Psalms 40:1-10

1 {To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm.} I waited patiently for Jehovah; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2 And he brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock; he hath established my goings:

3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, praise unto our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall confide in Jehovah.

4 Blessed is the man that hath made Jehovah his confidence, and turneth not to the proud, and to such as turn aside to lies.

5 Thou, O Jehovah my God, hast multiplied thy marvellous works, and thy thoughts toward us: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee; would I declare and speak [them], they are more than can be numbered.

6 Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire: ears hast thou prepared me. Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not demanded;

7 Then said I, Behold, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me --

8 To do thy good pleasure, my God, is my delight, and thy law is within my heart.

9 I have published righteousness in the great congregation: behold, I have not withheld my lips, Jehovah, *thou* knowest.

10 I have not hidden thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

Psalms 40:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. Jarchi interprets this psalm of the Israelites, and of their deliverance and song at the Red sea. The title of it, in the Syriac version, is, "A psalm of David according to the letter, when Shemaiah brought the names of those who minister in the house of the Lord;" see 1 Chronicles 24:6; according to Kimchi, the subject of this psalm is the same with that of the two preceding; and R. Obadiah thinks it was composed by David, when he was recovered of a leprosy; but though it might be written by David, it was not written concerning himself, or on his own account, but of another. The title of this psalm is somewhat different from others in the order of the words; whereas it is usually put "a psalm of," or "for David"; here it is, "for David, a psalm"; and may be rendered, as Ainsworth observes, "a psalm concerning David"; not literally, but typically understood; not concerning David himself, but concerning his antitype and son, who is called by his name, Ezekiel 37:24; and that it is to be interpreted of him is evident from the application of Psalm 39:6, unto him by the apostle in Hebrews 10:5; and the whole of it is applicable to him; some apply it to Jeremiah in the dungeon, and others to Daniel in the den, as Theodoret observes.

Footnotes

• [a]. Geber: see Job 3.3.
• [b]. Lit. 'digged' or 'hollowed out.'
• [c]. Or 'roll.'
• [d]. Lit. 'bowels.'