Psalm 6 - Anguish to Assurance

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to the Sheminith. A Psalm of David. David's apology 1 O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. David's anguish 2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I have no strength; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. 3 My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord—how long? David's asking 4 Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. 5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? 6 I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. David's assurance 8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. 9 The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

With stringed instruments according to the Sheminith, is most likely a musical term. Sheminith is a set of 8.  It might refer to a key or an octave.  1 Chronicles 15:21 shows a list of temple musicians and instruments. The final set is the harps that are to be tuned to the Sheminith. This Psalm is still within the context ofAbsalom's rebellion against David but now David has moved to a much darker place.  The anguish is taking it's toll.  Doubt has crept in. This is the first of 7 penitential psalms, the prayer  song of the sinner, where the psalmist is aware of sin as a or the cause of their plight. ( 6, 32, 51, 102, 103, 143 ) .   This psalm starts with an apology and moves through David's anguish, his asking for help, and finally the return of his assurance in God. The psalm begins with David apologising to God. When things go badly wrong, our first instinct is to believe that this is God's doing, He did this to me, He is punishing me. David is a brave, mighty warrior, he stood up to Goliath, he has faced countless enemies in battle.  He is not going to flood my bed with tears over some little paper cut.  But the thought of God being angry with him, is more than he can bear. O Lord,  rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. The 2nd line parallels the first but intensifies it, rebuke moves to discipline, anger moves to wrath. David was a mighty warrior, but now he is a broken man. He is exhausted, he has no strength left, and his soul is deeply troubled. David pours out his anguish. Be gracious to me, O Lord, .. I have no strength; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. David was Israel's golden boy.  He fought Goliath when he was 16.  He became King of Judah at 30 and made his capital at Hebron. 7 years later he united the 2 divided kingdoms and moved his capital to Jerusalem. He united the 12 tribes, took control of the major land trade routes between Egypt, the food production centre and the rest of the known world.  Making Israel a wealthy nation in the process. He reigned for 40 years in total. 2 Samuel 5:4-5   Absalom is born in Hebron, so David is around 60 when his son rebels. Daytime he can cope, there are things that need doing.  At night it all comes flooding back.  He turns to God and asks for help. Turn, O Lord,  deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. He can't do this anymore.  He make a bargain - if I die who will give you praise? I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief; At the end his assurance is returned.  the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping The Lord has heard my plea the Lord accepts my prayer.