Psalms 41:6

6 And if he comes to see me, he speaks lies; His heart gathers iniquity to itself; When he goes out, he tells it.

Psalms 41:6 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 41:6

And if he come to see [me]
Meaning anyone of his enemies, when they came, as pretended, to pay him a friendly visit. A late learned writer F24 interprets this of Absalom, who visited his father when he had the smallpox, which he thinks, after mentioned, of which his enemies expected he would die, when Absalom pretended great concern for his life; though he, with others, were plotting against him, should he live, to destroy him;

he speaketh vanity;
lies and falsehoods, in an hypocritical manner, with a double heart; his mouth and his heart not agreeing together; see ( Matthew 22:16 ) ;

his heart gathereth iniquity to itself;
amasses to itself greater treasures of wickedness still, thought that itself is desperately wicked, and very wickedness: this is to be understood of the enemies of Christ observing his words and actions, and laying them up, with a wicked intention, against a proper time;

[when] he goeth abroad, he telleth [it];
as in the instances concerning giving tribute to Caesar, destroying the temple, and saying he was the son of God, ( Matthew 22:17 Matthew 22:18 ) ; compared with ( Luke 23:2 ) ( John 2:19 John 2:21 ) ; compared with ( Matthew 26:60 Matthew 26:61 ) ( John 5:17 John 5:18 ) , compared with ( John 19:5 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F24 Delaney's Life of King David, vol. 2. p. 157, 158.

Psalms 41:6 In-Context

4 I said, "Lord, be merciful to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You."
5 My enemies speak evil of me: "When will he die, and his name perish?"
6 And if he comes to see me, he speaks lies; His heart gathers iniquity to itself; When he goes out, he tells it.
7 All who hate me whisper together against me; Against me they devise my hurt.
8 "An evil disease," they say, "clings to him. And now that he lies down, he will rise up no more."
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.