Psalms 41:2-12

2 The Lord protects them and keeps them alive; they are called happy in the land. You do not give them up to the will of their enemies.

3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed; in their illness you heal all their infirmities.

4 As for me, I said, "O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you."

5 My enemies wonder in malice when I will die, and my name perish.

6 And when they come to see me, they utter empty words, while their hearts gather mischief; when they go out, they tell it abroad.

7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me.

8 They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me, that I will not rise again from where I lie.

9 Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.

10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them.

11 By this I know that you are pleased with me; because my enemy has not triumphed over me.

12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

Psalms 41:2-12 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb [you change all his bed]