A prayer for every individual who mourns the long exile. Someone in need should recite this psalm. A psalm to remind us to recite it in times of need. Many lessons can be learned from it. David teaches us to think positively. A song of mourning turns into a song of praise.
- Text Psalm 38
- Hebrew text Psalm 38 – תהילים לח
- Listen to Psalm 38
- Explanation of Psalm 38 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
- Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 38
- Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
- Psalm 1 to 92
Text Psalm 38
A psalm by David to make you think. Do not punish me eternally in Your wrath, nor chasten me in Your wrath. For Your arrows have penetrated deep into me, and Your hand is heavy upon me. There is nothing whole in my body because of Your wrath and harmony is not in my system because of my sin. For my wrongdoings have gone over my head, like an oppressive burden they are too heavy for me.
…My enemies are alive and mighty, and many are those who hate me unjustly, and return good for evil, and oppose me, though I intend all good: forsake me not: O Lord my God, abide not at a distance from me. Make haste to save me, my Lord, my help!
Hebrew text Psalm 38 – תהילים לח
A psalm to David to remember. Jehovah God, in your anger you will prove me and in your anger you will forgive me. 3 Because your arrows landed in me and you rested your hand on me. D There is no death in my flesh because of your anger, there is no peace in my body because of my sin. Because my iniquities have passed over my head like a heavy burden, they will be taken away from me. And they were ashamed and wiped my bruises from my face. 7. I was satisfied, I swam until very late, all day I walked gloomily. 8 Because my failures are filled with light and there is no death in my flesh. 9 I was exhausted and oppressed until I roared from the growling of my heart. Y Lord, against you, all my desires and my sighs are not hidden from you. Oh, my heart is dizzy, leave me, my strength and the light of my eyes, they are also not with me. 12. My beloved and my flock against my touch shall stand, and my relatives from afar shall stand. 13 And those who seek my soul and those who seek my evil will speak falsehood and will speak deceit all day long. Yad, and I, as a deaf man, will not hear, nor will he open his mouth. And I am like a man who has not heard and there is no argument in his mouth. 16 For to you, O Lord, I have sent you; you will answer, O Lord my God. 17 Because I said, let them rejoice over me with the staff of my feet, they have increased upon me. 18 For I am a right side and a pained one I always speak against. 19 For my iniquity I will tell, I will take care of my sin. As the enemies of life are strong and many, they hate lies. 11 And those who pay evil under good will lie under chased- (pursued-) good. 22 Do not leave me, Jehovah my God, do not be far from me. 23 Husha for my help, Lord of my salvation.
Listen to Psalm 38
Listen to Psalm 38 in Hebrew.
Explanation of Psalm 38 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
positive
In this psalm David is in need. But he approaches it positively. The psalm gives an account of David’s sins and trials. For that reason it should actually be called a lament, says Saint Alshich. He says that David realized that his situation was due to his sins and that he now repents of his wrongdoing. A song of mourning turns into a song of praise. That is why this psalm is thought provoking.
arrows of G-d for correction The arrows of G-d have struck David because of his sins. The poisonous infection was caused by David’s misbehavior. The arrows were accurately shot by G-d to correct David’s own weaknesses and nothing more.
low point David is in despair because his foolishness has created a great rift between G-d and him. David can’t bear it any longer. He is depressed and despondent. But he realizes that if he repents and really seeks, HaShe m will listen to him. David will never be completely lost. David despaired because he did not accept God’s forgiveness. But G-d has promised to forgive His children once they repent ( Isaiah 55:7 ). To receive forgiveness we must refrain from sin. This is not easy. We need a lot of strength for such a change. We must not allow stress and depression to sap our spiritual strength. Teshuvah means returning to G-d with hope and joy.
Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 38
Per verse the commentary of Rashi, the Jewish Bible commentator who lived from 1040-1105. Rashi is considered the teacher of teachers. All traditional Jews regard Rashi as an authority on the Jewish Bible and Talmud. Hence it is important to record his commentary on the Psalms. Rashi uses new Hebrew supplemented with Old French words. His language is sometimes somewhat oracularly short. For further explanation it is wise to consult an orthodox Jewish rabbi.
Verse 1
A song of David, to make a memory.
A Song of David, for Remembrance : To recite it in time of trouble, to remember the distress of Israel before the Holy One, blessed be He, and he recited it as pertaining to all Israel.
Verse 3
For Your arrows are shot into me, and Your hand is upon me.
are shot into me : Hebrew נחתו, are poured. The expression נחת applies to the bending of a bow, and since the arrows are shot by bending the bow, he wrote נחתו בי [literally] bent in me. Likewise (in Exodus 15:9): I will unloose my sword חרבי) (אריק, [literally, I have emptied my sword.] The Torah should have written: אריק תערי, I will empty my scabbard, but because when they draw the sword draw from its scabbard, the scabbard is emptied from therefore he relates the emptying to the sword. Likewise (above 18:35): ,a brazen bow was bent (ונחתה)., The ,nun, is not a radical, because if it is a would be radical, it would have to be ננחתו, but the ‘nun’ of נחתו, and thus ותנחת, is not a radical but is sometimes dropped, like the ‘nun’ of נגף, to strike; נשך, to bite; נדר, to to promise; נקם, to avenge. And if it is passive, we say: נִגַּף smitten; נִשַׁ bitten; נִדַּר, sworn; נִקַּם, avenged, as נִנְקַם, נִנְ The ,dagesh, in the word replaces the ,nun., Likewise (in Leviticus 26:36), a rattling (נִדַף) leaf, ,(in Lamentations 3:49),, mine eyes stream (נִגְרָה ), Like נִנְגְּרָה. Thus he says נִחֲתוּ like נִנְ חֲתוּ, en thus (above 18:35): ,and a brazen bow was bent (וְנִּחֲתָה),, as וְנִנְחֲתָה. It was common for the ,cheth, in most places to be treated like the letters that do accept a ,dagesh,, e.g. (in I Kings 13:18): ,He lied (כִּחֶשׁ) to him,, in the form that is interrupted by a ,dagesh,, [ie the pi’el conjugation,] as דִבֶּר spoke, from the same conjugation as וַיְדַבֶּר, כִּחֶשׁ from the same conjugation as (Genesis 18:15): And Sarah lied (וַתְּכַחֵשׁ), and we don’t say כֵּחַשׁ as we say from הַמְבָרֵ, בֵּרַ and we do not say בִּרֵ as we say דִּבֵּר, because the power of the ,dagesh,; is not recognizable in the ‘resh’, but in the ‘cheth’ the power of the ‘dagesh’ is recognizable, and thus (in Deuteronomy 32:5): ‘Have they wounded Him (שִׁחֵת)?’ as כִּפֵר, reconciled, ,ר, spoke. Here too, he says, נִחֲתוּ like נִגְּשׁוּ they approached, נִתְּנוּ, they got, from the roots נחת, נגש, נתן, the ,nun, a defective radical, replaced by a ,dagesh, in the passive sound. Thus it is (I Samuel 2:4): “The bows of the mighty men are broken (חתים),” from the root נחת and חתת as you say of נסב, סבב, of נשם, שמם; (Lev. 26:22), “and your ways shall be desolate (וְנָשַׁמוּ),” (ibid. verse 32), “they will wonder about this (וְשָׁמְמוּ).” Likewise בָּלַל, נָבֹל, (Genesis 11:9) “For there the Lord confused בָּלַל” (ibid. Verse 7) “and let us there confuse their language (וְנָבְלָה).” For example, he says נחת and חתת in the active sound.
and Thine hand is come down upon me : This is the interpretation of ,Your arrows are shot upon me., And this is the interpretation: what bent the bow to shoot the arrows? Your hand has come down on the bow to shoot arrows at me. ותנחת is an expression of ותרד, it came down, and in this the ,nun, is a radical. Likewise (18:35), ,and a bronze bow was broken (ונחתה),, in which the ,nun, is not a radical.
Verse 4
There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger; there is no peace in my bones because of my sin.
solidity : Perfection, anterin in Old French, wholeness.
Verse 5
For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
are they too heavy : Hebrew יכבדו, are heavy.
Verse 7
I am greatly astonished and bowed down; All day long I go about in gloom.
I…stunned : Hebrew ויתי an expression of (Chullin 60b): ,Convulsions (עוויתות) seize him., Etourdissant in French, stunning.
Verse 8
For my loins are full of modesty; there is no soundness in my flesh.
For my loins are full of modesty : In my mind I am insignificant in my own eyes.
Verse 9
I fainted and was very crushed; I groaned from the unrest in my heart.
I fainted : Hebrew נפוגתי, I fainted, an expression of (Genesis 45:26), ,and his heart fainted (ויפג)., (Lamentations 3:49), “without delay (הפגת).”
Verse 10
O Lord, all my desire is before You, and my sigh is not hidden from You.
all my desire : You know my needs.
Verse 11
My heart is swallowed up; my strength has left me, and the light of my eyes – they also are not with me.
swallowed up : Hebrew סחרחר, surrounded by sorrow. This is one of the double words, such as (Leviticus 13:49), ,dark green (ירקרק), dark red (אדמדם),, (Eng. 66b) ,round (סגלגל), (Lamentations 1:20), ,My spirit is troubled (חמר מרו).”
Verse 12
My loved ones and my friends are far away from my affliction, and those who were close to me were far away.
stand aloof from my misery : Those who appear to me as lovers in the time of their pleasure, and when they see that misery is coming upon me, they do not stand up for me in the time of my trouble, but stand aloof and don’t help me.
who were close to me : who showed themselves close to me.
Verse 13
And those who seek my life lay snares, and those who seek my evil speak treachery, and all the day long they think of deceit.
And those who seek my life lay snares : They seek traps for me.
Verse 14
But I am like a deaf person who cannot hear, and like a dumb person who does not open his mouth.
But I am like a deaf person : Israel hears their reproaches from the nations, but does not respond. Why? Because I hoped in You, O Lord, that You would deliver me and save me from them.
Verse 17
For I said, ,Lest they rejoice over me; when my foot faltered, they exulted over me.,
For I said, ,Lest they rejoice over me, : For this reason we remain silent, because we say to ourselves: If we answer them boldly, they may witness our downfall and rejoice over us when our feet falter, and they will magnify themselves over us, saying, ‘Were you not proud of your salvation?’
Verse 18
For I am ready for disaster, and my pain is always mine.
For I am ready for disaster : For this reason we fear that they will rejoice over us, because we are accustomed to blows and are always ready and prepared for disaster.
And my pain is always before me : It is always ready to come before me.
Verse 19
For I declare my iniquity ; I am concerned about my sin.
For I declare my iniquity : My heart tells me my iniquity. Therefore I am concerned and fearful about my sin, lest it should cause me calamity and pain.
Verse 20
But mine enemies are in the power of life, and those who hate me for false reasons have become great.
are in the prime of life : They are in the prime of life with tranquility and goodness.
have become great : And those who hate me because of false words have been exalted.
Verse 21
And they return evil for good; they hate me for my pursuit of goodness.
because of my pursuit of goodness : Because we cleave to the Holy One, blessed be He, and to His commandments.
Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
The Lubavitcher Rebbe said: Think well and it will be good. Isaiah 12:2 says : Behold, God is my helper; I trust and I will not fear, for my strength and my psalm is God.
Fear and anxiety (depression) arises because many people have one world and many gods . However, whoever has one G-d and two worlds (material and spiritual) has nothing to fear. Fear arises from confusion. Fear can be overcome by creating clarity. Despair darkens the heart and weakens the mind. It is important to untangle the tangle of doubts in which you are trapped. This is how you get out of despair.
The deepest cause of fear arises because we prioritize the physical world. We fear that others will no longer accept us. But it is important to accept only yourself by including Gd in your life and doing it in the world for which you were created. This implies observance of the Torah by Jews and the Noahide commandments by non-Jews. An absolute trust in G-d will remove the fear of illness, poverty or death. By fearing G-d you show reverence and awe for a higher presence in your life. You are special because you can contribute to Gd’s Creation. Life is not about money, status and prestige. G-d’s standards are higher than those of a human but easier to live by because they are eternal in nature and not constantly changing. Don’t despair, go to war and improve conditions. Depression can be overcome by replacing destructive thoughts with constructive views. Focus on your achievements, your talents, the people you love. And allow G-d into your life. G-d protects your soul. Try to listen to your soul and let the light of your soul shine into the darkest places where fear and anxiety thrive.
Psalm 1 to 92
Would you like to read more Psalms with a Jewish interpretation? Go to: Psalms 1 through 92.