Psalms 6 (ASV)

Chapter Text

6:1 O Jehovah, rebuke me not in thine anger, Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

6:2 Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah; for I am withered away: O Jehovah, heal me; for my bones are troubled.

6:3 My soul also is sore troubled: And thou, O Jehovah, how long?

6:4 Return, O Jehovah, deliver my soul: Save me for thy lovingkindness` sake.

6:5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: In Sheol who shall give thee thanks?

6:6 I am weary with my groaning; Every night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.

6:7 Mine eye wasteth away because of grief; It waxeth old because of all mine adversaries.

6:8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; For Jehovah hath heard the voice of my weeping.

6:9 Jehovah hath heard my supplication; Jehovah will receive my prayer.

6:10 All mine enemies shall be put to shame and sore troubled: They shall turn back, they shall be put to shame suddenly. Psalm 7 Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto Jehova, concerning the words of Cush a Benjamite.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mercy", "jehovah", "rebuke", "thine", "anger", "neither", "chasten", and "displeasure". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mercy" and "jehovah", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local ASV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "mercy" and "jehovah" carries the first interpretive weight. In The LORD as Shepherd, the local focus is trust, covenant mercy, guidance, and worship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "mercy" and "jehovah" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.