1. "Title of the psalm." This psalm is inscribed "To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith." On the meaning of the phrase "Chief Musician on Neginoth," see the notes at the title to Psalm 4:1-8 : The phrase "upon Sheminith" occurs here for the first time, and modifies the meaning of the title. The word Sheminith - שׁמינית shemı̂ynı̂yth - means properly "the eighth," and corresponds exactly to our word "octave," the eighth. It means in modern music an interval of seven degrees, or twelve semitones. It contains five full tones, and two semitones. It is supposed by Gesenius (Lexicon) here to denote "the lowest and gravest notes of the scale, sung by men, the modern bass or basso." The word occurs, in the musical use, in 1-Chronicles 15:21, in enumerating various names of musicians, "Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, etc., with harps on the Sheminith to excel;" margin, "or eighth." It is also found in the title to Psalm 12:1-8 : It does not elsewhere occur in reference to music in the Scriptures. It is probably not possible now to ascertain the precise meaning of the word as applicable to ancient music, and it is not important. The phrase "upon the octave" would properly be the true rendering of it; and this was doubtless quite intelligible at the time. It would be difficult to explain many of the musical terms now in use, after the lapse of two or three thousand years. If the term, however, was used, as is supposed by Gesenius, to denote the bass, its meaning is not difficult. It would then mean that the psalm was designed to be sung, accompanied with the instruments designated by "Neginoth," and with the voices appropriate to this "octave" - the bass voices. The usual bass voice might be supposed to be adapted to the sentiment in the psalm.
2. "The author of the psalm." The psalm purports to have been written by David, and there is nothing in the psalm to lead us to doubt the truth of this representation. It may be assumed, therefore, to be his.
3. "The occasion on which the psalm was written." In the, running title in the English version this psalm is called "David's complaint in his sickness." It is hardly necessary to say that these running titles were prefixed by the translators, and that there is nothing in the Hebrew that corresponds with this. Still, this has been a very prevailing tradition as to the occasion on which this psalm was composed. Dr. Horsley prefixes this title to it: "A penitential prayer in the character of a sick person," and in the exposition of this psalm supposes that the suppliant is a mystical personage, and that the object is to represent the feelings of a penitent under the image of such a personage, or that "the sick person is the believer's soul laboring under a sense of its infirmities and anxiously expecting the promised redemption; the sickness is the depravity and disorder occasioned by the fall of man." Luther entities it "A penitential prayer (Bussgebet), for the health of the body and the soul." DeWette regards it as the prayer of one oppressed or in trouble, under the image of a sick person; and in this opinion Rosemnuller concurs. Others regard it as a psalm composed in view of sickness, and suppose it was written in consequence of sickness brought upon David in consequence of the rebellion of Absalom. Indeed, there has been a pretty general concurrence among expositors in the sentiment that, as the two previous psalms were composed in view of that rebellion, so this was also. Calvin supposes that it was not composed specifically in view of "sickness," but of some great calamity that brought David to feel that he was near the borders of the grave, and that was thus the means of bringing the sins of his past life impressively to his remembrance.
In this uncertainty, and this want of positive testimony as to the occasion when the psalm was composed, it is natural to look to the psalm itself, and to inquire whether there are any "internal" indications which will enable us to determine with any degree of probability the circumstances of the writer at the time of its composition. The psalm, then, has the following internal marks as to the occasion on which it was composed:
I. The writer was in the midst of enemies, and in great peril on account of them. "Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies," Psalm 6:7. "Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity," Psalm 6:8. "Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed," Psalm 6:10. We cannot be mistaken, then, in supposing that this was at some period in the life of David, when his numerous enemies pressed hard upon him and endangered his life.
II. He was crushed and broken-hearted on account of these trials; he had not strength of body to bear up under the weight of accumulated woes; he sank under the burden of these troubles and calamities, and was brought near to the grave. There were many and formidable external foes who threatened his life; and there was, on some account, connected with this, deep and crushing "mental" anguish, and the result was actual and dangerous sickness - so that he was led to contemplate the eternal world as near to him. It became a case, therefore, of real sickness caused by unique outward troubles. This is manifest from such expressions as the following: - "I am weak; heal me: my bones are vexed" Psalm 6:2. "In death there is no remembrance of thee; in the grave who shall give thee thanks?" Psalm 6:5. "I am weary with my groaning; I water my couch with my tears: mine eye is consumed with grief," Psalm 6:6-7. This is such language as would be used by one who was crushed and broken-hearted with grief, and who, unable to bear up under the weighty load was laid, as the result of it, on a bed of languishing. It is not uncommon that outward troubles become too great for the feeble human frame to bear, and that, crushed beneath them, the body is laid upon a bed of languishing, and brought to the borders of the grave, or to the grave itself.
III. The psalmist expresses a feeling which is common in such cases - a deep anxiety on the subject of his own sin, as if these calamities had come upon him on account of his transgressions, and as a punishment for his sins. This is implied in Psalm 6:1 : "O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure." He looked upon this as a "rebuke" from God, and construed it as an expression of "hot displeasure." This is the prompting of natural feeling when one is afflicted, for this inquiry spontaneously arises in the mind, whether the affliction is not on account of some sin which we have committed, and is not to be regarded as proof that God is angry with us. It is an inquiry as proper as it is natural, and David, in the circumstances referred to, seems to have felt its full force.
Taking all these considerations into view, it seems probable that the psalm was composed during the troubles brought upon David in the rebellion of Absalom, and when, crushed by the weight of these sorrows, his strength gave way, and he was laid on a bed of languishing, and brought near to the grave.
4. "The contents of the psalm." The psalm contains the following points:
I. A plea of the author for mercy and compassion in trouble, under the apprehension that God was rebuking and punishing him for his sins, Psalm 6:1-2. His deep sufferings, described in the following verses, had, as remarked above, led him to inquire whether it was not on account of his sins that he was afflicted, and whether he ought not to regard his sorrow as proof that God was displeased with him for his sins.
II. A description of his sufferings, Psalm 6:2-7. He had been crushed with sorrow, and had become "weak;" his very "bones" were "vexed;" he was drawing near to the grave; he was weary with his groaning; he watered his couch with his tears; his eye was consumed with grief. These sufferings were partly bodily and partly mental; or rather, as suggested above, probably his mental sorrows had been so great as to prostrate his physical frame, and to lay him on a bed of languishing.
III. The assurance that God had heard his prayer, and that he would triumph over all his enemies, and that all his troubles would pass away, Psalm 6:8-10. Hope breaks in suddenly upon his afflicted soul, and, under this exulting feeling, he addresses his enemies, and tells them to depart from him. They could not be successful, for the Lord had heard his prayer. This sudden answer to prayer - this happy turn of thought - often occurs in the Psalm, as if, while the psalmist was pleading, an immediate answer to prayer was granted, and light broke in upon the darkened mind.

This Psalm contains a deprecation of eternal vengeance, Psalm 6:1; a petition to God for mercy, Psalm 6:2. This is enforced from a consideration of the psalmist's sufferings, Psalm 6:3; from that of the Divine mercy, Psalm 6:4; from that of the praise and glory which God would fail to receive if man were destroyed, Psalm 6:5; from that of his humiliation and contrition, Psalm 6:6, Psalm 6:7. Being successful in his supplication, he exults in God, Psalm 6:8, Psalm 6:9; and predicts the downfall of all his enemies, Psalm 6:10.
This Psalm has the following inscription: To the chief Musician on Neginoth, upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David; which the Chaldee translates, "To be sung on neginoth, a harp of eight strings." The various interpretations given to this inscription, both by ancients and moderns, show us that nothing is known concerning it. We have already seen that neginoth probably signifies all instruments which emitted sounds by strokes, or stringed instruments in general. This Psalm was to be accompanied with such instruments; but one of a particular kind is specified, viz., sheminith; so called from its having eight strings. The chief musician is directed to accompany the recital of this Psalm with the above instrument.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 6
To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, a Psalm of David. What is designed by "the chief musician", and what is meant by "neginoth", have been observed preciously, See Gill on Psalm 4:1. As for "sheminith", it seems to be one particular sort of the "neginoth", or stringed instrument, which this man had the care of; see the title of Psalm 12:1, which most of the Hebrew writers (y) understand of the harp of eight strings, to which this psalm was set; and which, from the number of its strings, was called "sheminith", which signifies "the eighth": and this receives confirmation from 1-Chronicles 15:21. The eighth string was added to the harp by Simonides, according to Pliny (z): but if such an harp is here meant, this refutes it, for David lived long before Simonides. Though some (a) have thought it refers to a poem or song of eight notes, to the tune of which this psalm was sung; or to the eighth note, which was grave, and which we call the bass. As for the eighth day of circumcision, of which some Jewish writers mystically interpret it; or the eighth, that is, the first day, or Lord's day, to which some of the ancient Christian writers refer it, or the eighth age, or millennium, as Theodoret; these can by no means be admitted of. The occasion of it was either some bodily disease the psalmist laboured under, or some distress of soul, on account of sin; and the rather this seems to be the case, seeing the psalm begins with the same words as Psalm 38:1, in which the psalmist so much bewails his iniquity. Some have thought it was drawn up for the use of any and every sick person; and others say it was written on the account of Israel in captivity, who were then as sick persons (b): but rather the occasion of it was bodily sickness, inward guilt of conscience for sin, and distress by enemies; as appears from, Psalm 6:3.
(y) Targum, Jarchi, Kimchi, & Ben Melech in loc. (z) Nat. Hist. l. 7. c. 56. (a) In Aben Ezra in loc. (b) Vid. Kimchi & Aben Ezra in loc.

(Psalm 6:1-7) The psalmist deprecates God's wrath, and begs for the return of his favour.
(Psalm 6:8-10) He assures himself of an answer of peace.

A Cry for Mercy under Judgement
The morning prayer, Psalm 5:1-12, is followed by a "Psalm of David," which, even if not composed in the morning, looks back upon a sleepless, tearful night. It consists of three strophes. In the middle one, which is a third longer than the other two, the poet, by means of a calmer outpouring of his heart, struggles on from the cry of distress in the first strophe to the believing confidence of the last. The hostility of men seems to him as a punishment of divine wrath, and consequently (but this is not so clearly expressed as in Ps 38, which is its counterpart) as the result of his sin; and this persecution, which to him has God's wrath behind it and sin as the sting of its bitterness, makes him sorrowful and sick even unto death. Because the Psalm contains no confession of sin, one might be inclined to think that the church has wrongly reckoned it as the first of the seven (probably selected with reference to the seven days of the week) Psalmi paenitentiales (Psalm 6:1, Psalm 32:1, Psalm 38:1, Psalm 51:1, Psalm 102:1, Psalm 130:1, Psalm 143:1). A. H. Francke in his Introductio in Psalterium says, it is rather Psalmus precatorius hominis gravissimi tentati a paenitente probe distinguendi. But this is a mistake. The man who is tempted is distinguished from a penitent man by this, that the feeling of wrath is with the one perfectly groundless and with the other well-grounded. Job was one who was tempted thus. Our psalmist, however, is a penitent, who accordingly seeks that the punitive chastisement of God, as the just God, may for him be changed into the loving chastisement of God, as the merciful One.
We recognise here the language of penitently believing prayer, which has been coined by David. Compare Psalm 6:2 with Psalm 38:2; Psalm 6:3 with Psalm 41:5; Psalm 6:5 with Psalm 109:26; Psalm 6:6 with Psalm 30:10; Psalm 6:7 with Psalm 69:4; Psalm 6:8 with Psalm 31:10; Psalm 6:10 with Psalm 35:4, Psalm 35:26. The language of Heman's Psalm is perceptibly different, comp. Psalm 6:6 with Psalm 88:11-13; Psalm 6:8 with Psalm 88:10. And the corresponding strains in Jeremiah (comp. Psalm 6:2, Psalm 38:2 with Jeremiah 10:24; Psalm 6:3 and Psalm 6:5 with Jeremiah 17:14; Psalm 6:7 with Jeremiah 45:3) are echoes, which to us prove that the Psalm belongs to an earlier age, not that it was composed by the prophet (Hitzig). It is at once probable, from the almost anthological relationship in which Jeremiah stands to the earlier literature, that in the present instance also he is the reproducer. And this idea is confirmed by the fact that in Jeremiah 10:25, after language resembling the Psalm before us, he continues in words taken from Psalm 79:6. When Hitzig maintains that David could no more have composed this disconcertedly despondent Psalm than Isaiah could the words in Isaiah 21:3-4, we refer, in answer to him, to Isaiah 22:4 and to the many attestations that David did weep, 2-Samuel 1:12; 2-Samuel 3:32; 2-Samuel 12:21; 2-Samuel 15:30; 2-Samuel 19:1.
The accompanying musical direction runs: To the Precentor, with accompaniment of stringed instruments, upon the Octave. The lxx translates ὑπὲρ τῆς ὀγδόης, and the Fathers associate with it the thought of the octave of eternal happiness, ἡ ὀγδόη ἐκείνη, as Gregory of Nyssa says, ἥτίς ἐστιν ὁ ἐφεξῆς αἰών. But there is no doubt whatever that על־השּׁמינית has reference to music. It is also found by Psalm 12:1-8, and besides in 1-Chronicles 15:21. From this latter passage it is at least clear that it is not the name of an instrument. An instrument with eight strings could not have been called an octave instead of an octachord. In that passage they played upon nablas על־עלמות, and with citherns על־השּׁמינית. If עלמות denotes maidens = maidens' voices i.e., soprano, then, as it seems, השּׁמינית is a designation of the bass, and על־השׁמינית equivalent to all' ottava bassa. The fact that Psalm 46:1-11, which is accompanied by the direction על־עלמות, is a joyous song, whereas Psalm 6:1-10 is a plaintive one and Psalm 12:1-8 not less gloomy and sad, accords with this. These two were to be played in the lower octave, that one in the higher.