My guilt overwhelms me— it is a burden too heavy to bear.
Parallel translations
- WEB For my iniquities have gone over my head. As a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
- KJV For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
- BSB For my iniquities have overwhelmed me; they are a burden too heavy to bear.
- NKJV For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
- NASB For my guilty deeds have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David's iniquities have risen over his head like a flood and weigh on him like a burden too heavy to bear. Sin's load is crushing.
Overview
David pictures his guilt as overwhelming waters above his head and an unbearable weight pressing him down. Sin felt rightly is intolerable. This sense of an impossible burden prepares the heart for the gospel, where Christ invites the heavy-laden to come to Him for rest and bears the load of guilt we cannot carry (Matthew 11:28-30).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Ps 40:12For innumerable evils have surrounded me. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has failed me.
- Ezra 9:6and I said, “My God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown up to the heavens.
- Matt 11:28“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
- Lam 1:14“The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand; They are knit together. They have come up on my neck. He has made my strength to fail. The Lord has delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.
- 1 Pet 2:24who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.
- Isa 53:11After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities.
- Lev 7:18If any of the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted, and it shall not be credited to him who offers it. It will be an abomination, and the soul who eats any of it will bear his iniquity.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 38:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.