Psalm 6:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

These thoughts led to feelings of despondency, but he managed to restrain those emotions and turned to prayer instead, saying, "Turn, O Lord: deliver my soul, save me in Thy mercy." He did not seek deliverance based on his own actions, for they were flawed, nor did he rely on his own efforts, given his weakness. Instead, he appealed for salvation solely in God's mercy. "Master, if You judge me, I will affirm my own guilt and confess that I deserve death, yet I ask, ‘save me in Thy mercy.’ I depend entirely on Your grace and have no merit of my own. I seek Your generosity, for no one pays for mercy; it is given freely. Thus, I plead, 'save me according to Thy mercy.'

Remember the words You spoke in Your holy Scriptures. Recall, O Lord, that 'the thoughts of man's heart are evil from his youth' (Gen. 8:21). Remember, O Lord, that the dust You fashioned is fragile and prone to sin. Remember that 'man is like vanity' (Psalm 143:4), and that 'no one who lives will be justified before You' (Psalm 142:2). Remember, O Lord, that 'if iniquity be seen, O Lord, O Lord, who shall stand?' (Ps. 129:3). Remember, O Lord, that 'how can a man be right before God, and how can he that is born of woman be pure? Behold, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are unclean before His eyes' (Job 25:4, 5). Remember, O Lord, that 'Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and in sins my mother bore me' (Psalm 50:7). Remember, O Lord, that even heaven and the angelic hosts are not pure before You, for some have fallen away due to their sin.

Therefore, I implore You, ‘save me in Thy mercy,’ I who humbly seek Your grace. It is not surprising if You show mercy to the worthy or if You favor the righteous, for they are deserving. Yet You, O Lord, should also display extraordinary mercy toward me, the unworthy, so that Your compassion may be glorified. As a skilled physician gains honor by healing the hopeless, and a kind ruler is praised for giving life to those who do not deserve it, so too do I seek Your mercy to reflect Your benevolence. You are aware of our human frailty, having created it and understood it. Therefore I plead once more, ‘save me in Thy mercy’; let not my wickedness overshadow Your goodness, nor my negligence exhaust Your endless compassion.

How many gifts I owe to Your unseen kindness! You have called me from nothingness into existence, multiplied my blessings, and granted me dominion over creation (Psalm 8:8). You have redeemed the lost by Your own blood, clothed the naked, and enriched the poor; You have made me both a son and a brother, an heir and a co-heir. What can I say in response to such grace? I am uncertain. So I ask, ‘enter not into judgment with Thy servant’ (Psalms 142:2), and let not the penalties of my sins fall upon me. Instead, ‘turn Thy face away from my sins’ (Psalms 50:11). Let not the scales of justice weigh heavily against me; be merciful and tip the balance towards Your grace; overlook the weight of my sins and ‘save me according to Thy mercy,’ through which salvation has been granted to all.

Whether I mention Moses, he is not without sin, according to Scripture; whether I recall Aaron or even Peter, the chief Apostle, they too bear sin. Hence, I desire to be saved by faith, not by works, so that the Merciful One may say to me, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace’ (Luke 8:48). To whom You forgive sins, You do not say: ‘your works have saved you’—for with You, all human righteousness amounts to little. Therefore, for the last time, I implore You, ‘save me according to Thy mercy.’ And may 'Thy mercy follow me all the days of my life’ (Psalms 22:6). May 'Thy mercy' pursue me, even as I flee from You and rush towards sinfulness. Your mercy will also guide me back, holding me accountable, for You alone are "the only One who worketh wonders" (Psalm 71:18). Show Your mercies manifestly by saving those who trust in You (Psalm 16:7). You fulfill our hopes, so shall You not hear our pleas for mercy?

A certain man owed You ten thousand talents and approached You for a reprieve; You, in Your kindness, were willing to forgive him the entire debt, yet he later wronged his brother. A wayward son returned to You, seeking to be a mere servant, yet You reinstated him as son and heir. A thief simply asked to be remembered in Your kingdom, and yet You granted him paradise. The woman, full of tears, approached without a specific request, and she received from You what she earnestly sought. Peter cried out for forgiveness, and You bestowed upon him the keys of the kingdom and the church. This is Your will for those who find themselves in despair, stripped of all hope, overcome by sin. Reveal the greatness of Your compassion to them. Thus I repeat fervently, ‘Save me in Thy mercy.’"

In such trying times, we plead: Turn, Lord; essentially asking for assistance to ensure that our transformation is completed, leading us to a state where we can encounter You and present You to those who cherish You for their delight. It is for this reason that after imploring Convert, O Lord, the plea continues with Deliver my soul, signifying a soul ensnared by the intricacies of earthly life and tormented by the thorns of desires that afflict it, even as it seeks to turn towards true repentance. He implores: Save me, through Your loving-kindness. He understands that his healing is not based on his own merit, for surely, judgment is due upon the sinner who has violated the divine laws. Heal me, he petitions, not on the basis of personal worthiness, but rather due to Your boundless mercy.

The responsibility of healing and maintaining well-being falls upon medicine. Its two primary functions are to cure the ill and to uphold health. In the former, it is petitioned, Save me for Thy mercy's sake, while in the latter, the call rings out, Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness (Ps 7:9). The first entreaty seeks relief from illness, and the second requests guidance to avert a return to sickness. Similarly, it is written, Save me, O Lord (Ps 11:2), and, Righteous help for me is from God, who saves the upright in heart (Ps 7:10). Both expressions indicate His healing touch; some are restored from illness to health, while others are sustained in their wellness. Thus, the Compassionate God serves as the Aid to those who have no claims to righteousness yet desire justification—believing in Him who grants righteousness to the unrighteous; and He is also the just Support, for the sinner rightfully cries out: for I am weak (Psalms 6:3). Save me in Your mercy. This plea ought to resonate with the righteous, who profess, If I have avenged those who repay me evil (Ps 7:5), and can affirm, Righteous help for me is from God, who saves the upright of heart (Ps 7:10). If He supplies us with a remedy that restores health, how much more will He graciously provide that which safeguards our well-being.

Recall the words You have spoken in the Holy Scriptures: "The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Gen. 8:21); remember, O Lord, "for we are all flesh" (Ps. 102:14). Remind Yourself, O Lord, that "man is like a mere breath" (Ps. 143:4); remember, "no living thing will be justified in Your sight" (Ps. 142:2). Recall that "if iniquity is called iniquity, O Lord, who can stand?" (Ps. 129:3). Remember: "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one" (Job 14:4-5). Remember that "I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me" (Ps. 50:7). Remember that "even the heavens are not pure in Your sight" (Job 15:15), and that the angels too may not stand pure before You, as some have fallen from grace due to their sin. Therefore, save me, a soul in need of Your mercy.

If You were to save only the deserving, it would be nothing remarkable. If You were to forgive the righteous, it would be not unusual, for they are deserving. If You were to honor the diligent, it would be just. However, show Your mercy upon me, so that Your humanity may be exalted through me. For a skilled physician garners admiration when he cures the terminally ill, just as a benevolent king is praised for his generosity towards the undeserving. Creator, You are aware of our frail nature, having taken it upon Yourself and redeemed our fallen state. Therefore, save me for the sake of Your mercy.

Do not let my wrongdoing overshadow Your mercy, nor let my carelessness prevail against Your boundless compassion. "Enter not into judgment with Your servant" (Ps. 142:2), for if You were to hold us to account, we would all be silenced, unable to justify ourselves. How can we express our gratitude for the incredible favors given to us through Your unfathomable grace? You drew us from nothingness into existence, increased our number, preserved us, raised us, and placed everything under our dominion (cf. Ps. 8:7). You redeemed those who strayed with Your precious blood; You sought us when we were lost and carried us home; You clothed the naked, enriched the impoverished, and made us children, siblings, heirs, and co-heirs with God. What can we express in our defense after all of this? Nothing. Therefore, do not enter into judgment with Your servant, nor amplify our sins with Your rebukes, but "turn Your face away from our transgressions" (Ps. 50:11), and do not let Your righteousness dictate our actions.

O Man, shift and allow Your mercy to outweigh the burden of our sins; disregard the heaviness of our willful transgressions and exceed the multitude of our iniquities with Your grace. Save us by Your mercy, through which all who seek redemption have found salvation. I might use Moses as an example, but he was not without sin as the Scriptures indicate. I could mention Aaron, David, or the eminent Apostle Peter, yet none were sinless or faultless. Thus, I implore You to save me through faith and not by works, so that You may also say to me, O Humanity, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace" (Luke 7:50). O Lord, You have never said to anyone You have forgiven, "Your works have saved you," for all our righteousness is as "a filthy rag" (Isaiah 64:6) before You. Therefore, I reiterate: save for the sake of Your mercy. "Surely Your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" (Ps. 22:6). May Your mercy accompany me, a runaway who shamefully flees from You and persistently seeks to sin. Let Your mercy guide me, keep my feet from straying onto the path of wickedness, and if I stray, restrain me with Your gentle hand, for You are "God ... who alone works wonders" (Ps. 71:18). Therefore upon me, "Your mercies are wonderful; You are the Savior of all who trust in You" (Ps. 16:7), for You give mercy beyond what we ask or dare to hope.

O Lord, a debtor once came to You, having borrowed ten thousand talents, asking for a moment's patience (cf. Matthew 18:24). Yet, according to Your grace, You forgave him entirely, even though he failed to extend that same forgiveness to his brother. The prodigal returned to You, ashamed, wishing only to be a servant, and You made him Your son and heir (Luke 15:19). The thief asked only that You remember him in Your kingdom, and You granted him paradise (cf. Lk. 23:40-42). The sinful woman approached You in tears, asking for nothing, yet received far beyond her secret hopes (cf. Lk. 7:38, 47-48). Peter cried out for forgiveness, yet You appointed him as the steward of Your Church and the Kingdom of Heaven. Such is Your nature: revealing the greatness of Your mercy to the utterly hopeless, those who have lost all expectation of salvation, and those who find themselves at the depths of despair. Hence, I repeat and shall never cease to proclaim, "Save me for the sake of Your mercy."

Therefore, the Prophet here implores: Turn back, Lord. He further requests: Deliver my soul. Rescue me from the pit into which I have fallen through sin; remove me from the snare of those who ensnare me, by which I am caught; free me from the hands of my adversaries, to whom I have been surrendered on account of sin. Save me from imminent judgment and protect me from the impending threat of death. I dare to seek this immense grace, not due to any merit of my own, but solely because You are gracious. Save me for the sake of Your mercy.

He perceives no near hope for triumph over his adversaries, leading him to be tormented by the fear that God has turned away from him. This thought deepens his suffering, causing both his heart and body to be overwhelmed. Physically and mentally afflicted (vv.3-4), he implores God not to cast him aside nor to punish him in wrath, but to show him compassion as a lowly man (vv.3-4). He points out that the Lord would lose a fervent worshipper should the psalmist perish, for in Sheol, the realm of the dead (Ps. 87:13, 113:17; Is. 38:18), there is no remembrance of God and, thus, no possibility of offering praise.

Furthermore, in verses 7-8, David articulates the depth of his afflictions; consumed by the feeling of divine abandonment, he weeps throughout the night. His eyes, filled with anguish, have grown dim, and the burdens imposed by his foes have aged him prematurely. Yet he addresses these evildoers (v.9), finding solace in his prayers and holding onto the assurance that the Lord will respond. He believes that those who have wronged him will be put to shame because God has heeded his cries; he envisions a future of vindication as if it has already been realized, stating emphatically: let it be so! (v.11).