For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments, according to the sheminith style; a psalm of David. 

 

David wrote this psalm after he had suffered from some illness which brought him to near death. This specific time and illness was never mentioned in Scripture. The illness was a part of David’s life, but the Holy Spirit mentions it only in passing and only in this psalm.

 

6:1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger! Do not discipline me in your raging fury! 

 

The illness came upon David as divine discipline. David asked Jehovah not to rebuke or discipline him while God was still angry with him.

 

6:2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am frail! Heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking! 

 

Shaking bones were a Jewish metaphor for physical pain. David asked Jehovah to take the physical pain away from him.

 

6:3 I am absolutely terrified, and you, Lord—how long will this continue? 

 

David was terrified of being attacked by God. He asked Jehovah how long the divine discipline would continue.

 

6:4 Relent, Lord, rescue me! Deliver me because of your faithfulness! 

 

David asked Jehovah to rescue him from this painful disease, because of God’s faithfulness. The Hebrew word for “faithfulness” is חָ֫סֶד (hesed), meaning loyal love.

 

6:5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death, In Sheol who gives you thanks? 

 

If Jehovah allowed David to die, then David would not be able to praise God from the grave. God needs to heal David so that he can praise God to those living on earth.

 

6:6 I am exhausted as I groan; all night long I drench my bed in tears; my tears saturate the cushion beneath me. 

 

David cried tears at night, because his body was wasting away.

 

6:7 My eyes grow dim from suffering; they grow weak because of all my enemies. 

 

David’s body was wasting away. He was going blind from the pain. The enemies of David had caused this suffering. Did they poison David with drugs or words? Did they injure him to the point of death?

 

6:8 Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping! 

 

David commanded his wicked enemies to give up on killing David. Jehovah heard David’s weeping.

 

6:9 The Lord has heard my appeal for mercy; the Lord has accepted my prayer. 

 

The tears of David moved a powerful and compassionate God. God heard his prayer of mercy. Jehovah accepted David’s prayer.

 

6:10 May all my enemies be humiliated and absolutely terrified! May they turn back and be suddenly humiliated!

 

David prayed that all of his enemies would be humiliated and terrified. David was the anointed king of Israel and the carrier of the seed son of the Messiah. The enemies of David made themselves the enemies of God.

 

David teaches modern Christians how to pray. Modern believers should pray directly to God the Father in the name of Christ for divine healing and divine strength. Believers need to pray to God so that He can humiliate and terrify the enemies of Christ. Christ atoned for the sins of all men, but man is so totally depraved and evil that he hates Christ anyway.