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 an 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.
1 [[A Psalm H4210 of David, H1732 to bring to remembrance.]] H2142 O LORD, H3068 rebuke H3198 me not in thy wrath: H7110 neither chasten H3256 me in thy hot displeasure. H2534
2 For thine arrows H2671 stick fast H5181 in me, and thy hand H3027 presseth me sore. H5181
3 There is no soundness H4974 in my flesh H1320 because H6440 of thine anger; H2195 neither is there any rest H7965 in my bones H6106 because H6440 of my sin. H2403
4 For mine iniquities H5771 are gone over H5674 mine head: H7218 as an heavy H3515 burden H4853 they are too heavy H3513 for me.
5 My wounds H2250 stink H887 and are corrupt H4743 because H6440 of my foolishness. H200
6 I am troubled; H5753 I am bowed down H7817 greatly; H3966 I go H1980 mourning H6937 all the day H3117 long.
7 For my loins H3689 are filled H4390 with a loathsome H7033 disease: and there is no soundness H4974 in my flesh. H1320
8 I am feeble H6313 and sore H3966 broken: H1794 I have roared H7580 by reason of the disquietness H5100 of my heart. H3820
9 Lord, H136 all my desire H8378 is before thee; and my groaning H585 is not hid H5641 from thee.
10 My heart H3820 panteth, H5503 my strength H3581 faileth H5800 me: as for the light H216 of mine eyes, H5869 it H1992 also is gone H369 from me.
11 My lovers H157 and my friends H7453 stand H5975 aloof from H5048 my sore; H5061 and my kinsmen H7138 stand H5975 afar off. H7350
12 They also that seek H1245 after my life H5315 lay snares H5367 for me: and they that seek H1875 my hurt H7451 speak H1696 mischievous things, H1942 and imagine H1897 deceits H4820 all the day H3117 long.
13 But I, as a deaf H2795 man, heard H8085 not; and I was as a dumb man H483 that openeth H6605 not his mouth. H6310
14 Thus I was as a man H376 that heareth H8085 not, and in whose mouth H6310 are no reproofs. H8433
15 For in thee, O LORD, H3068 do I hope: H3176 thou wilt hear, H6030 O Lord H136 my God. H430
16 For I said, H559 Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice H8055 over me: when my foot H7272 slippeth, H4131 they magnify H1431 themselves against me.
17 For I am ready H3559 to halt, H6761 and my sorrow H4341 is continually H8548 before me.
18 For I will declare H5046 mine iniquity; H5771 I will be sorry H1672 for my sin. H2403
19 But mine enemies H341 are lively, H2416 and they are strong: H6105 and they that hate H8130 me wrongfully H8267 are multiplied. H7231
20 They also that render H7999 evil H7451 for good H2896 are mine adversaries; H7853 because I follow H7291 the thing that good H2896 is.
21 Forsake H5800 me not, O LORD: H3068 O my God, H430 be not far H7368 from me.
22 Make haste H2363 to help H5833 me, O Lord H136 my salvation. H8668
1 O Jehovah, 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 indignation; Neither is there any health in my bones because of my sin.
4 For mine iniquities are gone over my head: As a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds are loathsome and corrupt, Because of my foolishness.
6 I am pained and bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are filled with burning; And there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am faint and sore bruised: I have groaned 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 throbbeth, 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 plague; 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 meditate deceits all the day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, hear not; And I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14 Yea, I am as a man that heareth not, And in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For in thee, O Jehovah, do I hope: Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, Lest they rejoice over me: When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
17 For I am ready to fall, 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' are strong; And they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
20 They also that render evil for good Are adversaries unto me, because I follow the thing that is good.
21 Forsake me not, O Jehovah: O my God, be not far from me.
22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation. Psalm 39 For the Chief Musician, Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1 A Psalm of David, `To cause to remember.' Jehovah, in Thy wrath reprove me not, Nor in Thy fury chastise me.
2 For Thine arrows have come down on me, And Thou lettest down upon me Thy hand.
3 Soundness is not in my flesh, Because of Thine indignation, Peace is not in my bones because of my sin.
4 For mine iniquities have passed over my head, As a heavy burden -- too heavy for me.
5 Stunk -- become corrupt have my wounds, Because of my folly.
6 I have been bent down, I have been bowed down -- unto excess, All the day I have gone mourning.
7 For my flanks have been full of drought, And soundness is not in my flesh.
8 I have been feeble and smitten -- unto excess, I have roared from disquietude of heart.
9 Lord, before Thee `is' all my desire, And my sighing from Thee hath not been hid.
10 My heart `is' panting, my power hath forsaken me, And the light of mine eyes, Even they are not with me.
11 My lovers and my friends over-against my plague stand. And my neighbours afar off have stood.
12 And those seeking my soul lay a snare, And those seeking my evil Have spoken mischievous things, And they do deceits meditate all the day.
13 And I, as deaf, hear not. And as a dumb one who openeth not his mouth.
14 Yea, I am as a man who heareth not, And in his mouth are no reproofs.
15 Because for Thee, O Jehovah, I have waited, Thou dost answer, O Lord my God.
16 When I said, `Lest they rejoice over me, In the slipping of my foot against me they magnified themselves.
17 For I am ready to halt, And my pain `is' before me continually.
18 For mine iniquity I declare, I am sorry for my sin.
19 And mine enemies `are' lively, They have been strong, and those hating me without cause, Have been multiplied.
20 And those paying evil for good accuse me, Because of my pursuing good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Jehovah, My God, be not far from me,
22 Haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
1 {A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.} Jehovah, rebuke me not in thy wrath; neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand cometh down upon me.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine indignation; no peace in my bones, because of my sin.
4 For mine iniquities are gone over my head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds stink, they are corrupt, because of my foolishness.
6 I am depressed; I am bowed down beyond measure; I go mourning all the day.
7 For my loins are full of burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am faint and broken beyond measure; I roar by reason of the agitation of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before thee, and my sighing is not hid from thee.
10 My heart throbbeth, my strength hath left me; and the light of mine eyes, it also is no more with me.
11 My lovers and mine associates stand aloof from my stroke; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 And they that seek after my life lay snares [for me]; and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and meditate deceits all the day long.
13 But I, as a deaf [man], hear not; and am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14 Yea, I am as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For in thee, Jehovah, do I hope: *thou* wilt answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, Let them not rejoice over me! When my foot slipped, they magnified [themselves] against me.
17 For I am ready to halt, and my pain is continually before me.
18 For I will declare mine iniquity, I am grieved for my sin.
19 But mine enemies are lively, they are strong; and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied:
20 And they that render evil for good are adversaries unto me; because I pursue what is good.
21 Forsake me not, Jehovah; O my God, be not far from me.
22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.
1 > Yahweh, don't rebuke me in your wrath, Neither chasten me in your hot displeasure.
2 For your arrows have pierced me, Your hand presses hard on me.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation, Neither is there any health in my bones because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head. As a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds are loathsome and corrupt, Because of my foolishness.
6 I am pained and bowed down greatly. I go mourning all day long.
7 For my loins are filled with burning. There is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am faint and severely bruised. I have groaned by reason of the anguish of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before you. My groaning is not hidden from you.
10 My heart throbs. My strength fails me. As for the light of my eyes, it has also left me.
11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague. My kinsmen stand far away.
12 They also who seek after my life lay snares. Those who seek my hurt speak mischievous things, And meditate deceits all day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, don't hear. I am as a mute man who doesn't open his mouth.
14 Yes, I am as a man who doesn't hear, In whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For in you, Yahweh, do I hope. You will answer, Lord my God.
16 For I said, "Don't let them gloat over me, Or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips."
17 For I am ready to fall. My pain is continually before me.
18 For I will declare my iniquity. I will be sorry for my sin.
19 But my enemies are vigorous and many. Those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20 They who also render evil for good are adversaries to me, Because I follow what is good.
21 Don't forsake me, Yahweh. My God, don't be far from me.
22 Hurry to help me, Lord, my salvation.
1 <A Psalm. Of David. To keep in memory.> O Lord, be not bitter with me in your wrath; let not your hand be on me in the heat of your passion.
2 For your arrows have gone into my flesh, and I am crushed under the weight of your hand.
3 My flesh is wasted because of your wrath; and there is no peace in my bones because of my sin.
4 For my crimes have gone over my head; they are like a great weight which is more than my strength.
5 My wounds are poisoned and evil-smelling, because of my foolish behaviour.
6 I am troubled, I am made low; I go weeping all the day.
7 For my body is full of burning; all my flesh is unhealthy.
8 I am feeble and crushed down; I gave a cry like a lion because of the grief in my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before you; my sorrow is not kept secret from you.
10 My heart goes out in pain, my strength is wasting away; as for the light of my eyes, it is gone from me.
11 My lovers and my friends keep away from my disease; my relations keep far away.
12 Those who have a desire to take my life put nets for me; those who are designing my destruction say evil things against me, all the day their minds are full of deceit.
13 But I kept my ears shut like a man without hearing; like a man without a voice, never opening his mouth.
14 So I was like a man whose ears are shut, and in whose mouth there are no sharp words.
15 In you, O Lord, is my hope: you will give me an answer, O Lord, my God.
16 I said, Let them not be glad over me; when my foot is moved, let them not be lifted up with pride against me.
17 My feet are near to falling, and my sorrow is ever before me.
18 I will make clear my wrongdoing, with sorrow in my heart for my sin.
19 But they are strong who have hate for me without cause: those who are against me falsely are increased in numbers.
20 They give me back evil for good; they are my haters because I go after the thing which is right.
21 Do not give me up, O Lord; O my God, be near to me.
22 Come quickly to give me help, O Lord, my salvation.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 38
Commentary on Psalms 38 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Prayer for the Changing of Merited Wrath into Rescuing Love
The Penitential Psalm, 38, is placed immediately after Ps 37 on account of the similarity of its close to the ת strophe of that Psalm. It begins like Psalms 6:1-10. If we regard David's adultery as the occasion of it (cf. more especially 2 Samuel 12:14), then Psalms 6:1-10; 38; 51; Psalms 32:1-11 form a chronological series. David is distressed both in mind and body, forsaken by his friends, and regarded by his foes as one who is cast off for ever. The fire of divine anger burns within him like a fever, and the divine withdrawal as it were rests upon him like darkness. But he fights his way by prayer through this fire and this darkness to the bright confidence of faith. The Psalm, although it is the pouring forth of such elevated and depressed feelings, is nevertheless symmetrically and skilfully laid out. It consists of three main paragraphs, which divide into four (Psalms 38:2), three (Psalms 38:10), and four (Psalms 38:16) tetrastichs. The way in which the names of God are brought in is well conceived. The first word of the first group or paragraph is יהוה , the first word of the second אדני , and in the third יהוה and אדני are used interchangeably twice. The Psalm, in common with Psalms 70:1-5, bears the inscription להזכּיר . The chronicler, in 1 Chronicles 16:4, refers to these Hazkir Psalms together with the Hodu and Halleluja Psalms. In connection with the presentation of meat-offerings, מנחות , a portion of the meat-offering was cast into the altar fire, viz., a handful of the meal mixed with oil and the whole of the incense. This portion was called אזכּרה , ἀνάμνησις , and to offer it הזכּיר (a denominative), because the ascending smoke was intended to bring the owner of the offering into remembrance with God. In connection with the presentation of this memorial portion of the mincha , the two Psalms are appointed to be used as prayers; hence the inscription: at the presentation of the Azcara (the portion taken from the meal-offering). The lxx adds here περὶ ( τοῦ ) σαββάτου ; perhaps equivalent to לשּׁבּת .
In this Psalm we find a repetition of a peculiarity of the penitential Psalms, viz., that the praying one has to complain not only of afflictions of body and soul, but also of outward enemies, who come forward as his accusers and take occasion from his sin to prepare the way for his ruin. This arises from the fact that the Old Testament believer, whose perception of sin was not as yet so spiritual and deep as that of the New Testament believer, almost always calls to mind some sinful act that has become openly known. The foes, who would then prepare for his ruin, are the instruments of the Satanic power of evil (cf. Psalms 38:21, ישׂטנוּני ), which, as becomes perceptible to the New Testament believer even without the intervention of outward foes, desires the death of the sinning one, whereas God wills that he should live.
(Heb.: 38:2-9) David begins, as in Psalms 6:1-10, with the prayer that his punitive affliction may be changed into disciplinary. Bakius correctly paraphrases. Psalms 38:2 : Corripe sane per legem, castiga per crucem, millies promerui, negare non possum, sed castiga, quaeso, me ex amore ut pater, non ex furore et fervore ut judex; ne punias justitiae rigore, sed misericordiae dulcore (cf. on Psalms 6:2). The negative is to be repeated in Psalms 38:2 , as in Psalms 1:5; Psalms 9:19; Psalms 75:6. In the description, which give the ground of the cry for pity, נחת , is not the Piel , as in Psalms 18:35, but the Niphal of the Kal נחת immediately following (root נח ). קצף is anger as a breaking forth, fragor (cf. Hosea 10:7, lxx φρύγανον ), with ĕ instead of ı̆ in the first syllable, vowels which alternate in this word; and חמה , as a glowing or burning. חצּים (in Homer, κῆλα ), God's wrath-arrows, i.e., lightnings of wrath, are His judgments of wrath; and יד , as in Psalms 32:4; Psalms 39:11, God's punishing hand, which makes itself felt in dispensing punishment, hence תּנחת might be attached as a mood of sequence. In Psalms 38:4 wrath is called זעם as a boiling up. Sin is the cause of this experiencing wrath, and the wrath is the cause of the bodily derangement; sin as an exciting cause of the wrath always manifests itself outwardly even on the body as a fatal power. In Psalms 38:5 sin is compared to waters that threaten to drown one, as in Psalms 38:5 to a burden that presses one down. ככבּדוּ ממּנּי , they are heavier than I, i.e., than my power of endurance, too heavy for me. In Psalms 38:6 the effects of the operation of the divine hand (as punishing) are wounds, חבּוּרת (properly, suffused variegated marks from a blow or wheals, Isaiah 1:6; from חבר , Arab. ḥbr , to be or make striped, variegated), which הבאישׁוּ , send forth an offensive smell, and נמקּוּ , suppurate. Sin, which causes this, is called אוּלת , because, as it is at last manifest, it is always the destruction of itself. With emphasis does מפּני אוּלתּי form the second half of the verse. To take נעויתי out of Psalms 38:7 and put it to this, as Meier and Thenius propose, is to destroy this its proper position. On the three מפּני , vid., Ewald, §217, l . Thus sick in soul and body, he is obliged to bow and bend himself in the extreme. נעוה is used of a convulsive drawing together of the body, Isaiah 21:3; שׁחח , of a bowed mien, Psalms 35:14; הלּך , of a heavy, lagging gait. With כּי in Psalms 38:8 the grounding of the petition begins for the third time. His כּסלים , i.e., internal muscles of the loins, which are usually the fattest parts, are full of נקלה , that which is burnt, i.e., parched. It is therefore as though the burning, starting from the central point of the bodily power, would spread itself over the whole body: the wrath of God works commotion in this latter as well as in the soul. Whilst all the energies of life thus yield, there comes over him a partial, almost total lifelessness. פּוּג is the proper word for the coldness and rigidity of a corpse; the Niphal means to be brought into this condition, just as נדכּא means to be crushed, or to be brought into a condition of crushing, i.e., of violent dissolution. The מן of מנּהמת is intended to imply that the loud wail is only the utterance of the pain that is raging in his heart, the outward expression of his ceaseless, deep inward groaning.
(Heb.: 38:10-15) Having thus bewailed his suffering before God, he goes on in a somewhat calmer tone: it is the calm of weariness, but also of the rescue which shows itself from afar. He has complained, but not as if it were necessary for him first of all to make God acquainted with his suffering; the Omniscient One is directly cognisant of (has directly before Him, נגד , like לנגד in Psalms 18:25) every wish that his suffering extorts from him, and even his softer sighing does not escape His knowledge. The sufferer does not say this so much with the view of comforting himself with this thought, as of exciting God's compassion. Hence he even goes on to draw the piteous picture of his condition: his heart is in a state of violent rotary motion, or only of violent, quickly repeated contraction and expansion ( Psychol . S. 252; tr. p. 297), that is to say, a state of violent palpitation ( סחרחר , Pealal according to Ges. §55, 3). Strength of which the heart is the centre (Psalms 40:13) has left him, and the light of his eyes, even of these (by attraction for גּם־הוּא , since the light of the eyes is not contrasted with anything else), is not with him, but has become lost to him by weeping, watching, and fever. Those who love him and are friendly towards him have placed themselves far from his stroke ( nega` , the touch of God's hand of wrath), merely looking on (Obadiah 1:11), therefore, in a position hostile (2 Samuel 18:13) rather than friendly. מנּגד , far away, but within the range of vision, within sight, Genesis 21:16; Deuteronomy 32:52. The words וּקרובי מרחק עמדוּ , which introduce a pentastich into a Psalm that is tetrastichic throughout, have the appearance of being a gloss or various reading: מנּגד = מרחק , 2 Kings 2:7. His enemies, however, endeavour to take advantage of his fall and helplessness, in order to give him his final death-blow. וינקּשׁוּ (with the ק dageshed)
(Note: The various reading וינקּשׁוּ in Norzi rests upon a misapprehended passage of Abulwalîd ( Rikma , p. 166).)
describes what they have planned in consequence of the position he is in. The substance of their words is הוּות , utter destruction (vid., Psalms 5:10); to this end it is מרמות , deceit upon deceit, malice upon malice, that they unceasingly hatch with heart and mouth. In the consciousness of his sin he is obliged to be silent, and, renouncing all self-help, to abandon his cause to God. Consciousness of guilt and resignation close his lips, so that he is not able, nor does he wish, to refute the false charges of his enemies; he has no תּוכחות , counter-evidence wherewith to vindicate himself. It is not to be rendered: “just as one dumb opens not his mouth;” כ is only a preposition, not a conjunction, and it is just here, in Psalms 38:14, Psalms 38:15, that the manifest proofs in support of this are found.
(Note: The passages brought forward by Hupfeld in support of the use of כ as a conjunction, viz., Psalms 90:5; Psalms 125:1; Isaiah 53:7; Isaiah 61:11, are invalid; the passage that seems most to favour it is Obadiah 1:16, but in this instance the expression is elliptical, כּלא being equivalent to כאשׁר לא , like ללא , Isaiah 65:1, = לאשׁר לא . It is only כּמו (Arab. kmâ ) that can be used as a conjunction; but כ (Arab. k ) is always a preposition in ancient Hebrew just as in Syriac and Arabic (vid., Fleischer in the Hallische Allgem. Lit. Zeitschr. 1843, Bd. iv. S. 117ff.). It is not until the mediaeval synagogal poetry (vid., Zunz, Synagogal-poesie des Mittelalters , S. 121, 381f.) that it is admissible to use it as a conjunction (e.g., כּמצא , when he had found), just as it also occurs in Himjaritic, according to Osiander's deciphering of the inscriptions. The verbal clause appended to the word to which this כ , instar , is prefixed is for the most part an attributive clause as above, but sometimes even a circumstantial clause (Arab. ḥâl ), as in Psalms 38:14; cf. Sur . lxii. 5: “as the likeness of an ass carrying books.”)
(Heb.: 38:16-23) Become utterly useless in himself, he renounces all self-help, for ( כּי ) he hopes in Jahve, who alone can help him. He waits for His answer, for ( כי ) he says, etc. - he waits for an answer, for the hearing of this his petition which is directed towards the glory of God, that God would not suffer his foes to triumph over him, nor strengthen them in their mercilessness and injustice. Psalms 38:18 appears also to stand under the government of the פּן ;
(Note: The following are the constructions of פן when a clause of ore than one member follows it: (1) fut . and perf ., the latter with the tone of the perf. consec ., e.g., Exodus 34:15., or without it, e.g., Psalms 28:1 (which see); (2) fut . and fut . as in Psalms 2:12, Jeremiah 51:46. This construction is indispensable where it is intended to give special prominence to the subject notion or a secondary notion of the clause, e.g., Deuteronomy 20:6. In one instance פן is even followed (3) by the perf . and fut. consec ., viz., 2 Kings 2:10.)
but, since in this case one would look for a Waw relat . and a different order of the words, Psalms 38:18 is to be regarded as a subject clause: “who, when my foot totters, i.e., when my affliction changes to entire downfall, would magnify themselves against me.” In Psalms 38:18, כּי connects what follows with בּמוט רגלי by way of confirmation: he is נכון לצלע , ready for falling (Psalms 35:15), he will, if God does not graciously interpose, assuredly fall headlong. The fourth כּי in Psalms 38:19 is attached confirmatorily to Psalms 38:18 : his intense pain or sorrow is ever present to him, for he is obliged to confess his guilt, and this feeling of guilt is just the very sting of his pain. And whilst he in the consciousness of well-deserved punishment is sick unto death, his foes are numerous and withal vigorous and full of life. Instead of חיּים , probably חנּם , as in Psalms 35:19; Psalms 69:5, is to be read (Houbigant, Hitzig, Köster, Hupfeld, Ewald, and Olshausen). But even the lxx read חיים ; and the reading which is so old, although it does not very well suit עצמוּ (instead of which one would look for ועצוּמים ), is still not without meaning: he looks upon himself, according to Psalms 38:9, more as one dead than living; his foes, however, are חיּים , living, i.e., vigorous. The verb frequently ash this pregnant meaning, and the adjective can also have it. Just as the accentuation of the form סבּוּ varies elsewhere out of pause, ורבּוּ here has the tone on the ultima , although it is not perf. consec .
(Note: As perf. consec . the following have the accent on the ultima : - וחתּוּ , Isaiah 20:5, Obadiah 1:9, and ורבּוּ , Isaiah 66:16; perhaps also וחדּוּ , וקלּוּ , Habakkuk 1:8, and ורבּוּ ( perf. hypoth .), Job 32:15. But there is no special reason for the ultima -accentuation of רכּוּ , Psalms 55:22; רבּוּ , Psalms 69:5; דּלּוּ , Isaiah 38:14; קלּוּ , Jeremiah 4:13; שׁחוּ , Proverbs 14:19; Habakkuk 3:6; חתּוּ , Job 32:15; זכּוּ , צחוּ , Lamentations 4:7.)
Psalms 38:21 is an apposition of the subject, which remains the same as in Psalms 38:20. Instead of רדופי (Ges. §61, rem. 2) the Kerî is רדפי , rādephî (without any Makkeph following), or רדפי , rādophî ; cf. on this pronunciation, Psalms 86:2; Psalms 16:1, and with the Chethîb רדופי , the Chethîb צרופה , Psalms 26:2, also מיורדי , Psalms 30:4. By the “following of that which is good” David means more particularly that which is brought into exercise in relation to his present foes.
(Note: In the Greek and Latin texts, likewise in all the Aethiopic and several Arabic texts, and in the Syriac Psalterium Medilanense , the following addition is found after Psalms 38:21 : Ce aperripsan me ton agapeton osi necron ebdelygmenon, Et projecerunt me dilectum tanquam mortuum abominatum (so the Psalt. Veronense ). Theodoret refers it to Absalom's relation to David. The words ὡσεὶ νεκρὸν ἐβδελυγμένον are taken from Isaiah 14:19.)
He closes in Psalms 38:22 with sighs for help. No lighting up of the darkness of wrath takes place. The fides supplex is not changed into fides triumphans . But the closing words, “O Lord, my salvation” (cf. Psalms 51:16), show where the repentance of Cain and that of David differ. True repentance has faith within itself, it despairs of itself, but not of God.