Psalm 6:2 kjv
Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
Psalm 6:2 nkjv
Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
Psalm 6:2 niv
Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint; heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.
Psalm 6:2 esv
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.
Psalm 6:2 nlt
Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak.
Heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.
Psalm 6 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 51:1 | "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love..." | A foundational prayer for divine mercy |
| Ps 119:29 | "Remove from me the way of lying, and graciously grant me your law!" | Seeking grace (mercy) for guidance |
| Rom 9:15 | "For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”" | God's sovereign right to extend mercy |
| Heb 4:16 | "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace..." | Approaching God for mercy in need |
| Ps 38:8 | "I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the commotion of my heart." | Similar expression of weakness and inner turmoil |
| Ps 102:4 | "My heart is stricken like grass and has withered away..." | Spiritual and physical languishing |
| Is 40:29 | "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength." | God strengthening the weak |
| 2 Cor 12:9-10 | "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." | God's power made manifest in human weakness |
| Exod 15:26 | "For I am the LORD who heals you.” | God identifies Himself as the Healer |
| Ps 103:3 | "He forgives all your iniquity; He heals all your diseases." | God's holistic healing (spiritual and physical) |
| Ps 107:20 | "He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from their destructive pits." | God heals through His word |
| Is 53:5 | "But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement...and with his stripes we are healed." | Healing provided through Christ's suffering |
| Jer 17:14 | "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise." | Direct prayer for healing and salvation |
| Matt 8:16-17 | "...He healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”" | Jesus' fulfillment of prophecy as healer |
| James 5:15-16 | "...and the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick...and confess your sins...that you may be healed." | Healing through prayer and confession |
| Ps 38:3 | "There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin." | Pain in bones linked to spiritual distress/sin |
| Ps 31:10 | "For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away." | Physical wasting due to distress/iniquity |
| Prov 17:22 | "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." | The deep internal effect on "bones" |
| Job 33:19 | "Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed and constant distress in his bones..." | Intense suffering depicted as bone pain |
| Ps 22:14 | "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint..." | Extreme physical and psychological distress |
| Hab 3:16 | "I heard, and my inward parts trembled; my lips quivered at the sound; rottenness entered into my bones..." | Fear and terror impacting one's core being |
| Ps 77:3 | "When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints." | Overwhelmed by internal anguish |
Psalm 6 verses
Psalm 6 2 Meaning
Psalm 6:2 expresses the psalmist's fervent plea for God's divine mercy and healing in a state of profound physical and internal affliction. The verse conveys a deep sense of physical debilitation and an even more agonizing internal turmoil, described as a shaking or disturbance of one's very core. It is an acknowledgment of utter vulnerability and dependence on the Lord for restoration.
Psalm 6 2 Context
Psalm 6 is the first of the seven traditional Penitential Psalms, marking a significant type of lament. It reflects profound personal distress, suffering, and a sense of divine discipline, although the exact cause is not explicitly stated in this verse. Historically, King David is attributed as the author, possibly referring to a period of intense illness, enemies' persecution, or the consequences of his own sin, where he felt alienated from God. The verse is situated early in the psalm, establishing the depth of the psalmist's suffering before expressing specific complaints or pleas later in the chapter. The "bones" reference suggests an ancient understanding where one's inner vitality and physical structure were closely linked.
Psalm 6 2 Word analysis
- Have mercy: Hebrew חָנְנֵנִי (khan'ne'ni) from חָנַן (chanan). It means "to be gracious," "show favor," "have pity," or "be merciful." This plea is not based on the psalmist's merit, but appeals to God's inherent compassionate character and grace. It recognizes dependence on divine benevolence.
- upon me: The object of God's direct personal attention and mercy.
- O LORD: Hebrew יְהוָה (Yahweh). This is the covenantal, personal name of God, emphasizing His relationship with His people. The repetition of "O LORD" highlights the intensity, urgency, and directness of the prayer to the one true God, the omnipotent Deliverer.
- for I am weak: Hebrew אֻמְלַל (umlal) from אָמַל (amal), meaning "to wither," "fade," "languish," or "become feeble." It conveys a sense of utter physical, perhaps even emotional and spiritual, depletion and collapse, like a dying plant. This "weakness" serves as the reason for the initial cry for mercy.
- heal me: Hebrew רְפָאֵנִי (re'fa'e'ni) from רָפָא (rapha), meaning "to heal," "cure," or "make whole." This signifies a request for restoration, not merely physical recovery but a complete restoration of well-being, encompassing the mind, spirit, and body. It aligns with God's nature as Yahweh-Rapha, the Lord who heals.
- for my bones are vexed: Hebrew עַצְמַי נִבְהֲלוּ (atzmai nivhalu).
- my bones: Hebrew עַצְמַי (atzmai). In Hebrew thought, bones represent the innermost being, the very core, substance, or vitality of a person, not just the physical skeleton. Pain or affliction in the bones signifies deep-seated, pervasive suffering that affects the entire person.
- are vexed: Hebrew נִבְהֲלוּ (nivhalu) from בָּהַל (bahal), which means "to be disturbed," "terrified," "dismayed," "agitated," "confounded," or "troubled." In the passive voice ("are vexed"), it describes a deep, internal shaking or profound state of terror and distress that permeates the very core of one's existence. It suggests not merely physical pain but an intense, overwhelming mental or spiritual agony.
- Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak": This segment expresses a dependent plea for grace based on a confession of utter physical and personal feebleness. The "for" indicates that the psalmist's profound weakness is the explicit reason for the appeal to God's compassionate character.
- "O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed": This second petition builds upon the first, specifying the nature of the desired relief as healing, but from a condition far deeper than superficial pain. The "bones being vexed" vividly describes an internal, existential torment, providing a deeper rationale for the plea for healing than mere "weakness." The repetition of "O LORD" underscores the desperation and singular focus on God as the sole source of deliverance.
Psalm 6 2 Bonus section
The intense language of Psalm 6:2 underscores the holistic view of suffering and healing in the Bible. It's not just a physical malady but a spiritual and emotional crisis that resonates within one's very structure. This verse highlights how deep distress can manifest physically ("bones vexed"), illustrating a psychosomatic truth known since ancient times. It also demonstrates the direct, unadorned honesty permissible in prayer, even when feeling God's displeasure, and encourages us to lay bare our complete vulnerability before Him.
Psalm 6 2 Commentary
Psalm 6:2 presents a cry from the depths of a suffering soul, articulating a profound experience of internal and external decay. The psalmist's initial plea for "mercy" (chanan) is foundational, acknowledging a total reliance on God's undeserved favor, rather than any personal merit, in a state of self-admitted "weakness" (amal), a word suggesting physical and vital languishing. This is no ordinary illness; the plea for healing is driven by the fact that "my bones are vexed" (nivhalu). This striking image speaks to an affliction that penetrates to the very core of being. In ancient Hebrew thought, bones represented not just physical structure but the deepest vitality, the very essence of life and personhood. For them to be "vexed" signifies a deep, internal turmoil—a spiritual terror or existential dismay that shakes the individual from their core outward. Thus, the psalmist is not just physically ill, but his entire being—body, mind, and spirit—is profoundly disturbed, anxious, and deeply unsettled. The double invocation of "O LORD" highlights the intense personal nature of the appeal and the singular source of hope and restoration. This verse reminds us that true suffering often encompasses both the physical and the unseen inner anguish, and that the only true and holistic remedy comes from God.