The Meaning of Psalms 38:9 Explained

Psalms 38:9

KJV: Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

YLT: Lord, before Thee is all my desire, And my sighing from Thee hath not been hid.

Darby: Lord, all my desire is before thee, and my sighing is not hid from thee.

ASV: Lord, all my desire is before thee; And my groaning is not hid from thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Lord,  all my desire  [is] before thee; and my groaning  is not hid  from thee. 

What does Psalms 38:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 38:1-22 - The Cry Of The Needy Penitent
A long drawn-out sigh of pain. Some think it should be classed with Psalms 32:1-11; Psalms 51:1-19, as belonging to the time of David's fall and repentance. It is filled with a sense of God's judgments and the profound consciousness of sin. Perhaps David was suffering physically, or he may be describing his spiritual maladies in terms borrowed from that source. His friends stood apart and his enemies were near. But it was wise to refrain from man and to wait only on God. When we are buffeted and derided, the true attitude is our Lord's. As the dumb sheep before her shearers, He opened not His mouth!
In Psalms 38:15 the tone becomes calmer. The soul begins to recover its center of gravity in God. Notice the fourfold repetition of For, Psalms 38:15-18. Faith marshals her arguments. Out of "stony griefs" she builds "Bethels." Like Samson, she finds honey in the lion's carcass. But God will not forsake. He never for a moment withdraws His close attention. The Refiner sits by the crucible, and will cool down the heat the moment it has done its work. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 38

1  David moves God to take compassion on his pitiful case

What do the individual words in Psalms 38:9 mean?

Lord before You all my desire [is] and my sighing from You not is hidden
אֲ‍ֽדֹנָי נֶגְדְּךָ֥ כָל־ תַּאֲוָתִ֑י וְ֝אַנְחָתִ֗י מִמְּךָ֥ לֹא־ נִסְתָּֽרָה

אֲ‍ֽדֹנָי  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
נֶגְדְּךָ֥  before  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
תַּאֲוָתִ֑י  my  desire  [is] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: תַּאֲוָה  
Sense: desire.
וְ֝אַנְחָתִ֗י  and  my  sighing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֲנָחָה  
Sense: sighing, groaning (expression of grief or physical distress).
מִמְּךָ֥  from  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
נִסְתָּֽרָה  is  hidden 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: סָתַר  
Sense: to hide, conceal.