflictions, sent on purpose to awaken conscience and mortify corruption. Those heap up wrath who cry not when God binds them; but those are getting ready for mercy who, under God's rebukes, sow in tears, as David does here. Let us observe here,
We should sing these verses with a deep sense of the terrors of God's wrath, which we should therefore dread and deprecate above any thing; and with thankfulness if this be not our condition, and compassion to those who are thus afflicted: if we be thus troubled, let it comfort us that our case is not without precedent, nor, if we humble ourselves and pray, as David did, shall it be long without redress.
Psa 6:8-10
What a sudden change is here for the better! He that was groaning, and weeping, and giving up all for gone (v. 6, 7), here looks and speaks very pleasantly. Having made his requests known to God, and lodged his case with him, he is very confident the issue will be good and his sorrow is turned into joy.
In singing this, and praying over it, we must give glory to God, as a God ready to hear prayer, must own his goodness to us in hearing our prayers, and must encourage ourselves to wait upon him and to trust in him in the greatest straits and difficulties.