Psalms 38:5 — Word Study
WLCהִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ נָ֭מַקּוּ חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י אִוַּלְתִּֽי׃
BSAforkîy iniquityʻâvôn to passʻâbar headrôʼsh burdenmassâʼ heavykâbêd to honorkâbad frommin
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ | they stink | Verb, Hiphil, perfect third person common plural |
| נָ֭מַקּוּ | they fester | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person common plural |
| חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י | wounds my | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י | because of | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct |
| אִוַּלְתִּֽי׃ | folly my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | My wounds are foul and festering because of my sinful folly. |
| KJV | My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. |
| ASV | My wounds are loathsome and corrupt, Because of my foolishness. |
| YLT | Stunk — become corrupt have my wounds, Because of my folly. |
| WEB | My wounds are loathsome and corrupt because of my foolishness. |
| BBE | My wounds are poisoned and evil-smelling, because of my foolish behaviour. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause presents the state of the wounds, while the subordinate clause provides the reason for their condition.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbכִּי
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 38:5
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Lament for Sin and Sufferinggenerated
Psalm 38:5 is part of a lament where the psalmist expresses deep sorrow over his physical and spiritual condition. He acknowledges that his wounds are not merely physical ailments but are tied to his moral failings. This psalm reflects a theme of repentance and the consequences of sin, similar to other penitential psalms that address the relationship between sin and suffering.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 38:7 | For my loins are full of burning pain, and no soundness remains in my body. |
| 2 | Psalm 32:3 | When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. |
| 3 | Isaiah 1:5–6 | Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 8:22 | Is there no balm in Gilead? Is no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored? |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ, hiv.'I.shugenerated
The verb הִבְאִישׁוּ (hiv.'I.shu) is a Hiphil form meaning 'they stink.' It conveys the idea of something that emits a foul odor, often used metaphorically to describe moral corruption or offense.
In this context, the psalmist uses it to describe how his wounds have become offensive, emphasizing the connection between his physical suffering and his sinful actions. The use of the Hiphil form indicates that the wounds are being caused to stink, highlighting an external action affecting his state.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ and נָ֭מַקּוּ govern the clauses, indicating the actions of the wounds. The structure is straightforward, with the subject being the wounds and the prepositional phrase מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י introducing the reason for their state.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the condition of the wounds first, followed by the cause, creating a clear connection between the psalmist's sin and his suffering.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew verb הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ is rendered with the Greek word ὅτι (G3754), which means 'because.' This choice shows a shift from the explicit description of the wounds to a more causal statement, emphasizing the reason behind the psalmist's lament.
The Greek rendering reflects a more interpretative approach, focusing on the underlying cause of the suffering rather than the physical description of the wounds.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 38:5 expresses the psalmist's pain as he describes his wounds as foul and festering, which he attributes to his sinful behavior. This verse highlights the connection between physical suffering and moral failure, showing how one's actions can lead to dire consequences.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist is expressing that his physical wounds are not only painful but also morally offensive, reflecting the consequences of his sinful actions.
This verse illustrates the idea that sin can lead to physical and emotional suffering, as the psalmist acknowledges that his wounds are a direct result of his folly.
The term 'folly' indicates the psalmist's recognition of his foolish choices and actions that have led to his current suffering.
The psalmist's lament teaches us the importance of acknowledging our sins and the consequences they bring, encouraging reflection on our actions and their impact on our well-being.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some consequences of my actions that I have noticed in my life?
- How can I acknowledge and address my own folly as the psalmist does?
- In what ways can I seek healing from the wounds caused by my sins?
- How does understanding the connection between sin and suffering affect my view of my own struggles?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early interpretations of this verse reflect on the relationship between sin and physical suffering, as seen in the writings of several Church Fathers, who draw moral lessons from the text.
For as the putrid humors and matter of flesh, and all those things that corrupt it, are driven out by salt, in the same manner all the irrational appetites … are banished from the body by divine teaching.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 38 →
Now look at some lascivious youth openly displaying his debauchery; his life is spent in love affairs; he lounges around like that rich man who was clothed in fine linen and purple; daily he enjoys the most sumptuous dinners;Early Church Fathers on Psalms 38 →
Therefore, rightly placed under iniquities, and (what is worse) his own, he says that his scars have become corrupted and decayed from the face of his foolishness; because the remedy for lifting the burden of iniquities followed slowly.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 38 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 38:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleMy wounds stink, [and] are corrupt,.... Meaning his sins, which had wounded him, and for which there is no healing but in a wounded Saviour, and by his stripes we are healed, Isaiah 53:5; where the
Read John Gill on Psalms 38 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryMy wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. My wounds ... are corrupt ( naamaquw (H4743)) - literally, melt away. Because of my foolishness - perverse sin.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 38 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe bruises and sores caused by my disease are not only painful, but loathsome to myself and to others. Foolishnss, i.e. sin, which really is, and is commonly called, folly, as 14:17 15:2, &c.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 38 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 38:5 My wounds stink [and] are corrupt because of my foolishness.Ver. 5. My wounds stink and are corrupt] What his grief or disease was we read not; some say the leprosy; some take all this allegorically. The word rendered wounds, signifieth stripes, scars, wales, Livores vibices tumices, mattery sores, running ulcers, the effects of the envenomed arrows of the Almighty. Could we but foresee what sin will cost us we durst not but be innocent. That we do not is extreme foolishness, as David here acknowledgeth. Because of my foolishness] In not considering beforehand the heinousness of my sin nor the heaviness of the divine displeasure. The word signifieth unadvised rashness, Proverbs…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 38 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5) Wounds.—Better, stripes, as in LXX. Stink and are corrupt.—Both words denote suppuration; the first in reference to the offensive smell, the second of the discharge of matter; the whole passage recalls Isaiah 1:6, seq.Foolishness.—Men are generally even more loth to confess their folly than their sins.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 38 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 5. My wounds stink and are corrupt] Taking this in connection with the rest of the Psalm, I do not see that we can understand the word in any figurative or metaphorical way. I believe they refer to some disease with which he was at this time afflicted; but whether the leprosy, the small pox, or some other disorder that had attacked the whole system, and showed its virulence on different parts of the outer surface, cannot be absolutely determined. Because of my foolishness.] This may either signify sin as the cause of his present affliction, or it may import an affliction which was the consequence of that foolish levity which prefers the momentary gratification of an irregular passion…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 38 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5. My wounds] Or stripes (= bruises, Isaiah 1:6, A.V.): for he has been as it were scourged by God. my foolishness] Sin is essentially foolishness. Cp. Psalms 107:17. The word occurs only once again in the Psalter (Psalms 69:5), and elsewhere only in Proverbs, where it is common (e.g. Proverbs 5:23; Proverbs 19:3).
Read Cambridge on Psalms 38 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleMy wounds stink - The word rendered “wounds” here means properly the swelling or wales produced by stripes. See the notes at Isaiah 1:6; notes at Isaiah 53:5.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 38 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
My wounds are foul and festering because of my sinful folly.
My wounds are loathsome and corrupt because of my foolishness.
My wounds are foul and festering because of my sinful folly.
My wounds are infected and starting to smell, because of my foolish sins.
Tyndale line
My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
My wounds are loathsome and corrupt, Because of my foolishness.
My wounds stink and are corrupt, because of my foolishness.
My wounds are offensive, and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
My woundes are putrified, and corrupt because of my foolishnes.
Strictly literal
My wounds stink, they are corrupt, because of my foolishness.
Stunk — become corrupt have my wounds, Because of my folly.
Stunk—my wounds have become corrupt, || Because of my folly.
(38:6) Foul, corrupt are my bruises because of my folly.
My wounds are infected and smell because of my foolish sins.
From the Latin
I spoke with my tongue: O Lord, make me know my end. And what is the number of my days: that I may know what is wanting to me.
Simplified
My wounds are infected—they're smelling—all because of my stupidity.
My wounds are poisoned and evil-smelling, because of my foolish behaviour.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ נָ֭מַקּוּ חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י אִוַּלְתִּֽי׃, which matches the Septuagint closely in meaning, though the word order differs. The Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q83 presents a damaged text with several words supplied by an editor, indicating some uncertainty in the exact wording but maintaining the overall message.
הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ נָ֭מַקּוּ חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י אִוַּלְתִּֽי׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[כי] [עונת׳י] [עברו] [ראש׳י] [כמשא] [כבד] [יכבדו] [ממ׳ני]
nothing on the leather here — 8 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 38:5
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
בָּאַשׁ (ba'ash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to stink or have a bad smell. It can refer literally to emitting a foul odor or figuratively to becoming morally offensive or odious. The verb has various forms, including Qal, Niphal, Hiphil, and Hithpael, which express different nuances of the root meaning.
בָּאַשׁ vb. have a bad smell, stink
Qal stink
Niph. only fig. make oneself odious, become odious
Hiph.
emit a stinking odour
cause to stink
Hithp. they had made thmselves odious
base
H887 בָּאַשׁ have a bad smell, stink .stink
. only fig. make oneself odious, become odious
. . emit a stinking odour
. cause to stink
. they had made thmselves odious
887 ba'ash baw-ash'
a primitive root; to smell bad; figuratively, to be offensive
morally:--(make to) be abhorred (had in abomination,
loathsome, odious), (cause a, make to) stink(-ing savour), X
utterly.
בָּאַשׁ (ba.ash) — to stink.
1) to have a bad smell, stink, smell bad
1a) (Qal) to stink, smell bad
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to become odious
1b2) to make oneself odious
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to stink, emit a stinking odour
1c2) to cause to stink
1c3) of wickedness (fig.)
1d) (Hithpael) to make oneself odious
2) (TWOT) to abhor
HVhp3cp — Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person common pluralHVhp3cp
מָקַק (maqaq) is a Hebrew verb meaning to decay, rot, or fester. It describes processes of physical deterioration, such as wounds festering or flesh rotting, and can also imply a figurative sense of pining away, often as a consequence of iniquity. The entries indicate a range of uses, including both the Niphal and Hiphil forms, where the latter signifies causing something to rot.
[מָקַק] vb. decay, rot, fester, fig. pine away Niph. fester, of wounds
rot, rot away
moulder away
of pining away by reason of, as punishment for, iniquity
Hiph. a causing his flesh to rot
base
H4743 [מָקַק] decay, rot, fester, fig. pine away . . fester, of wounds
. rot, rot away
. moulder away
. of pining away by reason of, as punishment for, iniquity
. a causing his flesh to rot
4743 maqaq maw-kak'
' a primitive root; to melt; figuratively, to flow, dwindle,
vanish:--consume away, be corrupt, dissolve, pine away.
מָקַק (ma.qaq) — to rot.
1) to decay, pine away, rot, fester
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to fester (of wounds)
1a2) to rot, rot away
1a3) to moulder away
1a4) to pine away
1b) (Hiphil) to cause to rot
HVNp3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common pluralHVNp3cp
חַבּוּרָה (chabbuwrah) refers to a stripe, blow, or wound, typically indicating a mark left by injury, such as a bruise. It is derived from a root meaning 'to bind' and covers concepts of hurt or injury. The term is noted in various contexts, but no specific verse is mentioned in the entries.
חַבּוּרָה, [חַבֻּרָה, חַבֻרָה] n.f. stripe, blow
base
H2250 חַבּוּרָה, חַבֻּרָה, חַבֻרָה stripe, blow
2250 chabbuwrah khab-boo-raw'
or chabburah {khab-boo-raw'}; or chaburah {khab-oo-raw'};
from 2266; properly, bound (with stripes), i.e. a weal (or
black-and-blue mark itself):--blueness, bruise, hurt, stripe,
wound.
see HEBREW for 02266
חַבּוּרָה (chab.bu.rah) — wound.
bruise, stripe, wound, blow
Aramaic equivalent: cha.vu.lah (חֲבוּלָא "crime" H2248)
HNcfpc/Sp1bs — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.
[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces
face, faces
presence, person
technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
face of seraphim
face of animals
face (= surface) of ground
as adv.loc. before
for other phrases
with prepositions
base
H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces
. . presence, person
. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
. face of seraphim
. face of animals
. face (= surface) of ground
. as adv. loc. before
. for other phrases
. with prepositions
6440 paniym paw-neem'
plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh
{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);
used in a great variety of applications (literally and
figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a
preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),
against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),
+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,
face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er
time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +
honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +
meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,
open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,
presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right
forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,
X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.
: before/to/front
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.
: face
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…
HR/Ncmpc — Preposition · noun common masculine plural constructHR/Ncmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
אִוֶּ֫לֶת (ivveleth) refers to folly or foolishness. It is derived from a root meaning silliness, and is categorized as a feminine noun. The term appears in contexts discussing foolish behavior or actions.
אִוֶּ֫לֶת 25 n.f. folly
base
H200 אִוֶּ֫לֶת
200 'ivveleth iv-veh'-leth
from the same as 191; silliness:--folly, foolishly(-ness).
see HEBREW for 0191
אִוֶּ֫לֶת (iv.ve.let) — folly.
foolishness, folly
HNcfsc/Sp1bs — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs