Psalms 41:1-10

1 <> Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

2 The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive, and he shallbe blessed upon the earth; and Thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

3 The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing; Thou wilt turn him on his bed in his sickness.

4 I said, "LORD, be merciful unto me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee."

5 Mine enemies speak evil of me and say, "When shall he die and his name perish?"

6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity; his heart gathereth iniquity to itself, and when he goeth out, he telleth it.

7 All that hate me whisper together against me; against me do they devise my hurt.

8 "An evil disease," they say, "cleaveth fast unto him, and now that he lieth down, he shall rise up no more."

9 Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted, that ate of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

10 But Thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up that I may requite them.

Psalms 41:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

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.