The Meaning of Psalms 6:2 Explained

Psalms 6:2

KJV: Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.

YLT: Favour me, O Jehovah, for I am weak, Heal me, O Jehovah, For troubled have been my bones,

Darby: Be gracious unto me, Jehovah, for I am withered; Jehovah, heal me, for my bones tremble.

ASV: Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah; for I am withered away: O Jehovah, heal me; for my bones are troubled.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Have mercy  upon me, O LORD;  for I [am] weak:  O LORD,  heal  me; for my bones  are vexed. 

What does Psalms 6:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The king then expressed his request positively. He begged for relief from his extreme discomfort. David spoke of his bones as representing his whole body (cf. Psalm 31:10; Psalm 32:3; Psalm 38:3; Psalm 42:10; Psalm 102:3; Psalm 102:5). This is a figure of speech called synecdoche in which the writer uses a prominent part in place of the whole.

Context Summary

Psalm 6:1-10 - Deliverance In Trouble
This is the first of the Penitential Psalms, the other six being Psalms 32:1-11; Psalms 38:1-22; Psalms 51:1-19; Psalms 102:1-28; Psalms 130:1-8; Psalms 143:1-12. The earliest verses are a wail, but the psalm ends in a song. It is like a day of rain which clears at evening. Sheminith is a musical term signifying "octave."
The elements of the psalmist's sorrow are given in Psalms 6:1-7. The pressure of God's displeasure, soul-anguish, sickness, soul-depression, an enemy's opposition-all these were ingredients in his cup of bitterness. How touching the plea-I am weak! How expressive the broken sentence, so often on Calvin's lips-How long! And that prayer, O Lord, heal me, includes the mental as well as the physical.
The certainty of deliverance looms in sight in Psalms 6:8-10. The consciousness of having been heard steals over the soul as a glint of light in the hospital ward. The answer may not be at hand, but it is sure, 1 John 5:15. Weeping has a voice: God interprets sighs. The r.v. turns the imprecation of Psalms 6:10 into prediction. When God returns to us, because we return to Him, our enemies turn back. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 6

1  David's complaint in his sickness
8  He triumphs over his enemies

What do the individual words in Psalms 6:2 mean?

Have mercy on me Yahweh for [am] weak I heal me Yahweh are troubled my bones
חָנֵּ֥נִי יְהוָה֮ כִּ֤י אֻמְלַ֫ל אָ֥נִי רְפָאֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה נִבְהֲל֣וּ עֲצָמָֽי

חָנֵּ֥נִי  Have  mercy  on  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: חָנַן 
Sense: to be gracious, show favour, pity.
יְהוָה֮  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
אֻמְלַ֫ל  [am]  weak 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אֻמְלַל  
Sense: weak, feeble.
רְפָאֵ֥נִי  heal  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: רָפָא  
Sense: to heal, make healthful.
יְהוָ֑ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
נִבְהֲל֣וּ  are  troubled 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּהַל  
Sense: to disturb, alarm, terrify, hurry, be disturbed, be anxious, be afraid, be hurried, be nervous.
עֲצָמָֽי  my  bones 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.