Psalms of Despair and Rejoicing: Psalm 6
As in the previous post on despair in Psalms,[1] Psalm 6 presents us with the fear and dread of the psalmist and how he recovered. It is absolutely fascinating. Again, this will compare this psalm from the New World Translation and the NET Bible, with Jehovah[2] included in the later in place of “LORD.”
The first few verses bristle with terrified panic, from illness and/or persecution (this table is best viewed in the web version):
NWT
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NET Bible
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A request for favor
And do not correct me in your rage. 2 Show me favor, O Jehovah, for I am growing weak. Heal me, O Jehovah, for my bones are shaking. 3 Yes, I am greatly disturbed, And I ask you, O Jehovah—how long will it be? 4 Return, O Jehovah, and rescue me; Save me for the sake of your loyal love. 5 For in death there is no mention of you; In the Grave, who will praise you? [Research Guide reference: Psalm 89:48; Psalm 146:3, 4. The above texts include three of the more than sixty occurrences in the Bible of the Hebrew word Sheol, which literally means “gravedom.” A corresponding word in the Greek Scriptures, Hades, which appears just ten times, means the same. Both of these words always refer, not to individual tombs, but to the “common grave,” where [we] go at death. This is a place of nonexistence, unconsciousness, where the dead must remain until God resurrects them. They are completely dead, but not without hope. Hence, Sheol is obviously the place to which the dead go. It is not an individual grave but the common grave of dead mankind in general, where all conscious activity ceases. This is also what the New Catholic Encyclopedia acknowledges to be the Biblical significance of Sheol, saying: “In the Bible it designates the place of complete inertia that one goes down to when one dies whether one be just or wicked, rich or poor.” —Vol. 13, p. 170.] 6 I have grown weary with my sighing; All night long I soak my bed with tears; I flood my couch with weeping. 7 My eye is weak from my grief; It has dimmed because of all those harassing me. 8 Get away from me, all you who behave wickedly, For Jehovah will hear the sound of my weeping. 9 Jehovah will hear my request for favor; Jehovah will accept my prayer. [Research Guide reference: Have there been times when you prayed to God and your prayers were not answered? Many have had this experience. Does it mean that prayers are of no value? No, God can both hear prayers and act upon them.] 10 All my enemies will be put to shame and dismayed; They will fall back in sudden disgrace. |
[Footnote: The psalmist begs Jehovah to withdraw his anger and spare his life. Having received a positive response to his prayer, the psalmist then confronts his enemies and describes how they retreat.]
Jehovah, do not rebuke me in your anger. Do not discipline me in your raging fury. 2 Have mercy on me, Jehovah, for I am frail. Heal me, Jehovah, for my bones are shaking. [Footnote: Normally the verb בָּהַל (bahal) refers to an emotional response and means “tremble with fear, be terrified” (see vv. 3, 10). Perhaps here the “bones” are viewed as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. However, the verb may describe one of the effects of his physical ailment, perhaps a fever. In Ezek 7:27 the verb describes how the hands of the people will shake with fear when they experience the horrors of divine judgment.] 3 I am absolutely terrified, and you, Jehovah—how long will this continue? [Footnote: Heb “and you, Jehovah, how long?” The suffering psalmist speaks in broken syntax. He addresses God, but then simply cries out with a brief, but poignant, question: How long will this (= his suffering) continue?] 4 Relent, Jehovah, rescue me! Deliver me because of your faithfulness. 5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death. [Footnote: Heb “for there is not in death your remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זֵכֶר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 30:4; 97:12. “Death” here refers to the realm of death where the dead reside. See the reference to Sheol in the next line.] In Sheol who gives you thanks? [Footnote: The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.” sn In Sheol who gives you thanks? According to the OT, those who descend into the realm of death/Sheol are cut off from God’s mighty deeds and from the worshiping covenant community that experiences divine intervention (Pss 30:9; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18). In his effort to elicit a positive divine response, the psalmist reminds God that he will receive no praise or glory if he allows the psalmist to die. Dead men do not praise God!] 6 I am exhausted as I groan. All night long I drench my bed in tears; my tears saturate the cushion beneath me. 7 My eyes grow dim from suffering; they grow weak because of all my enemies. 8 Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly, for Jehovah has heard the sound of my weeping. [Footnote: Jehovah has heard. The psalmist’s mood abruptly changes because Jehovah responded positively to the lament and petition of vv. 1-7 and promised him deliverance.] 9 Jehovah has heard my appeal for mercy; Jehovah has accepted my prayer. [Footnote: The prefixed verbal form is probably a preterite here; it is parallel to a perfect and refers to the fact that Jehovah has responded favorably to the psalmist’s request.] 10 They will be humiliated and absolutely terrified. All my enemies will turn back and be suddenly humiliated. [Footnote: The psalmist uses the same expression in v. 3 to describe the terror he was experiencing. He is confident that the tables will be turned and his enemies will know what absolute terror feels like.] |
When looking up Psalm 6 I noticed something peculiar about verses 8 and 9. The NWT says Jehovah “will hear” twice and “will accept.” However, other translations present “has heard” twice and “has accepted.” This difference is explained in the NET Bible footnote for verse 9. The Jewish Study Bible is similar, and has this translation in verses 8-10 (with Jehovah inserted again) and the following note:
Away from me, all you evildoers, for Jehovah heeds the sound of my weeping.
Jehovah heeds my plea,
Jehovah accepts my prayer.
All my enemies will be frustrated and stricken with terror; they will turn back in an instant, frustrated.
The note explains:
The Heb tenses are better reflected by rendering:The note adds that “perhaps this is reflected in Lam. 3.57. “You have ever drawn nigh when I called You; You have said, ‘Do not fear!’”” It adds that this “may also be reflected in Ps. 12.6 [Ps. 12.5], where God is quoted in the middle of the psalm.”
“Away … has heard … has heeded … will be frustrated.” The back-and-forth movement may express the psalmist’s religious conviction that God will hear his prayer, and thus he simultaneously expresses hope and certainty.
In any case, we can appreciate that the psalmist began his heartfelt plea with trust in Jehovah, and closed it with his ironclad assurance that his prayer was heard and his enemies will therefore be absolutely defeated.
Footnotes:
[1] Psalms of Despair and Rejoicing
jimspace3000.blogspot.com/2020/01/psalms-of-despair-and-rejoicing.html
[2] The reason for the name
jimspace3000.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-reason-for-name.html
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Labels: Bible
posted by JimSpace at 11:56 PM
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