I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

PSALMS 38:6KJV
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Psalms 38:6 (KJV)

What does Psalms 38:6 mean?

Psalms 38:6 describes the psalmist feeling deeply troubled, weighed down, and mourning throughout the entire day. The verse paints a picture of someone overwhelmed by distress and sorrow, unable to find relief from their suffering.

King David is speaking in this psalm, addressing God in a time of personal anguish. The language shows not just emotional pain but also a sense of being physically bent over by the weight of his troubles. This verse is part of a larger prayer where David expresses guilt, physical suffering, and a longing for God’s help.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 38:6

  • "troubled" (עָוַה, avah): This word often means to be twisted or bent, showing that David feels not just sad but deeply disturbed and thrown off balance by his troubles.
  • "bowed down" (שָׁחַח, shakhach): This word means to be bent low, like someone carrying a heavy burden. It gives a physical image of David’s emotional and spiritual weight.
  • "mourning" (קָדַר, qadar): This word means to go about in darkness or gloom, suggesting David’s sadness is visible and affects his whole way of life.

Why Psalms 38:6 matters

  • This verse clears up that David’s suffering is not just internal; it affects his body, emotions, and daily life, showing the depth of his pain.
  • The verse highlights how honest the Bible can be about human struggles, giving voice to feelings of despair that many people experience.
  • In the context of the whole psalm, this verse helps set up David’s plea for God’s mercy, making his later hope and trust in God’s help more powerful.

Where else these words appear

“troubled” Hebrew H5753 · used in 17 verses

  • 1 Samuel 20:30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?
  • 2 Chronicles 6:37 Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;
  • Isaiah 21:3 Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

“mourning” Hebrew H6937 · used in 17 verses

  • 1 Kings 18:45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
  • Psalms 42:9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
  • Ezekiel 31:15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.

“down” Hebrew H7817 · used in 21 verses

  • Job 9:13 If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.
  • Psalms 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
  • Isaiah 2:17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.