The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 41

EXPOSITION, me in thy hot di.!lpleaaure; or, in thy u:ratl,. PSALM VI. In its primary sense, hamah (;ion) is no Tms is the first of what have been c11lled doubt " heat," " glow; " but the secondary sense of "anger,n "wro.tl.i," is quite as ,, the Penitenti11l Psnlms." It has been sahl common. that "there is much of grief in it, but Vor. 2.-B:ave meroy upon me, 0 Lord; nothing of penitence." The grief, however for I nm weak; rnther, lam fa·int, or langui,l -such grief (see ver. 6)-cau sco.rcely be -withered nw11y, like ll faded pl:rnt or supposed to have nrisen from e.ny other flower. 0 Lord, bee.I me; for my bones a:.·e vuxed. Bodily ailment seems certainly to 8 ource tho.n consciousness of sin. And grief be implied ; but it is th11t sort of bodily of this kind is o. m11in element in penitence. ailment which is o[ten produced by mentl\l fhe title !\Scribes the pso.lm to Do.vid, 11nd distress-a gener11l lllnguor, weariness, llnd tlcol11rcs it to be nddressed, like Pa. iv., "t.o dist11ste for exertion (comp. Pa. xxii. H; the Chief Musician on Neginoth," by which xxxi. 10; xxxviii. 3; oii. 3). Ver. 3.-l'lly soul is also sore vexed. It we are probably to underst11nd tb11t it is is not, however, the body alone whicu intended to bo sot to 11n o.ccompaniment of eulfors; the soul also is vexed, and vexed stringed instruments (see introductory pnra- greatly (i~i;i). Clearly the mnin emplrnsis grnpb to Pa. iv.). The further eto.tement, is intended "to bo laid on the mental sufft'r• tbnt it is to be "upon Sheminith," is very ing. But thou, 0 Lord, how long 1 We obscure, but perbnps refers to some form of me.y fill up the ellipse in various we.ye: "How long wilt thou look on?" "How musical time (sco Hcngstenberg). 'fho long wilt thou hide thyself?" "How long ps11lw seems to divide into four stanzas-the wilt thou be angry?" (see PB.3. xuv. 17; first o.nd le.et of three, the intermediate ones lxxix. 5; lxxxix. 4G). Or ngnin, "How of two verses oaoh. long ehnll I cry, nud thou wilt not he11r? '" (Hnb. i. 2). The cry is that of one wearied Ver. 1.-0 Lord, rebuke me not in thine out with long sufferin~ (comp. Ps. xc, 13). anger. The psalmist begins by deprecating Ver. 4.-Beturn, 0 Lord. God seemo,l to God's wrath and displeo.sure. He is con- hnve withdrnwn himself, to h11ve forsaken scious of some grievous sin, deserving rebuko the mourner, nnd gone for nwny (comp. Ps. o.ud chnstieemont, nnd he does not nsk to be xxii. 1). Hence the cry, "Return" (comp. spnred his chastisement; but ho would fniu Pss. lxxx. H; xc. 13). Nothing is so h,ml be ohnstised in love, not in anger (comp. to endure llS the feeling of bcin g ,lo~ertc,l Jar. x. 2-l, "0 Lord, correct me, but with by God. Deliver mv soul. '"l'ho psc.lmi~, jud"ruent; not in thine anger, lest thou feels himself so wretched in ~oul nllll body, bri;g me to nothing "). Neither ohasten th11t he believes himself to bu near uenlh" 38 'l'HE BOOK OF l'SALMS. [re. v1, 1-10,