Psalms 6:1 «To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. » O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
To the chief Musician on Neginoth] See Trapp on title " Psa 4:1 "
Upon Sheminith] Or, upon the eight, i.e. Intentissimo sono et clarissima voce, to be sung aloud. An eight is the highest note in music. See 1 Chronicles 15:21. Others say, that hereby is meant the bass and tenor, as fittest for a mourner.
Ver. 1. O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger] In this and some other psalms David begins so heavily, ends so merrily, that one might think they had been composed by two men of a contrary humour, as Merlin observeth. De l' Amour Divin. Every new man is two men, Rom 7:9-25 The Shulamite hath in her, as it were, the company of two armies, Song of Solomon 6:13. The Lord also chequereth his providence white and black, he speckleth his work (represented by those speckled horses, Zec 1:8). Mercies and crosses are interwoven.
Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure] Chastened David desires to be, as Jeremiah 10:24 1Co 11:32 Hebrews 12:7,8; but in mercy, and in measure, 1 Corinthians 10:13. "Fury is not in me," saith God, however it may sometimes seem to be, Isaiah 27:4. Of furious people the philosopher giveth this character, that they are angry, 1. οις ου δει, against those whom they should not; 2. εφ ου δει, for matters they should not; 3. μαλλον η δει, more than they should be. But none of all these can be affirmed of God. Anger is not in him secundum affectum, but seemeth so to be secundum effectum, when he chideth and smiteth (as angry people use to do) when there is no other remedy, 2 Chronicles 36:13. His anger is in Scripture put, 1. For his threatenings, Hos 11:9 John 3:10 John 3:2. For his punishments, Mat 3:7 Romans 2:8. But as God therefore threateneth that he may not punish, Amos 6:12, so in the midst of judgment he remembereth mercy, and it soon repenteth him concerning his people.