Psalms 38:7
For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Psalms 38:7
For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The Hebrew word for "burning" here suggests intense inflammation or heat, not just a mild ailment, hinting at the sheer physical agony David is enduring. This isn't just feeling sick; it's a deep, internal suffering that has consumed his very being.
The psalmist is in deep distress, describing a terrible affliction that has consumed him. He's already spoken of God's arrows piercing him and a crushing weight, and now he details the painful, burning sickness that has taken hold of his body, leaving him utterly broken and without health.
David describes a physical agony that goes beyond mere discomfort. It's a deep, internal fire that signifies a total breakdown of his being. What does this 'burning' reveal about the nature of sin?
The verse speaks of David's 'loins filled with burning.' While commentators suggest this could point to a specific, terrible physical ailment, the Hebrew word evokes a sense of scorching, intense heat, or inflammation. This isn't a superficial wound; it's a deep, pervasive fire within. This imagery powerfully communicates how sin can feel like a consuming fire, not just an external problem, but an internal corruption that inflames the whole person. It speaks to the 'loathsome' nature of sin, affecting every part of one's being, leaving no 'soundness' or wholeness. It's a pain that reaches to the core, an unbearable torment when one truly perceives the depth of their own inner decay.
David's condition is absolute: 'there is no soundness in my flesh.' This isn't a temporary setback but a total systemic failure. What does this utter lack of health represent in our spiritual lives?
The phrase 'no soundness in my flesh' is a stark declaration of total brokenness. It implies that every part of David's physical being, from his core outwards, is affected by this affliction. This imagery isn't just about physical disease; it's a profound statement about the devastating impact of sin on the entire human condition. When sin takes hold, it doesn't leave parts of us untouched. It corrupts our thoughts, our desires, our actions, and our very identity. There is no 'sound' part left when we are estranged from God. This 'no soundness' highlights our desperate need for a Savior who can bring true healing and restoration, not just to a part, but to our whole being.
Understand the original words
metom · Hebrew Noun
The condition of being whole, healthy, or complete; biblically, it refers to both physical health and spiritual wholeness or integrity.
basar · Hebrew Noun
The physical body of a human being; in Scripture, it often represents the human condition in its fragility, mortality, or tendency toward corruption.
Like Psalm 38, Job vividly describes his physical suffering and distress, noting his 'bones are burned' and he is 'wasted away,' expressing a profound sense of bodily decay and anguish.
Isaiah 1:5-6These verses speak of a pervasive sickness and wounding that affects the entire body, 'from the sole of the foot to the head,' mirroring the psalmist's feeling that there is 'no soundness' anywhere in his flesh.
Jeremiah 6:14This passage describes a false peace and healing for the people's 'wound,' stating there is 'no soundness,' which parallels the psalmist's cry of total physical brokenness and lack of health.
Luke 5:12-13The healing of the leper, described as 'leprous' and having 'no soundness' in his skin, powerfully illustrates the complete affliction and separation that a severe physical ailment could bring, resonating with the psalmist's state.
clarkePsalms 38:7: "For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh."
For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease - Or rather, a burning; נקלה nikleh, from קלה kalah, to fry, scorch, etc., hence נקלה nikleh, a burning, or strongly feverish disease. There is no soundness in my flesh - All without and all within bears evidence that the whole of my solids and fluids are corrupt.
pulpitPsalms 38:7: "For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh."
Verse 7. - For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease; my loins are full of burning (Kay, Revised Version). A burning pain in the lumbar region is apparently intended. And there is no soundness in my flesh. Repeated from ver. 3.
The Hebrew word for "burning" here suggests intense inflammation or heat, not just a mild ailment, hinting at the sheer physical agony David is enduring. This isn't just feeling sick; it's a deep, internal suffering that has consumed his very being.
The psalmist is in deep distress, describing a terrible affliction that has consumed him. He's already spoken of God's arrows piercing him and a crushing weight, and now he details the painful, burning sickness that has taken hold of his body, leaving him utterly broken and without health.
The psalmist is in deep distress, describing a terrible affliction that has consumed him. He's already spoken of God's arrows piercing him and a crushing weight, and now he details the painful, burning sickness that has taken hold of his body, leaving him utterly broken and without health.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Psalms 38:7 is available in the Sola app.
"For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh." — The Hebrew word for "burning" here suggests intense inflammation or heat, not just a mild ailment, hinting at the sheer physical agony David is enduring. This isn't just feeling sick; it's a deep, in…