Psalms 38 · Verse 5

Psalms 38:5

My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
Psalms 38:5, King James Version

Psalms 38:5 in other translations

BSBMy wounds are foul and festering because of my sinful folly.
WEBMy wounds are loathsome and corrupt because of my foolishness.
ASVMy wounds are loathsome and corrupt, Because of my foolishness.
YLTStunk--become corrupt have my wounds, Because of my folly.
DARBYMy wounds stink, they are corrupt, because of my foolishness.
BBEMy wounds are poisoned and evil-smelling, because of my foolish behaviour.
WebsterMy wounds are offensive, and are corrupt because of my foolishness.

What does Psalms 38:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 38:5-8
5-8. The loathsomeness, corruption, and wasting torture of severe physical disease set forth his mental anguish [Psa 38:6]. It is possible some bodily disease was connected. The loins are the seat of strength. His exhaustion left him only the power to groan [Psa 38:9].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 My wounds stink and are corrupt - Taking this in connection with the rest of the Psalm, I do not see that we can understand the word in any figurative or metaphorical way. I believe they refer to some disease with which he was at this time afflicted; but whether the leprosy, the small pox, or some other disorder that had attacked the whole system, and showed its virulence on different parts of the outer surface, cannot be absolutely determined. Because of my foolishness - This may either signify sin as the cause of his present affliction, or it may import an affliction which was the consequence of that foolish levity which prefers the momentary gratification of an irregular passion to health of body and peace of mind.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 38:1-11

Nothing will disquiet the heart of a good man so much as the sense of God's anger. The way to keep the heart quiet, is to keep ourselves in the love of God. But a sense of guilt is too heavy to bear; and would sink men into despair and ruin, unless removed by the pardoning mercy of God. If there were not sin in our souls, there would be no pain in our bones, no illness in our bodies. The guilt of sin is a burden to…

Read the full comment on Psalms 38:1-11 →

Psalms 38:5 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּhiv.'I.shuthey stinkH887
נָ֭מַקּוּNa.ma.kuthey festerH4743
חַבּוּרֹתָ֑יcha.bu.ro.Taiwounds myH2250
מִ֝פְּנֵ֗יmi.pe.Nei<from> because ofH6440
אִוַּלְתִּֽי\׃'i.val.Tifolly myH200

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 38:5

  • Isaiah 1:5-6

    Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

  • Psalms 69:5

    O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

  • Jeremiah 8:22

    Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

  • Psalms 32:3

    When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

  • Psalms 38:7

    For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
My wounds.The soul being invisible, its distempers are also so; therefore the sacred writers describe them by the distempers of the body. (See the Parallel Texts on these verses.) On reading these and similar passages, say Bp. Lowth, some, who were but little acquainted with the genius of Hebrew poetry, have pretended to enquire into the nature of the disease with which the poet was afflicted; not less absurdly, in my opinion, than if they had perplexed themselves to discover in what river he was plunged, when he complains that "the deep waters had gone over his soul."
7; 32:3; Isa 1:5,6; Jer 8:22

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 38:4

    For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

  • Psalms 38:5

    My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.

  • Psalms 38:6

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

Read all of Psalms 38

Psalms 38:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Pudriéronse, corrompiéronse mis llagas, á causa de mi locura.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car mes iniquités ont passé sur ma tête; comme un pesant fardeau, elles sont trop pesantes pour moi.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Es stinken, es eitern meine Wunden wegen meiner Torheit.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Locutus sum in lingua mea: Notum fac mihi, Domine, finem meum, et numerum dierum meorum quis est, ut sciam quid desit mihi.