Psalm 41

1 Blessed is the man who thinks, on the poor and needy: the Lord shall deliver him in an evil day.

2 May the Lord preserve him and keep him alive, and bless him on the earth, and not deliver him into the hands of his enemy.

3 May the Lord help him upon the bed of his pain; thou hast made all his bed in his sickness.

4 I said, O Lord, have mercy upon me; heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

5 Mine enemies have spoken evil against me, saying, When shall he die, and his name perish?

6 And if he came to see me, his heart spoke vainly; he gathered iniquity to himself; he went forth and spoke in like manner.

7 All my enemies whispered against me; against me they devised my hurt.

8 They denounced a wicked word against me, saying, Now that he lies, shall he not rise up again?

9 For even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, lifted up his heel against me.

10 But thou, O Lord, have compassion upon me, and raise me up, and I shall requite them.

11 By this I know that thou hast delighted in me, because mine enemy shall not rejoice over me.

12 But thou didst help me because of mine innocence, and hast established me before thee for ever.

13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. So be it, so be it.

Psalm 41 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.