What are the penitential psalms?
Christian tradition calls seven psalms of repentance by this name: 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 and 143. Not all of them speak of a specific sin, but they express sorrow and hope before God.
Psalms · psalm 38 of 150
Psalm 38: Summary, Key Verses and Study Questions
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What happens in Psalm 38?
Psalm 38 is a prayer of David, who suffers in body and soul because of his sin and the hostility of his enemies. He asks the Lord not to rebuke him in wrath, describes his illness and loneliness, confesses his iniquity and declares that he waits for the Lord. It ends with an urgent plea: do not forsake me, make haste to help me.
The title ascribes it to David and adds that it is for bringing to remembrance, a phrase of uncertain meaning. It is one of the seven psalms that Christian tradition calls penitential. It resembles Psalm 6 in its opening plea and Psalm 32 in the link between sin and suffering, but here David has not yet found relief.
Psalm 38 summary
David begins by begging the Lord not to rebuke him in his anger or discipline him in his wrath, for God's arrows have sunk into him and his hand presses on his life. There is no soundness in his flesh and no health in his bones because of his sin. His iniquities have gone over his head like a heavy burden, his wounds stink and fester because of his folly, he is bowed down and mourning all day, his sides are filled with burning and there is no soundness in his flesh. He is feeble and crushed and groans because of the tumult of his heart.
David says all his longing is before the Lord and his sighing is not hidden from him. His heart throbs, his strength fails and even the light of his eyes is gone. His friends and companions stand aloof from his plague, and his kinsmen stand far off. Those who seek his life lay snares, speak of ruin and plot deceit all day long. But he is like a deaf man who does not hear and like a mute who does not open his mouth, with no rebuke in his mouth, because he waits for the Lord, and he knows the Lord will answer.
He fears that his enemies will rejoice if his foot slips, for he is ready to fall and his pain is ever with him. He confesses his iniquity and is sorry for his sin. His foes without cause are mighty and many hate him wrongfully; they repay him evil for good and oppose him for following good. The psalm ends with a plea: do not forsake me, O Lord, my God, be not far from me; make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.
Chapter outline
- vv. 1-2: A plea that God not rebuke him in wrath; God's arrows upon him.
- vv. 3-8: Suffering in the body, the weight of sin and distress.
- vv. 9-12: His longing before the Lord, abandonment by friends and the snares of enemies.
- vv. 13-16: Like a deaf and mute man, David waits for the Lord.
- vv. 17-20: Ready to fall, he confesses his sin before mighty enemies.
- vv. 21-22: Do not forsake me; make haste to help me.
Key verses in Psalm 38
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Psalm 38:4
David feels that his iniquities have gone over his head like a burden too heavy to bear. The psalm does not hide that sin is a real weight, and that is why forgiveness is needed.
Psalm 38:9
All David's longing is before the Lord, and his sighing is not hidden from him. Even without clear words, honest pain is a prayer God understands.
Psalm 38:15
In the midst of silence and pressure, David says he waits for the Lord and that he will answer. Hope becomes the axis of the psalm.
Psalm 38:18
David confesses his iniquity and is sorry for his sin. Confession is not a formality but sincere acknowledgment and sorrow before God.
Main themes
- Sin and suffering
- Honest confession
- Loneliness and enemies
- Waiting for the Lord
- Urgent plea for help
People and places
- David
- The Lord
- Friends who stand aloof
- The enemies
Psalm 38 study questions and answers
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
1. What does David ask the Lord at the beginning?
Answer: Not to rebuke him in anger or discipline him in wrath. — Psalm 38:1
2. What does David compare his iniquities to?
Answer: A heavy burden that weighs him down and has gone over his head. — Psalm 38:4
3. Who knows all of David's longing and sighing?
Answer: The Lord. — Psalm 38:9
4. What do his friends and relatives do?
Answer: They stand aloof and keep far from his plague. — Psalm 38:11
5. In whom does David wait?
Answer: In the Lord, trusting that he will answer. — Psalm 38:15
6. With what plea does the psalm end?
Answer: That God not forsake him or be far from him, and make haste to help him. — Psalm 38:21-22
Application for today
Psalm 38 helps those who are suffering the consequences of their own decisions. David neither blames God nor justifies himself; he acknowledges his sin and at the same time clings to the Lord as his salvation. In a small group you can talk about the difference between remorse that isolates and repentance that turns to God.
It is also a guide for accompanying someone who is alone and sick. David's friends draw away; the church can be the opposite, a place where the sufferer, whether at fault or not, finds company. The penitential psalms remind us that the Lord does not despise the one who humbles himself.
Psalm 38 ends with an open prayer, with no visible answer yet: Lord, make haste to help me. Psalm 39 continues in a similar tone, with David reflecting on the brevity of life and his dependence on God.
Frequently asked questions about Psalm 38
Does Psalm 38 mean that every illness is a consequence of sin?
No. David links his suffering to his own guilt in this psalm, but other texts, such as the book of Job and John 9:1-3, teach that not every illness is due to personal sin. The psalm describes a specific experience, not a general rule.
What does it mean to be like a deaf and mute man?
In verses 13 and 14 David says that before his accusers he stays silent like one who neither hears nor speaks. It is not indifference; he leaves his defense in God's hands, whom he waits for in verse 15.