---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Psalms 38"
description: "PSALM 38   :-. To bring to remembrance, or, remind God of His
mercy and himself of his sin. Appealing to God for relief from His
heavy chastisement, the P"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/psalms/38"
---

PSALM 38

. *To bring to remembrance,* or, remind God of His
mercy and himself of his sin. Appealing to God for relief from His
heavy chastisement, the Psalmist avows his integrity before men,
complains of the defection of friends and persecution of enemies, and
in a submissive spirit, casting himself on God, with penitent
confession he pleads God's covenant relation and his innocence of the
charges of his enemies, and prays for divine comfort and help.

**1-4.** He deprecates deserved
punishment, which is described (), under the figure of bodily disease [].

**2. arrows . . . and thy hand**—the
sharp and heavy afflictions he suffered ().

**1-4.** He deprecates deserved
punishment, which is described (), under the figure of bodily disease [].

**4. iniquities**—afflictions in
punishment of sin ([2 Samuel 16:12](../../../kjv/2-samuel/16/12);
[Psalms 31:10](../../../kjv/psalms/31/10); [Psalms 40:12](../../../kjv/psalms/40/12)).
**gone over mine head**—as
a flood.

**5-8.** The loathsomeness,
corruption, and wasting torture of severe physical disease set forth
his mental anguish [[Psalms 38:6](../../../kjv/psalms/38/6)].
It is possible some bodily disease was connected. The
**loins** are the seat of
strength. His exhaustion left him only the power to groan [[Psalms 38:6](../../../kjv/psalms/38/6)].

**9.** That God can hear ().

**10. My heart panteth**—as if
barely surviving.
**light . . . from me**—utter
exhaustion ([Psalms 6:7](../../../kjv/psalms/6/7); [Psalms 13:3](../../../kjv/psalms/13/3)).

**11, 12.** Friends desert, but foes
increase in malignity.

**12. seek after my life**—
([1 Samuel 20:1](../../../kjv/1-samuel/20/1); [1 Samuel 22:23](../../../kjv/1-samuel/22/23)).

**13, 14.** He patiently submits,
uttering no reproaches or replies () to their insulting speeches;

**15-17.** for he is confident the
**Lord**—literally,
"Sovereign" (to whom he was a servant), would answer his
prayer ([Psalms 3:4](../../../kjv/psalms/3/4); [Psalms 4:1](../../../kjv/psalms/4/1)),
and not permit their triumph in his partial halting, of which he was
in danger.

**18.** Consciousness of sin makes
suffering pungent, and suffering, rightly received, leads to
confession.

**19, 20.** Still, while humbled
before God, he is the victim of deadly enemies, full of malice and
treachery.
**enemies are lively**—literally,
"of life," who would take my life, that is, deadly.

**21, 22.** (Compare [Psalms 22:19](../../../kjv/psalms/22/19);
[Psalms 35:3](../../../kjv/psalms/35/3)). All terms of frequent
use. In this Psalm the language is generally susceptible of
application to Christ as a sufferer, David, as such, typifying Him.
This does not require us to apply the confessions of sin, but only
the pains or penalties which He bore for us.

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/psalms/38#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","width":640,"height":370,"caption":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Psalms 38"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/psalms/38#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/psalms/38","name":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Psalms 38","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/psalms/38#primaryimage"},"datePublished":null,"dateModified":null,"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"PSALM 38   :-. To bring to remembrance, or, remind God of His\nmercy and himself of his sin. Appealing to God for relief from His\nheavy chastisement, the P","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/psalms/38#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/psalms/38"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/psalms/38#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","name":"Commentaries"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible","name":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/psalms","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/psalms","name":"Psalms"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/psalms/38","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/psalms/38","name":"38"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]}
```