Psalm 41:2

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.

Psalm 41:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 41:2

The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive
Amidst a thousand deaths, to which he is exposed for making a profession of his faith in Christ; see ( 2 Corinthians 1:10 ) ( 2 Corinthians 4:10 2 Corinthians 4:11 ) ( 6:9 ) ; or this may refer to his spiritual life, which is hid and preserved in Christ, in whom he believes; and is safe and secure; because Christ lives he shall live also, and shall never die the second death, nor be hurt by it, but shall have everlasting life;

[and] he shall be blessed upon the earth;
with temporal blessings; for whatever he has, be it more or less, he has it with the blessing of God, and as a blessing of the covenant, and in love, and so is a blessing indeed: and with spiritual blessings; with peace, pardon, righteousness, and a right and title to eternal glory and happiness; and he will be blessed in the new earth, in which righteousness will dwell, and where he will dwell, live, and reign with Christ a thousand years;

and thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemies;
not into the will of Satan, that roaring lion who would devour him if he might; nor of wicked men, and furious persecutors, whose wrath the Lord makes to praise him; and the remainder of it is restrained by him; some read these words as a prayer, "do not thou deliver him" see ( Psalms 27:12 ) ; so Pagninus, Montanus, Junius and Tremellius, Ainsworth, and others.

Psalm 41:2 In-Context

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.