Psalms 38:21
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Psalms 38:21
21 Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.
Chapter Context
Psalms 38 is a poetic and liturgical chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of worship, love, obedience. Written during various periods (c. 1000-400 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Temple worship utilized these compositions across various periods of Israel's history.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-22: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it addresses timeless questions about faith, suffering, and divine purpose. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Psalms and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Psalms 38:21
21 Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.
Analysis
Forsake me not, O LORD (אַל־תַּעַזְבֵנִי יְהוָה, al-ta'azveni YHWH)—Azav means abandon, forsake. The negative particle al makes this urgent. O my God, be not far from me (אֱלֹהַי אַל־תִּרְחַק מִמֶּנִּי, elohai al-tirchak mimmenni)—Rachak means be distant. David uses both divine names to appeal to covenant faithfulness and sovereign power.
Psalm 38 is the third penitential psalm, a raw cry of anguish under divine discipline. David feels sin's weight (vv. 3-8), friend abandonment (v. 11), and enemy pursuit (vv. 12, 19-20). This expresses the sufferer's deepest fear: that God might withdraw. Yet crying out proves God hasn't abandoned him. Jesus echoed this from the cross (Psalm 22:1, 38:21).
Historical Context
Written during illness and social isolation (possibly during Absalom's rebellion), David experiences compounding trauma. Ancient theology often viewed illness as divine punishment, making sickness a spiritual crisis. The early church recited penitential psalms during persecution.
Reflection
- When have you felt simultaneously guilty before God yet desperate for his presence?
- How does David's urgent plea model honest prayer rather than stoic resignation?
- What does it mean that Jesus experienced the forsakenness David feared but you need never experience?
Word Studies
- Lord: יְהוָה / אֲדֹנָי (YHWH / Adonai) H3068 - The LORD / Lord
Cross-References
- References Lord: Psalms 22:19
- Parallel theme: Psalms 22:11, 22:24