Psalms 41:9

9 Even my best friend, the one I always told everything - he ate meals at my house all the time! - has bitten my hand.

Psalms 41:9 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 41:9

Yea, mine own familiar friend
Or, "the man of my peace" {z}; who did live peaceably with him, and ought always to have done so; whom he treated as his friend, as the rest of the apostles; calling him to that high office, and ordaining him to it, and qualifying him for it; and whom he called by the name of friend, when he came to betray him; Judas is meant;

in whom I trusted;
with the bag and the money in it, both for the sustenance of his own family, the apostles, and for the relief of the poor, ( John 12:6 ) ( 13:29 ) ;

which did eat of my bread;
of his bread in common with the rest of the apostles; and who was eating with him when he gave the sign who should betray him; and who seems to have eaten of the bread in the Lord's supper: even this same person

hath lifted up his heel against me;
by supplanting him, dealing hypocritically with him, and betraying him into the hands of his enemies: the metaphor is either taken from an unruly horse throwing his rider, and then ungenerously spurning at him, and trampling on him; or from wrestlers, who seek to supplant and trip up each other's heels; which shows the ingratitude, baseness, and treachery of Judas; see ( John 13:18 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F26 (ymwlv vya) "vir pacis meae", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis.

Psalms 41:9 In-Context

7 These "friends" who hate me whisper slanders all over town. They form committees to plan misery for me.
8 The rumor goes out, "He's got some dirty, deadly disease. The doctors have given up on him."
9 Even my best friend, the one I always told everything - he ate meals at my house all the time! - has bitten my hand.
10 God, give grace, get me up on my feet. I'll show them a thing or two.
11 Meanwhile, I'm sure you're on my side - no victory shouts yet from the enemy camp!
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.