Salmos 41

1 Salmo 41
Para el director del coro: salmo de David.
¡Qué alegría hay para los que tratan bien a los pobres!
El Señor
los rescata cuando están en apuros.

2 El Señor
los protege
y los mantiene con vida;
los prospera en la tierra
y los rescata de sus enemigos.

3 El Señor
los atiende cuando están enfermos
y les devuelve la salud.

4 «Oh Señor
, ten misericordia de mí —pedí en oración—,
sáname, porque contra ti he pecado».

5 Pero mis enemigos solo hablan mal de mí.
Preguntan: «¿Falta mucho para que se muera y pase al olvido?».

6 Me visitan como si fueran mis amigos,
pero mientras tanto juntan chismes
y, cuando se van, los divulgan a los cuatro vientos.

7 Los que me odian susurran cosas acerca de mí
y se imaginan lo peor.

8 «Tiene alguna enfermedad fatal —dicen—.
¡Jamás se levantará de la cama!».

9 Hasta mi mejor amigo, en quien tenía plena confianza,
quien compartía mi comida, se ha puesto en mi contra.

10 Señor
, ten misericordia de mí.
¡Devuélveme la salud para que pueda darles su merecido!

11 Sé que soy de tu agrado,
porque no permitiste que mis enemigos triunfaran sobre mí.

12 Has preservado mi vida porque soy inocente;
me has traído a tu presencia y eso es para siempre.

13 Alaben al Señor
, Dios de Israel,
quien vive desde la eternidad hasta la eternidad.
¡Amén y amén!

Salmos 41 Commentary

Chapter 41

God's care for his people. (1-4) The treachery of David's enemies. (5-13)

Verses 1-4 The people of God are not free from poverty, sickness, or outward affliction, but the Lord will consider their case, and send due supplies. From his Lord's example the believer learns to consider his poor and afflicted brethren. This branch of godliness is usually recompensed with temporal blessings. But nothing is so distressing to the contrite believer, as a fear or sense of the Divine displeasure, or of sin in his heart. Sin is the sickness of the soul; pardoning mercy heals it, renewing grace heals it, and for this spiritual healing we should be more earnest than for bodily health.

Verses 5-13 We complain, and justly, of the want of sincerity, and that there is scarcely any true friendship to be found among men; but the former days were no better. One particularly, in whom David had reposed great confidence, took part with his enemies. And let us not think it strange, if we receive evil from those we suppose to be friends. Have not we ourselves thus broken our words toward God? We eat of his bread daily, yet lift up the heel against him. But though we may not take pleasure in the fall of our enemies, we may take pleasure in the making vain their designs. When we can discern the Lord's favour in any mercy, personal or public, that doubles it. If the grace of God did not take constant care of us, we should not be upheld. But let us, while on earth, give heartfelt assent to those praises which the redeemed on earth and in heaven render to their God and Saviour.

Chapter Summary

To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. In this psalm is a prophecy concerning Christ, and concerning Judas Iscariot, as runs part of the title in the Syriac version; and in the Arabic version it is called a prophecy concerning the incarnation, and the salutation of Judas; and certain it is that Psalm 41:9 is to be understood of him, and of his betraying Christ into the hands of his enemies, since it is cited and applied to him by our Lord himself, John 13:18; so that having such a sure rule of interpretation, we may safely venture to explain the whole psalm of Christ, which treats both of his humiliation and exaltation; for it neither agrees with David wholly, nor with Hezekiah, to whom some ascribe it, as Theodoret remarks.