Psalms 41:5-9

5 My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die and his name perish?”

6 When one of them comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it around.

7 All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,

8 “A vile disease has afflicted him; he will never get up from the place where he lies.”

9 Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned^[a] against me.

Psalms 41:5-9 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.

Cross References

• 1. S Psalms 38:12
• 2. Psalms 12:2; Psalms 101:7; Matthew 5:11
• 3. Proverbs 26:24
• 4. S Leviticus 19:16
• 5. Psalms 71:10; Psalms 56:5; Psalms 71:10-11
• 6. S 2 Kings 1:4
• 7. S 2 Samuel 15:12; S Job 19:14; Psalms 55:12
• 8. Numbers 30:2; Job 19:19; Psalms 55:20; Psalms 89:34; Matthew 26:23; Luke 22:21; John 13:18*

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew "has lifted up his heel"