Psalm 41 Study Notes

41:9 Some think the mention of friend here is synonymous with the enemies of vv. 5-8. In instances of extreme suffering, friends can take on the role of enemies (see notes at 31:11-12; 35:11-14; 38:11-12). Indeed there is the adversarial phrase raised his heel against me, so there appears to be more than just abandonment in this context.

41:10 The psalmist wants to expose the wicked and put an end to their plans. “The honor of God and the integrity of the faith and the security of the faithful demands that the righteous do this, for this kind of treachery is no harmless sin . . . This was not personal revenge; it was far more important than that” (Allen P. Ross).

41:11 The Lord’s delight in someone is not a mere emotion but involves actions and is equivalent to blessing or showing favor to someone (18:19; 22:8; 35:27).

41:12 To be in God’s presence is the ultimate reward for the person who is faithful to him (see note at 15:1).

41:13 This verse marks the close of Book 1 of the Psalms (1-41). It is a doxology including a call to praise followed by a congregational response (Amen and amen). There are four psalms (41; 72; 89; 106) that end a book before the beginning of a new one; each has similar material. Such statements were most likely added at the time the Psalms were joined together in their canonical form. Some refer to these as “seam” psalms because of the way they pieced the books together to form the complete book of Psalms.