Psalms 6:4

_RETURN, O LORD, DELIVER MY SOUL: OH SAVE ME FOR THY MERCIES' SAKE._ Return - back to favour toward me. DELIVER MY SOUL - or life, from "death," which I am on the point of (Psalms 6:5). SAVE ME FOR THY MERCIES' SAKE! - not for my merits, but for the glory of thy grace, which shall be magnified in my deliverance....

4._Return, O Lord. _In the preceding verses the Psalmist bewailed the absence of God, and now he earnestly requests the tokens of his presence, for our happiness consists in this, that we are the objects of the Divine regard, but we think he is alienated front us, if he does not give us some substantial evidence of his care for us. That David was at this time in the utmost peril, we gather from these words, in which he prays both for the deliverance of his soul, as it were, from the jaws of death, and for his restoration to a state of safety. Yet no mention is made of any bodily disease, and, therefore, I give no judgment with respect to the kind of his affliction. David, again, confirms what he had touched upon in the second verse _concerning the mercy of God, _namely, that this is the only quarter from which he hopes for deliverance: _Save me for thy mercy’s sake _Men will never find a...

1-7 These verses speak the language of a heart truly humbled, of a broken and contrite spirit under great afflictions, sent to awaken conscience and mortify corruption. Sickness brought sin to his remembrance, and he looked upon it as a token of God's displeasure against him. The affliction of his body will be tolerable, if he has comfort in his soul. Christ's sorest complaint, in his sufferings, was of the trouble of his soul, and the want of his Father's smiles. Every page of Scripture proclaims the fact, that salvation is only of the Lord. Man is a sinner, his case can only be reached by mercy; and never is mercy more illustrious than in restoring backsliders. With good reason we may pray, that if it be the will of God, and he has any further work for us or our friends to do in this world, he will yet spare us or them to serve him. To depart and be with Christ is happiest for the sain...

Verse Psalms 6:4. _RETURN, O LORD_] Once I had the light of thy countenance, by sin I have forfeited this; I have provoked thee to depart: O Lord, return! It is an awful thing to be obliged to say, _Return, O Lord_, for this supposes _backsliding_; and yet what a mercy it is that a _backslider may_ RETURN to _God_, with the expectation that _God_ will _return_ to _him_!...

RETURN, O LORD, DELIVER MY SOUL - As if he had departed from him, and had left him to die. The word “soul” in this place is used, as it often is, in the sense of “life,” for in the next verse he speaks of the grave to which he evidently felt he was rapidly descending. O SAVE ME - Save my life; save me from going down to the grave. Deliver me from these troubles and dangers. FOR THY MERCIES’ SAKE - (a) As an act of mere mercy, for he felt that he had no claim, and could not urge it as a matter of right and justice; and (b) in order that God’s mercy might be manifest, or because he was a merciful Being, and might, therefore, be appealed to on that ground. These are proper grounds, now, on which to make an appeal to God for his interposition in our beh

EXPOSITION This is the first of what have been called "the Penitential Psalms." It has been said that "there is much of grief in it, but nothing of penitence." The grief, however—such grief (see verse 6)—can scarcely be supposed to have arisen from any other source than consciousness of sin. dud grief of this kind is a main element in penitence. The title ascribes the psalm to David, and declares it to be addressed, like Psalms 4:1; "to the Chief Musician on Neginoth," by which we are probably to understand that it is intended to be set to an accompaniment of stringed instruments (see introductory paragraph to Psalms 4:1.). The further statement, that it is to be "upon Sheminith," is very obscure, but perhaps refers to some form of musical time (see Hengstenberg). The psalm seems to divide into fo

RETURN, O LORD,.... By this it seems that the Lord had withdrawn himself, and was departed from the psalmist, wherefore he entreats him to return unto him, and grant him his gracious presence. God is immense and omnipresent, he is everywhere: going away and returning cannot be properly ascribed to him; but he, nay be said to depart from his people, as to sensible communion with him, and enjoyment of him, when he hides his face, withdraws his gracious presence, and the comfortable discoveries and influences of his love; and he may be said to return when he visits them again, and manifests his love and favour to them: the Jewish writers d interpret it, "return from the fierceness of thine anger,'' as in Psalms 85:3; and though there is no such change in God, as from love to wrath, and from wrath to love; but inasmuch as there is a change in his dispensations towards his

Here the psalmist asks for a visit from God, for he is sick at heart, heavy and depressed. Be very thankful if that is not your case; but if it is, be very grateful that here is a prayer ready-made for you. Here you are taught how to cry to God, and what to expect from him. If you are very sick and sad, you are not worse off than David was. Send for David's Physician; you cannot have a better doctor than the royal Physician. He who waited on King David is prepared to wait on you. Psalms 6:1. _O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger,_ «Rebuke me; it will do me good; I need it; but not in anger. Be gentle and tender with me: ‘Rebuke me not in thine anger.'» Psalms 6:1. _Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure._ «Chasten me; it may be that the rod will be very curative

Psalms 6 _ 1. The cry of repentance (Psalms 6:1)_ 2. In deep distress (Psalms 6:4) 3. Jehovah has heard (Psalms 6:8) Psalms 6:1. Here we have the deep soul exercise of the godly expressed. In the midst of the trials and sorrows they search their hearts. The persecution of the enemies is used under God to bring His people in the dust. And so they feel the trial and sorrow which passeth over them as divine displeasure against sin. They feel it is the chastening hand of God which rests heavily upon them. Perhaps bodily sickness is also indicated. They cry, Jeh

VI. A RIGHTEOUS MAN'S PRAYER IN DISTRESS. (_a_) Notice (Psalms 6:1) the recognition of the fact that suffering is not always the proof of guilt and of God's wrath. Sometimes it is sent to prove, correct, and purify the righteous. So here 1, Psalms 66:8; Job 6:17, and especially Proverbs 3:11 f.* (_b_) Reward or penalty, if they come at all, must, according to the general teaching of the Psalter, come in this life; the life beyond the grave is scarcely worthy of the name. The dead are gathered together in the subterranean pit of Sheol. They are cut off from the light of the world, and above all, from the light of God's presence and fro