Psalm 38
Biblical psalm
title: "Psalm 38" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["psalms"] description: "Biblical psalm" topic_path: "general/psalms" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalm_38" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Biblical psalm ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox musical composition"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Psalm 38 |
| subtitle | A psalm of David to bring to remembrance |
| "O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath" | |
| image | Folio 66v - Psalm XXXVII.jpg |
| image_upright | 1.2 |
| caption | Psalm 38 (Vulgate: 37) from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry manuscript |
| other_name | {{plainlist |
| * {{lang | la |
| text | by David |
| language | Hebrew (original) |
| :: |
| name = Psalm 38 | subtitle = A psalm of David to bring to remembrance "O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath" | type = | image = Folio 66v - Psalm XXXVII.jpg | image_upright = 1.2 | alt = | caption = Psalm 38 (Vulgate: 37) from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry manuscript | other_name = {{plainlist|
- Psalm 37
- Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me | text = by David | language = Hebrew (original) | written = | published = Psalm 38 is the 38th psalm of the Book of Psalms, entitled "A psalm of David to bring to remembrance", is one of the 7 Penitential Psalms. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible, and in the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 37.
In the English King James Version of the Bible, it begins: "O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath". In Latin, it is known as "Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me".
The title "to bring to remembrance" also applies to Psalm 70.
Content
The psalm's topic is God's displeasure at sin (verses 1–11), and the psalmist's sufferings and prayers (verses 12–22). The psalm opens with a prayer, David felt as if he had been forgotten of his God. It then passes intermittently between complaint and hope. Benjamin Weiss noted the "depth of misery into which the psalmist gradually plunges in his complaints, then the sudden grasp at the arm of mercy and omnipotence".
Possibly written late in David's life, although Coffman's believes it was early in David's reign, it was often conjectured as a biography of sorts for David. John Calvin thought rather it was David's intent to commit to music to transmit what he had learnt through his life of the relationship he had with his Lord, before he died.
Uses
New Testament
Verse 11 is quoted in Luke .
Judaism
Verse 22 is part of the long Tachanun recited on Mondays and Thursdays.
Catholic Church
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Josquin_Domine_ne_in_furore.pdf" caption="Psalm motet ''Domine ne in furore'', a setting of Psalm 37 (Vulgate numbering, a.k.a. Psalm 38 in Hebrew numbering) by [[Josquin des Prez]]."] ::
From around AD 530, this Psalm was traditionally sung in monasteries during matins on Mondays, according to the Rule of St. Benedict. Since reform of the Office of Readings after Vatican II, Psalm 37 is now recited during the liturgy of the hours on Friday in the second week of the four-weekly cycle of liturgical prayers.
Book of Common Prayer
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the eighth day of the month, as well as at Mattins on Ash Wednesday.
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Verse 1 (which is almost identical to verse 1 of Psalm 6) is quoted in chapter 6 of 1 Meqabyan, a book considered canonical by this church.
Musical settings
Musical settings of Psalm 38 include:
- Domine ne in furore (psalm 37 according to the Vulgate numbering) was set by Josquin des Prez.
- "Herr, straf mich nicht in deinem Zorn / Lass mich dein Grimm verzehren nicht" (not to be confused with "Herr, straf mich nicht in deinem Zorn / Das bitt ich dich von Herzen", a paraphrase of Psalm 6), Psalm 38 in the Becker Psalter, was set by Heinrich Schütz (SWV 135, Zahn No. 5859).{{cite book | last1 = Zahn | first1 = Johannes | author-link1= Johannes Zahn | date = 1890 | title = Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder | volume = III | location = Gütersloh | publisher = Bertelsmann | language = de | pages = 131–132, 558–559
- Johann Sebastian Bach set Psalm 38:4 in the opening chorus of his church cantata Es ist nichts Gesundes an meinem Leibe, BWV 25.
- Igor Stravinsky set Psalm 38:13-14 in the first movement of his Symphony of Psalms.
Text
The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint and the English translation from the King James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text come from different textual traditions.A 1917 translation directly from Hebrew to English by the Jewish Publication Society can be found here or here, and an 1844 translation directly from the Septuagint by L. C. L. Brenton can be found here. Both translations are in the public domain. In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 37. ::data[format=table]
| # | Hebrew | English | Greek |
|---|---|---|---|
| (A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.) | Ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυΐδ· εἰς ἀνάμνησιν περὶ τοῦ σαββάτου. - | ||
| 1 | O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. | ΚΥΡΙΕ, μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με, μηδὲ τῇ ὀργῇ σου παιδεύσῃς με. | |
| 2 | For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. | ὅτι τὰ βέλη σου ἐνεπάγησάν μοι, καὶ ἐπεστήριξας ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ τὴν χεῖρά σου· | |
| 3 | There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. | οὐκ ἔστιν ἴασις ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ὀργῆς σου, οὐκ ἔστιν εἰρήνη ἐν τοῖς ὀστέοις μου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου. | |
| 4 | For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. | ὅτι αἱ ἀνομίαι μου ὑπερῇραν τὴν κεφαλήν μου, ὡσεὶ φορτίον βαρὺ ἐβαρύνθησαν ἐπ᾿ ἐμέ. | |
| 5 | My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. | προσώζεσαν καὶ ἐσάπησαν οἱ μώλωπές μου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ἀφροσύνης μου· | |
| 6 | I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. | ἐταλαιπώρησα καὶ κατεκάμφθην ἕως τέλους, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν σκυθρωπάζων ἐπορευόμην. | |
| 7 | For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. | ὅτι αἱ ψόαι μου ἐπλήσθησαν ἐμπαιγμάτων, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἴασις ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου· | |
| 8 | I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. | ἐκακώθην καὶ ἐταπεινώθην ἕως σφόδρα, ὠρυόμην ἀπὸ στεναγμοῦ τῆς καρδίας μου. | |
| 9 | Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. | Κύριε, ἐναντίον σου πᾶσα ἡ ἐπιθυμία μου, καὶ ὁ στεναγμός μου ἀπὸ σοῦ οὐκ ἀπεκρύβη. | |
| 10 | My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. | ἡ καρδία μου ἐταράχθη, ἐγκατέλιπέ με ἡ ἰσχύς μου, καὶ τὸ φῶς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου, καὶ αὐτὸ οὐκ ἔστι μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ. | |
| 11 | My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off. | οἱ φίλοι μου καὶ οἱ πλησίον μου ἐξ ἐναντίας μου ἤγγισαν καὶ ἔστησαν, καὶ οἱ ἔγγιστά μου ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἔστησαν· | |
| 12 | They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long. | καὶ ἐξεβιάζοντο οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ οἱ ζητοῦντες τὰ κακά μοι ἐλάλησαν ματαιότητας, καὶ δολιότητας ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐμελέτησαν. | |
| 13 | But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. | ἐγὼ δὲ ὡσεὶ κωφὸς οὐκ ἤκουον καὶ ὡσεὶ ἄλαλος οὐκ ἀνοίγων τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ· | |
| 14 | Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs. | καὶ ἐγενόμην ὡσεὶ ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἀκούων καὶ οὐκ ἔχων ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ ἐλεγμούς. | |
| 15 | For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. | ὅτι ἐπὶ σοί, Κύριε, ἤλπισα· σὺ εἰκακούσῃ, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου. | |
| 16 | For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me. | ὅτι εἶπα· μήποτε ἐπιχαρῶσί μοι οἱ ἐχθροί μου· καὶ ἐν τῷ σαλευθῆναι πόδας μου ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ ἐμεγαλοῤῥημόνησαν. | |
| 17 | For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me. | ὅτι ἐγὼ εἰς μάστιγας ἕτοιμος, καὶ ἡ ἀλγηδών μου ἐνώπιόν μού ἐστι διαπαντός. | |
| 18 | For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. | ὅτι τὴν ἀνομίαν μου ἐγὼ ἀναγγελῶ καὶ μεριμνήσω ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁμαρτίας μου. | |
| 19 | But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. | οἱ δὲ ἐχθροί μου ζῶσι καὶ κεκραταίωνται ὑπὲρ ἐμέ, καὶ ἐπληθύνθησαν οἱ μισοῦντές με ἀδίκως· | |
| 20 | They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is. | οἱ ἀνταποδιδόντες μοι κακὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν ἐνδιέβαλλόν με, ἐπεὶ κατεδίωκον ἀγαθωσύνην. | |
| 21 | Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me. | μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς με, Κύριε· ὁ Θεός μου, μὴ ἀποστῇς ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ· | |
| 22 | Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation. | πρόσχες εἰς τὴν βοήθειάν μου, Κύριε τῆς σωτηρίας μου. | |
| :: |
Notes
References
References
- [[Matthew Henry]], [https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Psa/Psa_038.cfm Commentaries on Psalm 38]
- Kirkpatrick, A. (1906), [https://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/psalms/38.htm Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges] on Psalm 38, accessed 3 November 2021
- [http://medievalist.net/psalmstxt/ps37.htm Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 37 (38)] {{webarchive. link. (2017-05-07 medievalist.net)
- [[Matthew Henry]]’s [http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=19&c=38 Concise Commentary]
- [[John Wesley]]’s [http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=wes&b=19&c=38 Explanatory Notes].
- [[Charles H. Spurgeon]], [http://www.romans45.org/spurgeon/treasury/ps038.htm Treasury of David].
- [http://www.romans45.org/spurgeon/treasury/ps038.htm Benjamin Weiss]
- Christopher Love
- [http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bcc/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=038 Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible].
- Charles H. Spurgeon, [http://www.romans45.org/spurgeon/treasury/ps038.htm Treasury of David].
- [http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/calvin/cc09/cc09003.htm Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 9: Psalms, Part II], tr. by John King, [1847–50].]
- Kirkpatrick, A. F.. (1901). "The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes". At the University Press.
- The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 129
- D’après le ''Complete Artscroll Siddur'', compilation des prières juives.
- ''[[Rule of St. Benedict. Règle de saint Benoît]]'', traduction par [[Prosper Guéranger]], p. 46, [[Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes]], réimpression
- "La distribution des Psaumes dans la Règle de Saint Benoît | Mont des Cats".
- Psautier latin-français du bréviaire monastique, 1938p. 149.
- Church of England, [https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/The%20Book%20of%20Common%20Prayer%201662.pdf Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter] as printed by [[John Baskerville]] in 1762, pp. 196ff
- "The Book of Common Prayer: Proper Psalms On Certain Days".
- "Torah of Yeshuah: Book of Meqabyan I - III".
- {{IMSLP. 3 Psalms (Josquin Desprez)
- [[Gottfried Vopelius]] (1682). ''[[Neu Leipziger Gesangbuch]]'', pp. [https://books.google.com/books?id=UmVkAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA648 648–651].
- [[Cornelius Becker]] (1602). ''[[Becker Psalter
- {{ChoralWiki. Herr straf mich nicht in Deinem Zorn, SWV 135 (Heinrich Schütz)
- "Psalms – Chapter 38". Mechon Mamre.
- "Psalms 38 - JPS 1917". [[Sefaria.
- "Psalm 37 - Septuagint and Brenton's Septuagint Translation". Ellopos.
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