Psalms 38:1

O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure,.... This and the following clause are the same as in Psalms 6:1, only instead of wrath there it is anger; [See comments on Psalms 6:1].

O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. The Title. - A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance - i:e., to bring to God's remembrance the seemingly forgotten suppliant.

Psalms 39 THE This is reckoned one of David’ s penitential Psalms. It was composed upon occasion of some sore disease, or grievous calamity; which he rightly judged to be inflicted upon him for his sins. Either, 1. To God, that by this humble and mournful prayer he might prevail with God to remember and pity him; for now he seemed quite to have forgotten him. Or, 2. To himself, that by reviewing this Psalm afterwards he might call to mind his former danger and misery, and God’ s wonderful mercy in delivering him from them; which we are very apt to forget; and that others also might remember and consider what God had done to him, first in chastening, and then in restoring him, and might make use of his example for their benefit. David, being visited with sickness, rehearseth his woeful condition, , by reason of his sins, ; prayeth for forgiveness, help, and favour, ,10. He lays before God the unfaithfuless of his friends, , and the cruelty of his enemies, . I confess I both deserve chastisement and need it, and therefore I desire not that thou wouldst remove it, but only moderate it. See the same expression .

Psalms 38:1 « A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. » O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance] Made purposely for a memorial, both of what he had suffered and from what he had been delivered. See 1 Chronicles 16:4 Exodus 30:16 Leviticus 2:2; Leviticus 6:15. Recordatio autem intelligitur miseriae ex misericordia, Psalms 132:1 Isaiah 62:6; Isaiah 63:7. It is probable that David had so laid to heart the rape of his daughter Tamar, the murder of his eldest son, Amnon, the flight of his next son, Absalom, and other troubles that befell him (Basil thinks Absalom’ s conspiracy, Ahithophel’ s perfidy, Shimei’ s insolence, &c.), that it cost him a great fit of sickness; out of which hardly recovering, he penned this and some other psalms (as the 35th, 39th, 40th), but this especially, for a memento, to remind him of his own recent misery and God’ s never failing mercy to him. Both these we are wondrous apt to forget, and so both to lose the fruit of our afflictions, by falling afresh to our evil practices (as children soon forget a whipping), and to rob God, our deliverer, of his due praises; like as with children eaten bread is soon forgotten. Both these mischiefs to prevent, both in himself and others (for we are bound not only to observe God’ s law, but also to preserve it as much as may be from being broken), David composed this psalm, for to record, or to cause remembrance (see the like title, Psalms 70:1), and for a form for a sick man to pray by, as Kimchi noteth; not to be sung for those in purgatory, as some Papists have dreamed. Ver. 1. O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath] He beginneth and endeth the psalm with petitions, filleth it up with sad complaints; wherein we shall find him groaning, but not grumbling; mourning, but not murmuring, for that is not the guise of God’ s people. He beginneth with Eheu Iehova non recuso coargui et castigari. "Correct me, O Lord, but with judgment; not in anger, lest thou bring me to nothing," Jeremiah 10:24. See Psalms 6:1.

(1) O Lord, rebuke.—See Note, Psalms 6:1, of which verse this is almost a repetition.

PSALM XXXVIII David prays God to have mercy upon him, and gives a most affecting account of his miserable state, 1-10; complains of his being forsaken by his friends, and cruelly persecuted by his enemies, 11-16; confesses his sin; and earnestly implores help, 17-22. NOTES ON PSALM XXXVIII The title in the HEBREW states this to be A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. The CHALDEE; "A Psalm of David for a good memorial to Israel." The VULGATE, SEPTUAGINT, and AETHIOPIC: "A Psalm of David, for a commemoration concerning the Sabbath." The ARABIC: "A Psalm in which mention is made of the Sabbath; besides, it is a thanksgiving and a prophecy." Never was a title more misplaced or less expressive of the contents. There is no mention of the Sabbath in it; there is no thanksgiving in it, for it is deeply penitential; and I do not see that it contains any prophecy. The SYRIAC: "A psalm of David, when they said to the Philistine king, Achish, This is David, who killed Goliath; we will not have him to go with us against Saul. Besides, it is a form of confession for us." It does not appear that, out of all the titles, we can gather the true intent of the Psalm. Several conjectures have been made relative to the occasion on which this Psalm was composed; and the most likely is, that it was in reference to some severe affliction which David had after his illicit commerce with Bath-sheba; but of what nature we are left to conjecture from the third, fifth, and seventh verses. Whatever it was, he deeply repents for it, asks pardon, and earnestly entreats support from God. Verse 1. O Lord, rebuke me not] He was sensible that he was suffering under the displeasure of God; and he prays that the chastisement may be in mercy, and not in judgment.

1–8. The chastisement of sin.

O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath - See the notes at Psalms 6:1, where the same language occurs, except in the change of a single Hebrew “word,” that is, “wrath,” though expressing the same idea.

1. Rebuke me not in thy wrath—The psalm opens with the words of Psa 6:1. David trembles lest the chastisement should pass over to the severity of condign punishment.