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Psalms 38

Psalms 38 Summary, Context, and Full Chapter

Psalm 38 is a prayer for mercy from someone under deep physical pain, social isolation, and spiritual burden. David speaks honestly about sin, grief, and enemies, while still waiting on the Lord to answer and save him. It is a psalm for those who need help they cannot provide for themselves.

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What happens in Psalms 38?

David begins by asking God not to rebuke him in anger, then describes his suffering in strong, bodily terms. He feels crushed, weakened, ashamed, and cut off from friends and family. Enemies plot against him, but he does not answer back; instead, he waits for the Lord. Near the end, he openly confesses his sin, admits his weakness, and asks God not to leave him. The psalm closes with a direct plea for quick help from the Lord, his Savior.

Psalm 38 is one of David's penitential prayers, placed among psalms that express sorrow over sin and a longing for God's mercy. In the larger flow of Psalms, it gives voice to suffering that includes both inner guilt and outside opposition. It fits the book's pattern of honest lament that still turns toward trust in the Lord.

Themes to notice

  • ConfessionDavid names his sin plainly and does not hide his guilt from God.
  • SufferingThe psalm joins physical pain, emotional distress, and public shame in one prayer.
  • Waiting for helpEven when silent before enemies, David keeps looking to the Lord for an answer.

Questions for Psalms 38

  • What stands out most to you about the way David describes his suffering and guilt?
  • Why do you think David chooses silence in response to his enemies?
  • How does this psalm help shape a prayer for mercy when life feels heavy?

Read the full text of Psalms 38 below, then open it in the reader to highlight, take notes, or ask follow-up Bible questions. No account is required to read.

Psalms 38

Do Not Rebuke Me in Your Anger

A Psalm of David, for remembrance.

1O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger

or discipline me in Your wrath.

2For Your arrows have pierced me deeply,

and Your hand has pressed down on me.

3There is no soundness in my body

because of Your anger;

there is no rest in my bones

because of my sin.

4For my iniquities have overwhelmed me;

they are a burden too heavy to bear.

5My wounds are foul and festering

because of my sinful folly.

6I am bent and brought low;

all day long I go about mourning.

7For my loins are full of burning pain,

and no soundness remains in my body.

8I am numb and badly crushed;

I groan in anguish of heart.

9O Lord, my every desire is before You;

my groaning is not hidden from You.

10My heart pounds, my strength fails,

and even the light of my eyes has faded.

11My beloved and friends shun my disease,

and my kinsmen stand at a distance.

12Those who seek my life lay snares;

those who wish me harm speak destruction,

plotting deceit all day long.

13But like a deaf man, I do not hear;

and like a mute man, I do not open my mouth.

14I am like a man who cannot hear,

whose mouth offers no reply.

15I wait for You, O LORD;

You will answer, O Lord my God.

16For I said, “Let them not gloat over me—

those who taunt me when my foot slips.”

17For I am ready to fall,

and my pain is ever with me.

18Yes, I confess my iniquity;

I am troubled by my sin.

19Many are my enemies without cause,

and many hate me without reason.

20Those who repay my good with evil

attack me for pursuing the good.

21Do not forsake me, O LORD;

be not far from me, O my God.

22Come quickly to help me,

O Lord my Savior.

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