Psalm 38 4

Psalm 38:4 kjv

For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

Psalm 38:4 nkjv

For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

Psalm 38:4 niv

My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.

Psalm 38:4 esv

For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

Psalm 38:4 nlt

My guilt overwhelms me ?
it is a burden too heavy to bear.

Psalm 38 verses

Psalm 38 4 Meaning

Psalm 38:4 vividly expresses the psalmist's profound distress and confession of sin. It describes his iniquities as an overwhelming deluge that has engulfed him, reaching "over his head," symbolizing total submersion and the imminent threat of drowning. This spiritual burden is then likened to a physical weight—a "heavy burden"—that is far too oppressive for him to bear, signifying his complete inability to cope with its guilt, consequences, or the divine discipline it might incur. The verse underscores a deep awareness of personal responsibility for sin and a desperate sense of helplessness.

Psalm 38 4 Context

Psalm 38 is a lament, specifically categorized as a "penitential psalm," where the psalmist (David) expresses deep remorse and suffering over his sins. The heading, "A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering," suggests a prayer to God to remember him in his distress and pain, which he acknowledges as a consequence of his iniquity. The preceding verses (1-3) describe his physical and emotional anguish as divine discipline due to his sin, illustrating God's "arrows" having pierced him and His hand resting heavily upon him. Verse 4 immediately follows this intense confession, articulating the overwhelming nature of these personal transgressions, which not only inflict pain but also leave him utterly helpless. Historically, in ancient Israelite thought, there was a strong correlation between sin and physical affliction or misfortune, a perspective that heavily influences the expressions of distress in this psalm.

Psalm 38 4 Word analysis

• For: This conjunction (Hebrew `kî` - כִּי) introduces the reason or explanation for the suffering described in the preceding verses. It links the psalmist's agony directly to his iniquity.
• my iniquities (עֲוֹנֹתַי - `avonothai`): Derived from `awon`, this term signifies not just a mistake or wrongdoing, but a twistedness or perversion of truth, implying moral crookedness and rebellion against God's ways. It refers to conscious and intentional transgressions, bringing guilt and punishment. The suffix "-i" indicates "my," emphasizing personal responsibility for these specific wrongdoings.
• have gone over my head (עָבְרוּ לְרֹאשִׁי - `av'ru l'roshi`): Literally, "passed over my head." This vivid idiom conveys an overwhelming flood or inundation. Like water that has risen to such a level that it completely submerges or is about to drown a person, signifying being utterly overwhelmed, engulfed, and perhaps drowning in the sheer quantity and consequences of his sins. This imagery evokes a sense of being utterly out of control and unable to escape.
• Like a heavy burden (כְּמַשָּׂא כָבֵד - `k'massa kaved`): This is a powerful simile. `Massa` means "burden," "load," or "porter's load," something weighty that one must carry. `Kaved` means "heavy," "grievous," or "difficult." It points to the crushing, oppressive nature of sin's guilt and consequences. It's a weight that not only taxes physical strength but also psychological and spiritual well-being.
• they are too heavy for me (מִמֶּנִּי יִכְבָּדוּ - `mimeni yikhbadu`): This phrase emphasizes the psalmist's complete incapacitation. `Yikhbadu` means "they are heavy" or "they weigh heavily," and `mimeni` means "from me" or "beyond me." This conveys a state of extreme exhaustion and powerlessness; the burden is not merely substantial, but beyond his capacity to endure or lift. It highlights absolute human helplessness in the face of deep-seated sin and its divine implications.
• Words-group Analysis:
• "my iniquities have gone over my head": This phrase collectively depicts the psalmist's sin not as isolated acts, but as a vast, consuming force, like a deluge. It evokes images of the floodwaters of divine judgment (e.g., Noah's Flood) or the waters of chaos threatening to engulf the psalmist entirely, symbolizing overwhelming guilt and the threat of divine punishment or complete destruction.
• "Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me": This part reinforces the theme of being utterly overwhelmed. It transitions from an "external" flood image to an "internal" crushing weight. The accumulated sins form a spiritual and mental load that crushes the life out of him, rendering him physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausted, utterly unable to cope on his own.

Psalm 38 4 Bonus section

• The phrase "my iniquities" signifies personal ownership of sin. This Psalm does not blame others or circumstances; it is a confession rooted in deep self-awareness before God.
• This verse illustrates the concept of "the wages of sin" (Rom 6:23), not merely as eternal separation but as tangible, painful consequences experienced even in this life. David’s experience anticipates how sin profoundly impacts well-being until dealt with divinely.
• The vivid imagery is typical of lament psalms, designed to express intense anguish in a way that truly conveys the depth of suffering to God and moves His heart towards compassion.
• The contrast to this crushing burden is found in the New Testament teaching that Christ bears the "heavy burden" of sin (Isa 53:4-6; Mt 11:28-30). What the psalmist finds utterly unbearable, the Lord Jesus took upon Himself on the cross, offering rest to the weary and burdened soul.

Psalm 38 4 Commentary

Psalm 38:4 is a raw, agonizing cry of a soul deeply convicted of sin. It goes beyond a mere intellectual acknowledgment of wrongdoing, portraying sin as a tangible, overwhelming force. The dual imagery of "waters over the head" and an "unbearable burden" effectively conveys the internal and external realities of unconfessed or unatoned sin. Spiritually, it signifies the soul being drowned in guilt, conviction, and possibly God's chastening. Physically and mentally, the weight manifests as deep sorrow, emotional paralysis, and potentially illness, as reflected elsewhere in the psalm. This verse powerfully articulates the crushing reality that sin, left to fester, becomes an unbearable load, beyond human capacity to mitigate or lift. It establishes a crucial theological premise: humanity's utter inability to redeem itself from the crushing weight of its own transgressions, setting the stage for the desperate plea for divine mercy and the eventual understanding of a divine burden-bearer in the Person of Jesus Christ.