John Calvin Commentary Psalms 6:4

"Return, O Jehovah, deliver my soul: Save me for thy lovingkindness` sake." — Psalms 6:4 (ASV)

Return, O Lord. In the preceding verses, the Psalmist lamented God's absence, and now he earnestly requests signs of His presence; for our happiness consists in this, that we are the objects of the Divine regard, but we think he is alienated from us if he does not give us substantial evidence of his care for us.

We gather from these words that David was at this time in the greatest danger, in which he prays both for the deliverance of his soul, so to speak, from the jaws of death, and for his return to safety. Yet no mention is made of any physical illness, and therefore, I make no judgment concerning the kind of his affliction.

David, again, confirms what he had mentioned in the second verse concerning the mercy of God, specifically, that this is the only source from which he hopes for deliverance: Save me for your mercy’s sake. People will never find a remedy for their miseries until, forgetting their own merits (by trusting in which they only deceive themselves), they have learned to turn to the free mercy of God.