CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. I
Corpus Psalterium Vol. I cover

Corpus Psalterium · Vol. I

Psalm VI (6)

Cantillated — Penitential Lament

Paul Whitehorn

0:003:37
DownloadHear all of Vol. I

Study the Word

Psalm 6 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

Heb 1

For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments, upon the eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm by David.

לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ בִּ֭נְגִינוֹת עַֽל־הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃

1Heb 2

Yahweh, don’t rebuke me in your anger, neither discipline me in your wrath.

יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ֥ תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי וְֽאַל־בַּחֲמָתְךָ֥ תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי׃

2Heb 3

Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am faint. Yahweh, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

חָנֵּ֥נִי יְהוָה֮ כִּ֤י אֻמְלַ֫ל אָ֥נִי רְפָאֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֖י נִבְהֲל֣וּ עֲצָמָֽי׃

3Heb 4

My soul is also in great anguish. But you, Yahweh—how long?

וְ֭נַפְשִׁי נִבְהֲלָ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד ואת יְ֝הוָ֗ה עַד־מָתָֽי׃

4Heb 5

Return, Yahweh. Deliver my soul, and save me for your loving kindness’ sake.

שׁוּבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה חַלְּצָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י ה֝וֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי לְמַ֣עַן חַסְדֶּֽךָ׃

5Heb 6

For in death there is no memory of you. In Sheol, who shall give you thanks?

כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין בַּמָּ֣וֶת זִכְרֶ֑ךָ בִּ֝שְׁא֗וֹל מִ֣י יֽוֹדֶה־לָּֽךְ׃

6Heb 7

I am weary with my groaning. Every night I flood my bed. I drench my couch with my tears.

יָגַ֤עְתִּי ׀ בְּֽאַנְחָתִ֗י אַשְׂחֶ֣ה בְכָל־לַ֭יְלָה מִטָּתִ֑י בְּ֝דִמְעָתִ֗י עַרְשִׂ֥י אַמְסֶֽה׃

7Heb 8

My eye wastes away because of grief. It grows old because of all my adversaries.

עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה מִכַּ֣עַס עֵינִ֑י עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה בְּכָל־צוֹרְרָֽי׃

8Heb 9

Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for Yahweh has heard the voice of my weeping.

ס֣וּרוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי כָּל־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֥ע יְ֝הוָ֗ה ק֣וֹל בִּכְיִֽי׃

9Heb 10

Yahweh has heard my supplication. Yahweh accepts my prayer.

שָׁמַ֣ע יְ֭הוָה תְּחִנָּתִ֑י יְ֝הוָ֗ה תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י יִקָּֽח׃

10Heb 11

May all my enemies be ashamed and dismayed. They shall turn back, they shall be disgraced suddenly.

יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ ׀ וְיִבָּהֲל֣וּ מְ֭אֹד כָּל־אֹיְבָ֑י יָ֝שֻׁ֗בוּ יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ רָֽגַע׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

O Lord

do not rebuke me

in Your anger

do not discipline me

in Your wrath

Be gracious to me, O Lord

for I am weak

Heal me, O Lord

for my bones are troubled

My soul is deeply troubled

And You, O Lord

how long

How long

how long

Will You wait

Will You wait

Return, O Lord

deliver my soul

Save me

for the sake of Your love

Return, O Lord

deliver my soul

For in death

there is no remembrance of You

In the grave

who will give You praise

I am weary

with my groaning

Every night

I flood my bed

With my tears

with my tears

My eyes grow weak

with sorrow

They fail

because of my enemies

I am breaking

I am breaking

Depart from me

all you workers of evil

For the Lord has heard

the sound of my weeping

The Lord has heard

my cry

The Lord has heard

my plea

The Lord accepts

my prayer

The Lord has heard

The Lord has heard

All my enemies

will be ashamed

They will turn back

they will fall

They will be put to shame

in a moment

O Lord

You have heard

You have heard

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn