Why read Psalm 6? What is the interpretation of the Psalm and what do its verses mean? You can listen online or read the text of the prayer Psalm 6 in Russian on our website.
1 Lord, reprove me not of Your wrath, and do not punish me with Your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are shaken,
3 And my soul was greatly troubled; and You, Lord, how long?
4 Turn, O Lord, deliver my soul, save me for the sake of Your mercy.
5 For there is none among the dead who remembers You, but in hell who will glorify You?
6 I am tired of my groaning; Every night I will wash my bed, I will water my bed with my tears.
7 My eye is troubled with wrath: I have grown old among all my enemies.
8 Depart from me, all you who practice iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my crying,
9 The Lord heard my prayer, the Lord accepted my prayer.
10 Let all my enemies be ashamed and embarrassed; let them turn back and be ashamed very quickly.
Psalm of David 6 – basic rules for reading
Orthodox prayers have great power if the main rules are followed when pronouncing them:
- the sacred text is read in the temple and at home;
- they pronounce the words sincerely, when the person praying does not experience any feelings at the same time, then the song of the prophet David loses its properties, its reading does not bring satisfaction;
- if you take a sitting position while reciting the sacred text, it will not be a sin;
- before reading the kathisma, as well as after reciting the last song from the section, the prayer rule is read out;
- a lamp or candle is lit, this recommendation is not taken into account when turning to the Lord on the road or in any place, not from home;
- the text is pronounced out loud, but if there are people nearby, Psalm Kathisma 6 must be read in Russian in a low voice;
- it is important to correctly pronounce the accents when offering a prayer in Church Slavonic, the intonation must be special: the text is read monotonously, in a sing-song manner, but at the same time impartially;
- if the text is not completely clear, this is not a sin, it is important to read it sincerely with faith and love for the Lord, then the psalm will not lose its power and will act on demons in the same way as with full understanding of what was read.
Reading rules
Initially, the Psalm was intended to be performed to the accompaniment of an eight-string musical instrument. Today, the church choir sings it at services. At Orthodox services it is read before communion and confession. The psalm can also be read at home as a prayer of repentance in Russian or Church Slavonic, supplemented with your own words.
Text of the prayer Psalm 6 – read the words of the prophet David in Russian online, download for free
The psalm is presented in three versions: in Church Slavonic, Russian (translated by P. Yungerov and Synodal). The last of them is the most understandable for the average person. When reading the song in the Synodal translation, the meaning is preserved and remains the same as when pronouncing the Church Slavonic sixth psalm.
At the same time, the person praying turns to the Lord, asking for mercy, to heal the soul and body, and to alleviate suffering. The psalm is presented in the form of an address, a conversation. The person praying asks God who will offer praise when he finds himself in the grave. Help is requested in case of severe fatigue from the influence of enemy force. At the end, the reader of the text hopes that the Heavenly Father will hear the prayer and turn His gaze to him. And then the enemies must part, for the heat of God will fall on them.
1 To be performed, in the manner of hymns, about the eighth day. Psalm of David.
2 Lord, reprove me not of Your wrath, and do not punish me with Your wrath.
3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are shaken,
4 And my soul was greatly troubled; and You, Lord, how long?
5 Turn, O Lord, deliver my soul, save me for the sake of Your mercy.
6 For there is none among the dead who remembers You, but in hell who will glorify You?
7 I am tired of my groaning; Every night I will wash my bed, I will water my bed with my tears.
8 My eye is troubled with wrath: I have grown old among all my enemies.
9 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my crying,
10 The Lord heard my prayer, the Lord accepted my prayer.
11 Let all my enemies be ashamed and dismayed; let them turn back and be ashamed very quickly.
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Send this prayer to your loved ones
Send this prayer to your loved ones
Listen to the audio version of the prayer
Prayer in Church Slavonic with emphasis and translation
1 Finally, in the song of osmosis, a psalm to David.
(To be performed, in the manner of hymns, about the eighth day. Psalm of David.)
2 Lord, do not rebuke me with Your wrath; do not punish me with Your wrath.
(Lord, do not rebuke me with Your wrath and do not punish me with Your wrath.)
3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are broken.
(Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are shaken)
4 And my soul was greatly troubled: and Thou, O Lord, how long?
(and my soul was greatly troubled; and Thou, O Lord, how long?)
5 Turn, O Lord, deliver my soul: save me for Thy mercy's sake.
(Turn, O Lord, deliver my soul, save me for the sake of Thy mercy.)
6 What will you remember in death? Who will confess to you in hell?
(For there is none among the dead who remembers You, but in hell who will glorify You?)
7 I am weary with my groaning, I will wash my couch every night, I will wet my bed with my tears.
(I am tired of my groaning; every night I will wash my bed, I will water my bed with my tears.)
8 My eye is troubled with wrath; I have sworn in all my enemies.
(My eye was troubled with anger: I have grown old among all my enemies.)
9 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my crying:
(Depart from me, all you who practice iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my crying.)
10 When the Lord heard my prayer, the Lord accepted my prayer.
(The Lord heard my prayer, the Lord accepted my prayer.)
11 Let all my enemies be ashamed and dismayed; let them return and be greatly ashamed soon.
(May all my enemies be ashamed and embarrassed, may they turn back and be ashamed very quickly.)
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Send this prayer to your loved ones
Send this prayer to your loved ones
Psalm of David 6 in the Synodal translation
This version was completed and approved in the 19th century, and the final version was adopted by the Holy Synod of Government. Holy Scripture in this format is recommended for home and liturgical reading.
1 To the director of the choir. On eight string. Psalm of David.
2 Lord! Do not rebuke me in Your wrath, and do not punish me in Your anger.
3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are shaken;
4 And my soul is greatly troubled; How long are you, Lord?
5 Turn, O Lord, deliver my soul, save me for the sake of Thy mercy,
6 For in death there is no remembrance of You: in the grave who will praise You?
7 I am weary with my groanings: I wash my bed every night, I wet my bed with my tears.
8 My eye is withered through sorrow, it is worn out because of all my enemies.
9 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my crying,
10 The Lord has heard my prayer; The Lord will accept my prayer.
11 Let all my enemies be put to shame and sorely defeated; may they return and be ashamed instantly.
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Send this prayer to your loved ones
Send this prayer to your loved ones
The interpretation of the prophet David “Psalm 6” is detailed with an explanation. History of Holy Scripture
The sixth psalm is a song of lament. When writing, it was indicated that the text was intended for chants with a plucked instrument (standard performance in divine services in those days). Psalm 6 is confirmed to have been written by the prophet, King David. It is assumed that the text came out of the hands of the author around the years of persecution, when the ruler was hiding from the atrocities of his son. However, not all songs are created by David. For example, there are doubts about the first psalm (the authorship has not been established, which is why the text still attracts the attention of theologians).
Verse 1
When addressing the reader of the psalm - the head of the choir (synodal translation), the author (King David) recommends singing praises and praying to the Lord on a plucked instrument. It is interesting that to this day the tradition of pronouncing thoughts that came out from under the hand of the prophet in the form of chants has been preserved. In the text of the first verse there is an indication of the authorship - King David.
Finally, in the song of osmosis, a psalm to David.
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Verse 2
The person reading the song of lament turns to the Lord. He asks for protection and hopes that the wrath of God, the wrath of the Almighty, will not be poured out on him and that punishment will not fall for further prayers that are made in order to ask for relief in sorrows and sorrow.
Lord, do not reprove me with Your wrath; do not punish me with Your wrath
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Verse 3
The first three texts are often combined according to their meaning. The first and second verses lead to the third, in which the person praying pours out his soul to the Lord. He asks for mercy, to heal the body. The person praying himself became weak, lost his strength and the ability to endure hardships.
Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord, for my bones are broken.
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Verse 4
They pray for healing of the soul. She is shocked by the severity of the trials, the atrocities of loved ones, as well as enemies. The prayer asks how much longer it is necessary to endure them, because there is also no spiritual strength left.
And my soul was greatly troubled: and Thou, Lord, how long?
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Verse 5
They pray for salvation and turn to the Lord. At the same time, the believer asks for the mercy of the Almighty to save the tormented soul. The one who prays believes in the limitless capabilities of the Most High Father, and therefore He is able to save the one asking.
Turn, O Lord, deliver my soul: save me for the sake of Thy mercy.
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Verse 6
If the one praying is buried prematurely, he will not be able to pray as earnestly and honor the Lord. This may mean that the prophet knew that his time had not come, but there was no strength left to fight evil, and therefore the support of God, who is able to heal anyone and give strength upon request, is needed.
What will you remember in death? Who will confess to you in hell?
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Verse 7
The person praying tells the Lord about his sorrows and illnesses. He says how tired his soul is. The strength is rapidly draining away, just as the tears are flowing. Not always taken literally. This can mean intense sadness, grief, which many people shed tears on a physical level. But mental anguish is sometimes stronger than physical torment. For this reason, a comparison is made with how much I wet my bed with tears at night because of sadness and grief.
I am weary with my sighing, I will wash my bed every night, I will wet my bed with my tears.
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Verse 8
The main message of this section of the psalm is to tell the Lord about the weariness of your soul. It is said that the eye has dried up, which means that the person praying has shed too many tears. Moreover, it can be understood both literally and figuratively. In the second case, the meaning is symbolic: the eye has dried up from sadness - there is a lack of fortitude, the insight of the soul is lost due to prolonged grief. This was facilitated by the enemies of the worshiper.
My eye was troubled with rage, I swore in all my enemies.
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Verse 9
When he poured out his soul to the Lord, the worshiper rejoiced. He now feels relieved because he has felt the healing power of prayer to the Heavenly Father. If earlier the hardships were so great that there was not enough strength to think about anything other than saving one’s soul from universal fatigue and sorrow. Then the uprising of the militant spirit is further manifested, the enemies are warned about the imminent retribution for their iniquities.
Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my cry:
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Verse 10
The worshiper rejoiced. Every word addressed to the Lord was heard. The prayer had an effect and now mental strength is restored, grief recedes.
The Lord heard my prayer, the Lord accepted my prayer.
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Verse 11
When prayer reaches the Heavenly Father, help soon comes. The answer to the request of the righteous is retribution to his enemies for sinful acts. Moreover, David asks for punishment for them, but expects that those who did evil will immediately be ashamed of their evil thoughts and return to the Lord, rejecting the path they followed before.
May all my enemies be ashamed and dismayed, may they return and be ashamed very soon.
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History of writing
The path of David’s accession to the throne was difficult and thorny, and problems in the family could not be avoided. The writing of Psalm 6 dates back to that period in the king’s life when he was hiding and fleeing the persecution of his own son Absalom. At the same time, he experiences the loss of another son, Amnon. Absalom killed Amnon's brother, thus avenging the defamed honor of his sister, whom the latter had violated. David considers these tragic events to be a punishment for his past sins, namely the adultery of a married woman Bathsheba, who eventually lost her husband.
King David laments his sins and asks for mercy from the Lord. He hopes for his support and protection, which he needs to confront his own son and numerous traitors among high-ranking officials. All these feelings: fear, despair, undying hope - formed the basis of the text of Psalm 6.
Question-answer section
Each part of the written psalm can be correctly understood by reading the available translation. In this case, it is often enough to grasp the main idea of the song. If you need to clarify the subtleties of expressions from verses, you should contact church ministers.
Psalm of David 6 – when should it be read?
Expert opinion
Father Innocent
“The text is part of the chants that are pronounced during the celebration of the Sacrament of Communion, as well as before Confession. When Psalm 6 is chosen, you need to listen to it in a difficult period of life, when a person is experiencing sorrow and needs lightening of the burden. If you don’t have the strength to cope with righteous anger, you can, in addition to prayer, read the clergyman’s book “Deliver, Lord, your soul from anger.” A person must find the cause and then eliminate it in order to be cured.”
When was David's Psalm 6 written?
Expert opinion
Father Innocent
“The recording of the prayer text was allegedly made while the prophet was on the run. At that time, a conspiracy was organized in which the son of David participated. This is the main reason for the ruler’s deep sadness.”
What morning should you pray? Is it necessary to read prayer in the morning?
Expert opinion
Father Innocent
“Psalm 6 is said against witchcraft and evil slander in the morning, this ensures protection for the whole day. Praise of the Heavenly Father, thanksgiving, request for forgiveness of sins, as well as prayers for help, healing of soul and body - all this can be asked in the first half of the day, as well as in the evening. The time of day does not matter; only the personal aspiration of the person asking is important. When holding services, a certain time is chosen for performing the prayer rule; at home, these restrictions are somewhat erased.”
What should we pay attention to when reading the scriptures?
Expert opinion
Father Innocent
“First of all, it is necessary to remember that it is impossible to blame or be offended by God. It may seem that when the first verses of the sixth Psalm are spoken, this is exactly how David reacts to his troubles. However, the king experiences righteous anger, which is directed not at the Lord, but at the situation itself. He is confident that the Heavenly Father will hear his prayer and will come to ease his burdens.”
Why is Psalm 6 read? What are they asking for?
Expert opinion
Father Innocent
“It is necessary to ask for patience and strength when turning to the Lord when pronouncing the sixth psalm. The Holy Scriptures say that God does not give tests that are beyond the strength of man. This means that you should ask for help in overcoming despondency, anger, sadness, and also in gaining strength of spirit.”
David's Psalm 6 – what is its main idea?
Expert opinion
Father Innocent
“Every psalm has a main idea. Throughout the entire text of the sixth song there is a request for help, repentance for sins. This is the only way to alleviate hardships. In addition, tests are given to strengthen the spirit and strengthen love. Patience and love for God will help overcome them.”
Psalm of David 6 – to whom can it be read?
Expert opinion
Father Innocent
“There are no restrictions, sacred texts are for all suffering, believers. Moreover, everyone should ask for help; if you don’t do this, then despondency will develop, because sooner or later everyone has a moment when they cannot cope with difficulties on their own.”
Interpretation of the Psalm
The psalm reveals the deep emotional emotions and experiences of the psalmist. He is desperate for answers and help, according to the text:
- Verses 1-3 reveal David's awareness of guilt before the Lord. He asks not to punish him in despair or anger. The severity of a previously committed sin in the face of the Almighty weighs heavily on the author, and he is fully aware of his guilt. The singer asks God for mercy through His mercy, without asking him to remember his own merits. This reveals the character of David - he understands that his own achievements and life in general are nothing in the face of Almighty God;
- Verses 4-5 fully reveal the suffering the king experienced during that period of his life. He suffered not only physically, but also spiritually - the disease completely affected his body and spirit. This is the result that awaits anyone who breaks the covenants of God;
- Verse 6 reveals a new motive for asking for mercy - the physical suffering that the king experiences should lead him to death or to Sheol, according to Jewish beliefs. Judaism assumed that in Sheol there would be no place for the remembrance of God, i.e. He is not glorified there. According to the commandments that the Jews received through Moses, most of their religion implied the glorification of God - in words and deeds, which was the meaning of life for the Jew. David asks God for mercy so that he can still glorify the Lord here on earth and fulfill his destiny;
Through repentance and prayer, David draws confidence in Divine help - Verse 8 brings the reader back to the suffering the author is currently experiencing—he has cried so much over his sin that his eyes have become completely dry and bloodshot.
- Verses 9-11 tell us that God sent hope to the author, He promised to save and have mercy on him. The character of the song changes dramatically - perhaps, after repentance, the author received a revelation from above that his prayer was heard and God forgave and had mercy on his anointed one.
