Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 38:3

[There is] no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither [is there any] rest in my bones because of my sin.

3. His own sin is the cause of the divine indignation which inflicts the chastisement; and while God’s wrath assaults him from without, the fever of sin consumes him from within. With this verse and Psa 38:5, comp. Isaiah’s description of the deep-seated disease of Israel’s body corporate (Isa 1:5-6).

anger ] Better as R.V. indignation, as in Psa 7:11; Psa 102:10.

rest ] R.V. health; lit., wholeness or peace. For in my bones see Psa 6:2, note.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

There is no soundness in my flesh – There is no sound place in my flesh; there is no part of my body that is free from disease. The word used here – m^ethom – occurs only in Jdg 20:48, where it is rendered men; in Isa 1:6, and in this place, where it is rendered soundness. See the notes at Isa 1:6. It means that the body was wholly diseased; but what was the nature of the disease we are not informed. It would seem, however, that it was some cutaneous disease, or some disease that produced outward and loathsome eruptions that made his friends withdraw from him, Psa 38:7, Psa 38:11; compare Psa 41:8.

Because of thine anger – That is, he regarded this as a punishment for sin; a specific manifestation of the divine displeasure on account of some particular offence or act of transgression. He does not refer, however, to the particular sin which he regarded as the cause of his sickness, and it is probable that this is just an instance of that state of mind, often morbid, in which we consider a particular calamity that comes upon us as a special proof of the divine displeasure. There are, undoubtedly, cases when sickness may be properly thus regarded; but it should be observed that, as this is not the universal rule in regard to sickness and other trials – as they come upon us under general laws, and because in sweeping over a community they often fall upon the righteous as well as the wicked, – we should not infer at once, when we are sick or otherwise afflicted, that it is for any particular sin, or that it is proof of any special displeasure of God against us. It is undoubtedly right to regard all affliction as having a close connection with sin, and to allow any calamity to suggest to us the idea of our depravity, for sin is the original cause of all the wretchedness and woe on earth; but under this general law we cannot always determine the particular reason why calamity comes on us. It may have other purposes and ends than that of being a specific punishment for our offences.

Neither is there any rest in my bones – Margin: peace or health. The Hebrew word means peace. The idea is, that there was no comfort; no rest. His bones were filled with constant pain. The flesh and the bones constitute the entire man; and the idea here is, that he was universally diseased. The disease pervaded every part of the body.

Because of my sin – Regarding his sin as the immediate cause of his suffering. In a general sense, as has been remarked above, it is not wrong to regard sin as the cause of all our misery, and we may allow our suffering to be, in some degree, a measure or gauge of the evil of sin. The error consists in our regarding a particular form of trial as the punishment of a particular sin. The effect in the case of tile psalmist was undoubtedly to bring to remembrance his sins; to impress his mind deeply with a sense of the evil of sin; to humble him at the recollection of guilt. This effect is not improper or undesirable, provided it does not lead us to the conclusion, often erroneous, that our affliction has come upon us on account of a particular transgression. That may be so indeed; but the idea that that is the universal rule in regard to affliction is one which we are not required to entertain. See the notes at Luk 13:1-5.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Psa 38:3

There is no soundness in my flesh because of Thine anger.

–He proceedeth to exaggerate and amplify the greatness of his grief from the universality thereof; that his sickness was not laid on any one part of his body, but upon his whole flesh, and upon all his bones. His flesh is his exterior part, his bones his interior. Albeit the ulcers and wounds of his flesh were very sensible to him, and more horrible in the eyes of men who beheld them (as that of Job and Lazarus), which he might have apprehended deeply when as by them he was made contemptible in the eyes of men: yet his inward pain, which was more felt than seen, maketh him thus pitifully to cry. Wherein we have these things to consider.

1. That as all members agreed together to the performance of his filthy lust, so every one of them receiveth a deserved punishment. And it is good for man that he should be thus chastised in this world for a little time, rather than that he should be reserved for everlasting darkness, where every member shall receive eternal pain for their sin. For as sin pleaseth nature, so doth it destroy and consume nature.

2. He setteth forth the cause of those punishments, even Gods wrath, because of his sin. For when those two meet together, they are as fire and flax; Gods wrath as fire, will soon devour the stubble of our sins.

3. Observe that David maketh not Gods wrath the only cause of his miseries and heavy sickness; for that were to charge God of unrighteousness; but he justifieth God, when he acknowledgeth that his own sin was the cause of all his evils. And surely we can never give sufficient honour to God, except we free Him of all imputations of unjust dealing, and acknowledge ourselves to be the cause of our own miseries. (A. Symson.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 3. No soundness in my flesh] This seems to refer to some disorder which so affected the muscles as to produce sores and ulcers; and so affected his bones as to leave him no peace nor rest. In short, he was completely and thoroughly diseased; and all this he attributes to his sin, either as being its natural consequence, or as being inflicted by the Lord as a punishment on its account.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

My disease or grief hath seized upon all the parts of my body, my very bones not excepted, so that my bed can give me no rest;

because of my sin, which hath provoked thee to deal, thus severely with me.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

1-4. He deprecates deservedpunishment, which is described (Ps6:1), under the figure of bodily disease [Ps38:3].

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

[There is] no soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger,…. Such was the nature of the affliction the psalmist laboured under, and which he took to be an effect of the anger of God towards him, that the whole frame of nature was affected with it, and from the crown of the head to, the soles of the feet there was no health or soundness, as in Isa 1:6; where the same word is used as here; some think the word g here used has the signification of man; and that the sense is, that through, the violence of the distemper he had not so much, as the form of a man, as his antitype in Isa 52:14; and as this led him to a view of his sins, as the cause of his affliction, he was so far from thinking himself sound and whole, or perfect in a spiritual sense, that he saw he was all over diseased with sin, and that in his flesh dwelt no good thing;

neither [is there any] rest in my bones, because of my sin; or “peace” h there; sin breaks the believer’s rest, and disturbs his peace; nor can he, in a view of it, find any rest in himself, nor in any creature, nor in any service or duty, only in Jesus Christ, his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice.

g “non superest amplius ulla forma seu figura hominis”, Amama; so Joseph Kimchi. h “non (est) pax”, Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Tigurine version, Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Musculus, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis so Ainsworth.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

3. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thy anger Others translate, There is no beauty; but this does not seem to be so suitable. In the clause which follows, David ascribes to God the praise of righteousness, without which, the acknowledgement which he formerly made would be of little avail; nay, instead of this, such an acknowledgement sometimes rather exasperates the minds of men, so that they provoke the wrath of God still more, by charging him with cruelty, and pouring forth horrible blasphemies against him. Nothing, therefore, can be more preposterous, than to imagine that there is in God a power so supreme and absolute, (as it is termed,) as to deprive him of his righteousness. David, as soon as he recognised his affliction as coming from God, turns to his own sin as the cause of the Divine displeasure; for he had already been fully satisfied in his own mind, that he is not like a tyrant who exercises cruelty needlessly and at random, but a righteous judge, who never manifests his displeasure by inflicting judgments but when he is grievously offended. If, then, we would render to God the praise which is due to him, let us learn by the example of David to connect our sins with his wrath.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(3) Rest . . .Better, health. The Hebrew is from a root meaning to be whole. Peace (see margin), the reading of the LXX. and Vulg. is a derived meaning.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

3. Neither rest in my bones The depth of the wounds had disturbed the solid frame-work of the man.

Because of my sin This is the office of all corrective visitation to call to mind the fact and horrible turpitude of sin. It was God’s arrows God’s hard pressing hand, his anger which troubled him.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psa 38:3 [There is] no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither [is there any] rest in my bones because of my sin.

Ver. 3. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger ] This was the immediate cause of David’s misery, it came from love displeased; and scandalous sins seldom scape better. But, blessed be our Almighty physician, who bringeth health out of sickness, by bringing thereby the body of death into a consumption.

Neither is there any rest in my bones ] Bis repetit, more lugentium. He saith the same thing twice, as mourners use to do; but with an aggravation of his pain, reaching to his very bones.

Because of my sin ] This was the remote cause of his present sufferings; and is the true mother of all man’s misery. Now when these two (God’s wrath and man’s sin) meet in the soul, as medicine and sickness in the stomach, there must needs be much unrest till they be vomited up by confession. It is as natural for guilt to breed disquiet as for putrid matter to breed vermin. Let God therefore be justified, and every mouth stopped.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

sin. Hebrew. chata’. App-44.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

soundness: Psa 31:9, 2Ch 26:19, Job 2:7, Job 2:8, Job 33:19-22, Isa 1:5, Isa 1:6

neither: Psa 6:2, Psa 51:8, Psa 102:3, Psa 102:5

rest: Heb. peace, or, health

because: Psa 51:8, Psa 90:7, Psa 90:8, Lam 3:40-42

Reciprocal: Lev 13:7 – General Lev 13:18 – a boil 1Sa 7:6 – We have sinned Job 19:20 – bone Psa 32:3 – bones Psa 35:10 – All Psa 38:7 – no Psa 39:10 – I am consumed Psa 41:8 – An evil disease Psa 77:2 – my Psa 102:10 – Because Lam 4:8 – their skin

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Psa 38:3-6. There is no soundness, &c. My disease or grief hath seized upon all the parts of my body, my very bones not excepted, so that my bed can give me no rest; because of my sin Which hath provoked thee to deal thus severely with me. For my iniquities, &c. Or, the punishment of my iniquities, as this word is frequently used; are gone over my head Like deep waters, wherewith I am overwhelmed. My wounds are corrupt The bruises and sores, caused by my disease, are not only painful, but loathsome to myself and others; because of my foolishness As a just punishment of my folly; whereby, to satisfy my unreasonable desires, I have inconsiderately offended thee, 2Sa 11:2-4. I am troubled , nagnaveeti, I am distorted, or depressed; or, as it is expressed by another word, signifying the same thing, bowed down, namely, in my body, as diseased persons generally are, and withal dejected in my mind. I go mourning Hebrew, in black; the sign of mourning, which may here be taken figuratively. When I rise out of my bed, and walk, or rather creep about in my chamber, I do it with a sad heart and a dejected countenance. Or going may be here meant of his languishing, or going toward the grave, as this same word is used sometimes.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

38:3 [There is] no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither [is there any] rest in my bones because of my {d} sin.

(d) David acknowledges God to be just in his punishments, because his sins had deserved much more.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

These verses articulate the psalmist’s lament over his sufferings. He had evidently lost good health and was in pain (cf. Psa 6:2). His agony extended to his spirit as well as to his body. His sickness was punishment for his sin (Psa 38:3; Psa 38:5).

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)