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Psalm 38:2-8
For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore…

Psalm 39:10,11
Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand…

1 Samuel 5:6,7,9,11
But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods,even Ashdod and the coasts thereof…

moisture

Psalm 22:15
My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

Psalm 90:6,7
In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth…

Psalm 102:3,4
For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth…

Your hand was heavy upon me;
The "hand" of God is often symbolic of His power and authority. In this context, it suggests divine discipline or conviction. The heaviness indicates a burden or pressure, which can be understood as the weight of guilt or the conviction of sin. This aligns withHebrews 12:5-11, which discusses the Lord's discipline as a sign of His love and a means to produce righteousness in His children.

my strength was drained as in the summer heat.
The imagery of summer heat conveys exhaustion and depletion, common in the arid climate of the ancient Near East. This metaphor illustrates the physical and spiritual toll of unconfessed sin or separation from God. The draining of strength can be compared to the spiritual dryness described inPsalm 63:1, where the psalmist longs for God in a "dry and weary land."

Selah
This term, often found in the Psalms, is thought to be a musical or liturgical pause, inviting the reader or listener to reflect on the preceding words. It serves as a moment to contemplate the seriousness of divine conviction and the need for repentance. The use of "Selah" here encourages meditation on the consequences of sin and the importance of seeking God's forgiveness, as further explored in the subsequent verses of the psalm.

• David notes an unbroken stretch of conviction; it was “day and night,” meaning there was no reprieve.

• The phrase echoesPsalm 139:7–12, where the psalmist affirms that God’s presence is inescapable; here that same ever-present God will not allow sin to lie undisturbed (see alsoJob 7:18).

• Continuous divine attention reminds us that the Lord lovingly refuses to ignore sin in His children (Hebrews 12:5-6;Revelation 3:19).

• “Your hand” points to God’s personal involvement, not impersonal fate.

• “Heavy” speaks of discipline that is both weighty and purposeful; comparePsalm 38:2 “Your hand has pressed down on me” and1 Peter 5:6, where believers are urged to humble themselves under that mighty hand.

• The pressure is corrective, aiming to move the sinner to repentance so fellowship can be restored (Proverbs 3:11-12).

• Spiritual turmoil spills over into body and mind; David’s vitality ebbed away (Psalm 31:10; 51:8).

• Unconfessed sin saps energy, enthusiasm, and even physical health (Psalm 102:4-5;Proverbs 17:22).

• The draining effect underlines how seriously God views sin—He will not let His child remain comfortable in rebellion (Psalm 6:6-7).

• The image evokes Israel’s blistering dry season, when moisture evaporates and life wilts (Jeremiah 17:6).

• Just as scorching sun parches the land, divine conviction dries up self-reliance, leaving the heart thirsty for God (Psalm 42:1-2;Isaiah 55:1).

• The simile also reassures: relief will come when the soul turns to the living water of forgiveness (John 7:37-38;Psalm 32:5).

• The inspired pause invites the reader to stop, weigh the seriousness of sin, and feel the urgency of confession.

• Throughout Psalms, “Selah” marks a place to let truth sink in so worship can rise (Psalm 46:10-11;Psalm 62:8).

Psalm 32:4 describes the relentless, loving pressure God applies when His child clings to sin. Day and night, His heavy hand removes every illusion of strength until the soul feels as parched as land under summer heat. The pause of “Selah” calls us to reflect and then respond with honest repentance, knowing that the same hand that presses down is ready to lift up the moment we confess and forsake our sin.

My moisture.--The Hebrew word is found only once besides (Numbers 11:8), where the Authorised Version has "fresh oil;" the LXX. and Vulg., "an oily cake." Aquila has "of the breast of oil," reading the word erroneously. Here both LXX. and Vulg. seem to have had a different reading, "I was turned to sorrow while the thorn was fixed in." Symmachus translates somewhat similarly, but by "to destruction"instead of "to sorrow." Aquila, "to my spoiling in summer desolation." These readings, however, mistake thelamed,which is part of the word, for a preposition. Gesenius connects with an Arabic root,to suck,and so gets the meaningjuiceormoisture.

Into the drought of summer.--This is the best rendering of the Hebrew, though it might be either "as in summer dryness" or "with summer heat." Some understand literally afever,but it is better to take it figuratively of thesoul-feverwhich the whole passage describes.