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Psalms 6

Psalms 6

The big picture

Psalms 6 opens in verse 1 with “O LORD , rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 5 with “For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?”, and closes in verse 10 with “Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, vexed, ashamed, enemies, return. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

Psalms · King James Version · 10

Psalms 6:1-5

1–5: O LORD , rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot…

Psalms 6:1–5 opens with “O LORD , rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.” and reaches “For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 6 develops its own movement around LORD, vexed, ashamed, enemies, return, with particular weight carried by LORD, soul, vexed.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “O LORD , rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.” By verse 3, the text has turned to “My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD , how long?” It lands on “For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 2 questions, 1 stated contrast. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as LORD, soul, vexed, anger, bones, chasten tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Psalms 6 develops its own movement around LORD, vexed, ashamed, enemies, return,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Have, Return. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 3: “My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD , how long?” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: LORD, soul, vexed, anger, bones, chasten

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Psalms 6:1

    “O LORD , rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.” The line’s distinctive content terms include anger, chasten, displeasure. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.

  2. Psalms 6:2

    “Have mercy upon me, O LORD ; for I am weak: O LORD , heal me; for my bones are vexed.” Naming Have keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  3. Psalms 6:3

    “My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD , how long?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

  4. Psalms 6:4

    “Return, O LORD , deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.” Naming Return keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  5. Psalms 6:5

    “For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

Psalms 6:1-5

King James Version

1O LORD , rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

2Have mercy upon me, O LORD ; for I am weak: O LORD , heal me; for my bones are vexed.

3My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD , how long?

4Return, O LORD , deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.

5For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

Psalms 6:6-10

6–10: I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I…

Psalms 6:6–10 opens with “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my…” and reaches “Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 6 develops its own movement around LORD, vexed, ashamed, enemies, return, with particular weight carried by LORD, ashamed, enemies.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my…” By verse 8, the text has turned to “Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.” It lands on “Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 2 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as LORD, ashamed, enemies, consumed, couch, Depart tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Psalms 6 develops its own movement around LORD, vexed, ashamed, enemies, return,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Depart, Mine. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 8: “Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: LORD, ashamed, enemies, consumed, couch, Depart

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Psalms 6:6

    “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.” The line’s distinctive content terms include couch, groaning, night. Its relationship to verses 7 shows what work it does in this passage.

  2. Psalms 6:7

    “Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.” Naming Mine keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  3. Psalms 6:8

    “Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.” Naming Depart keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  4. Psalms 6:9

    “The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.” The line’s distinctive content terms include LORD, prayer, receive. Its relationship to verses 8 and 10 shows what work it does in this passage.

  5. Psalms 6:10

    “Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.” The line’s distinctive content terms include ashamed, enemies, return. Its relationship to verses 9 shows what work it does in this passage.

Psalms 6:6-10

King James Version

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

7Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.

8Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

9The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.

10Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

Questions to keep in mind while reading

  1. Follow the speaker, images, parallel lines, questions, and emotional movement.
  2. Notice where tension or suffering resists an easy answer.
  3. Read a saying as wisdom for faithful discernment, not as a mechanical promise detached from context.

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.

Questions beneath the surface

  1. What account of God, human freedom, responsibility, and the good life emerges from Psalms 6?
  2. Which tension does the chapter refuse to resolve quickly?
  3. What changes when the chapter is read as part of the whole canon rather than as an isolated moral story?
  4. Where might a sincere reader confuse a familiar tradition with something the text states directly?

Questions for serious personal contemplation

These open-ended questions make room for tension, honest response, prayer, and conclusions that remain accountable to the chapter.

Observe without rushing

  1. What part of Psalms 6 makes you stop, feel unsettled, or feel surprised, and why?

  2. Which detail in the passage would be easiest to overlook? How does that detail change your understanding?

  3. Where do you see tension between what happens and this focus: Psalms 6 develops its own movement around LORD, vexed, ashamed, enemies, return?

  4. What important question does the passage leave open instead of resolving quickly?

Examine your inner life honestly

  1. Which person, response, fear, or desire in the passage feels most like your own life right now?

  2. What assumption about God, other people, or yourself does this text challenge?

  3. Which part would you rather soften, avoid, or explain away too quickly? What might that reaction reveal?

  4. If this Scripture could ask you one direct question, what do you think it would ask?

Respond with wisdom and courage

  1. What do you need to remember, confess, grieve, thank God for, or trust after reading this passage?

  2. How might another faithful person read this situation differently without ignoring the text?

  3. What obedient response would be costly, uncomfortable, or slow, yet still faithful to Scripture?

  4. What question will you carry into prayer this week, and which verses will you keep in front of you?