Psalms 6:3
My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD—how long?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Psalms 6:3
My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD—how long?
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
What's easy to miss here is that the lament shifts from the physical ("bones") to the internal ("soul"), showing that the deepest suffering isn't just bodily pain but a profound mental and spiritual anguish. The abrupt "but you, O LORD—how long?" isn't just a question, it's an incomplete sentence, a cry cut short by the overwhelming weight of suffering that even speech can barely contain. This raw, unfinished plea reveals a heart pushed to its absolute limit, yet still desperately turning to God.
This psalm opens with David in deep distress, crying out to God for mercy because he feels weak and his body is in pain. He's not just experiencing physical suffering, but a profound internal anguish that troubles his very soul. The verse captures his desperate plea, which abruptly shifts to a direct, almost exasperated question to God, asking how long this torment will last.
We often think of suffering as purely physical. But David’s cry here reveals a deeper pain that reaches into the very core of his being.
David isn't just talking about a headache or a broken bone. He uses words like 'soul' and 'sore vexed' to show an overwhelming inner turmoil.
The Inner Turmoil
In the midst of overwhelming pain, David doesn't curse God or give up. He cries out a question that echoes through the ages, revealing a struggling, yet persistent, faith.
David's incomplete sentence, 'But you, O LORD—how long?' is a powerful expression of his desperate plea.
Faith in the Face of Delay
Understand the original words
nephesh · Hebrew Noun
The immaterial part of a human being; the seat of emotions, will, and inner life that exists in relation to God.
This verse directly echoes the Psalmist's anguish, with Jesus expressing 'My soul is very sorrowful, even to death,' showing a shared human experience of profound distress and seeking God's presence amidst suffering.
Habakkuk 1:2The cry 'How long?' is a powerful parallel, as Habakkuk also wrestles with God's apparent inaction in the face of injustice and suffering, questioning when divine intervention will arrive.
Job 7:3Like Job in his suffering, the Psalmist feels overwhelmed by days that drag on endlessly, filled with torment and a longing for relief from his painful condition.
Psalm 13:1This passage amplifies the feeling of abandonment and unanswered prayer expressed in Psalm 6:3, with the psalmist repeatedly asking 'How long?' and pleading for God's remembrance and attention.
Revelation 6:10The martyrs in heaven ask 'Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you [will] judge and avenge our blood?' mirroring the deep cry for divine justice and resolution in the face of prolonged suffering.
calvinPsalms 6:2-3: "Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed."
Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah, for I am weak; heal me, O Jehovah, for my bones are afraid. 3. And my soul is exceedingly troubled; [83] and thou, O Jehovah, how long? [84]
Have mercy upon me. As he earnestly calls upon God to be merciful to him, it is from this the more clearly manifest, that by the terms anger and indignation he did not mean cruelty or undue severity, but only such judgme…
ellicottPsalms 6:3: "My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?"
(3) But thou, O Lord, how long? —Comp. Psalm 90:13 . This is “belief in unbelief.” Domine quousque was Calvin’s motto. The most intense grief, it was said, could never extract from him another word. In its national form this faith amid despair is shown in Zechariah 1:12 . (Comp Revelation 6:10 .)
What's easy to miss here is that the lament shifts from the physical ("bones") to the internal ("soul"), showing that the deepest suffering isn't just bodily pain but a profound mental and spiritual anguish. The abrupt "but you, O LORD—how long?" isn't just a question, it's an incomplete sentence, a cry cut short by the overwhelming weight of suffering that even speech can barely contain. This raw, unfinished plea reveals a heart pushed to its absolute limit, yet still desperately turning to God.
This psalm opens with David in deep distress, crying out to God for mercy because he feels weak and his body is in pain. He's not just experiencing physical suffering, but a profound internal anguish that troubles his very soul. The verse captures his desperate plea, which abruptly shifts to a direct, almost exasperated question to God, asking how long this torment will last.
This psalm opens with David in deep distress, crying out to God for mercy because he feels weak and his body is in pain. He's not just experiencing physical suffering, but a profound internal anguish that troubles his very soul. The verse captures his desperate plea, which abruptly shifts to a direct, almost exasperated question to God, asking how long this torment will last.
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"My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD—how long?" — What's easy to miss here is that the lament shifts from the physical ("bones") to the internal ("soul"), showing that the deepest suffering isn't just bodily pain but a profound mental and spiritual…