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Psalm 40:2-12

Listen to Psalm 40:2-12
2 He drew me up from 1the pit of destruction, out of 2the miry bog, and 3set my feet upon a rock, 4making my steps secure.
3 He put 5a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will 6see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is the man who 7makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who 8go astray after a lie!
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your 9wondrous deeds and your 10thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are 11more than can be told.
6 12In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open 13ear. [a] Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written 14of me:
8 15I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is 16within my heart. ”
9 I have told the glad news of deliverance[b] in 17the great congregation; behold, I have not 18restrained my lips, 19as you know, O Lord.
10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your 20steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!
12 For evils have 21encompassed me beyond number; my 22iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot 23see; they are 24more than the hairs of my head; my heart 25fails me.

Images for Psalm 40:2-12

Psalm 40:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. Jarchi interprets this psalm of the Israelites, and of their deliverance and song at the Red sea. The title of it, in the Syriac version, is, "A psalm of David according to the letter, when Shemaiah brought the names of those who minister in the house of the Lord;" see 1 Chronicles 24:6; according to Kimchi, the subject of this psalm is the same with that of the two preceding; and R. Obadiah thinks it was composed by David, when he was recovered of a leprosy; but though it might be written by David, it was not written concerning himself, or on his own account, but of another. The title of this psalm is somewhat different from others in the order of the words; whereas it is usually put "a psalm of," or "for David"; here it is, "for David, a psalm"; and may be rendered, as Ainsworth observes, "a psalm concerning David"; not literally, but typically understood; not concerning David himself, but concerning his antitype and son, who is called by his name, Ezekiel 37:24; and that it is to be interpreted of him is evident from the application of Psalm 39:6, unto him by the apostle in Hebrews 10:5; and the whole of it is applicable to him; some apply it to Jeremiah in the dungeon, and others to Daniel in the den, as Theodoret observes.
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Cross References 25

  • 1. 40:2 [Jer. 38:6]
  • 2. 40:2 Ps. 69:2, 14
  • 3. 40:2 Ps. 27:5
  • 4. 40:2 Ps. 37:23
  • 5. 40:3 See Ps. 33:3
  • 6. 40:3 Ps. 52:6; 64:8, 9; Deut. 13:11
  • 7. 40:4 See Ps. 2:12
  • 8. 40:4 Ps. 101:3; 125:5; Lev. 19:4; Deut. 29:18; Job 23:11; Hos. 3:1
  • 9. 40:5 Ps. 9:1; Ex. 15:11
  • 10. 40:5 Ps. 92:5; 139:17; Isa. 55:8
  • 11. 40:5 Ps. 71:15; 139:18
  • 12. 40:6 Ps. 51:16; 1 Sam. 15:22; Cited Heb. 10:5-7; See Prov. 21:3
  • 13. 40:6 See Job 33:16
  • 14. 40:7 Luke 24:44
  • 15. 40:8 Ps. 119:16, 24, 35, 92; [John 4:34]
  • 16. 40:8 See Ps. 37:31
  • 17. 40:9 See Ps. 22:25
  • 18. 40:9 Ps. 119:13; [Acts 20:20, 27]
  • 19. 40:9 Josh. 22:22
  • 20. 40:11 Ps. 57:3; 61:7; Prov. 20:28; See Ps. 36:5
  • 21. 40:12 Ps. 116:3
  • 22. 40:12 Ps. 38:4
  • 23. 40:12 [Ps. 38:10]
  • 24. 40:12 Ps. 69:4
  • 25. 40:12 Ps. 73:26

Footnotes 2

  • [a] 40:6 Hebrew 'ears you have dug for me'
  • [b] 40:9 Hebrew 'righteousness'; also verse 10
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025

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