Psalm 38:1-22

Do Not Rebuke Me

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1A Psalm of David, for remembrance. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath.

2For Your arrows have pierced me deeply, and Your hand has pressed down on me.

3There is no soundness in my body because of Your anger; there is no rest in my bones because of my sin.

4For my iniquities have overwhelmed me; they are a burden too heavy to bear.

5My wounds are foul and festering because of my sinful folly.

6I am bent and brought low; all day long I go about mourning.

7For my loins are full of burning pain, and no soundness remains in my body.

8I am numb and badly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.

9O Lord, my every desire is before You; my groaning is not hidden from You.

10My heart pounds, my strength fails, and even the light of my eyes has faded.

11My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance.

12Those who seek my life lay snares; those who wish me harm speak destruction, plotting deceit all day long.

13But like a deaf man, I do not hear; and like a mute man, I do not open my mouth.

14I am like a man who cannot hear, whose mouth offers no reply.

15I wait for You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God.

16For I said, “Let them not gloat over me—those who taunt me when my foot slips.”

17For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me.

18Yes, I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.

19Many are my enemies without cause, and many hate me without reason.

20Those who repay my good with evil attack me for pursuing the good.

21Do not forsake me, O LORD; be not far from me, O my God.

22Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.

Berean Standard Bible

Read aloud

David asks the LORD not to rebuke him in anger because God's arrows have pierced him and His hand has pressed heavily. His wounds are foul, his body is bent, and there is no soundness in his flesh. David links this suffering to his own sin and God’s discipline. His iniquities feel like a burden too heavy to carry, and he asks for mercy. This is his confession, not a rule for diagnosing someone else’s illness.

David confesses his iniquity and is troubled by it. Friends and companions stand far away, enemies seek his life, and he becomes like a deaf man who does not hear or a mute who cannot answer. Yet he waits for the LORD and calls Him his God. Silence from other people does not end prayer.

The psalm closes with an urgent plea not to be forsaken. David asks God to hurry to help him. The final line does not provide a neat resolution; it leaves the prayer open before the Savior.

Questions

1 How does David describe his condition?

AnswerHe describes physical wounds, weakness, bent posture, troubled thoughts, and a body with no soundness.

2 What does David confess?

AnswerHe confesses his iniquity and is troubled by the weight of what he has done.

3 How do friends and enemies respond?

AnswerFriends stand far away while enemies seek his life and speak maliciously.

4 What does David do despite the silence?

AnswerHe waits for the LORD, calls Him his God, and asks Him not to be far away.

What This Means for Us

When conscience troubles us over something we have done, David gives us words to bring it to God: “I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.” We can ask for mercy and help without pretending the wrongdoing was small.

David also suffers from friends keeping their distance and enemies returning evil for good. Admitting his own sin does not make their cruelty right. Stay near people who are suffering, listen carefully, and offer practical help without assuming that you know why they are ill.

Prayer

Merciful Savior, meet people whose bodies and consciences are overwhelmed. Give wisdom to those who need to confess and comfort to those carrying pain that is not theirs to explain. Keep us near the suffering. Amen.

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