Psalms
Chapter 6
Have Mercy On Me, Lord, for I Am Weak
O Lord, in your anger do not reprove; nor punish me in your fury.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I have no strength left. O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in torment.
My soul also is greatly troubled. How long, O Lord, how long? How long will you be?
Come back to me, O Lord, save my life; rescue me for the sake of your love.
For no one remembers you in the grave; who will praise you in the world of the dead?
I am weary with moaning; I weep every night, drenching my bed with tears.
My eyes have grown dim from troubles; I have weakened, because of my foes.
Away from me, you evildoers, for the Lord has heard my plaintive voice.
The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will grant all that I pray for.
Let my enemies fall back in shame, all of a sudden—the whole bunch of them!
Commentaries
6
This and the ‘penitential’ Psalm 37 are very similar, but there is not the same frank confession of guilt here. There is no mention of it, and the term ‘penitential,’ though traditional, seems scarcely applicable. The ‘anger’ and ‘rage’ of God, like his ‘forsaking,’ may be conventional metaphors for the psalmist’s suffering. At this stage of revelation, there is no hope of praising God beyond the grave. The conclusion should be clear: death would deprive God of one of his servants. The implication is almost irrelevant that God will be the loser if the psalmist dies. Can we dare to question God in our private prayers? We suppose not, but some inspired authors come very close to it. Let us not be too scrupulous: the psalmist allows God to speak and acknowledges that God has answered his prayers. God knows how awkward we are and that we mean well. He is a Father, not a literary critic.
The letter to the Hebrews mentions Jesus’s cries and tears in Hebrews 5:7. This is a fitting psalm to cry out to for our sins.