Psalms 40:9-17

9 I told thy rightfulness in a great church; lo! I shall not refrain my lips, Lord, thou knewest. (I told of thy righteousness in the great congregation; lo! I shall not refrain my lips, Lord, thou knowest that.)

10 I hid not thy rightfulness in mine heart; I said thy truth and thine health. I hid not thy mercy, and thy truth, from a much council. (I kept not thy righteousness, or thy goodness, hidden in my heart; I spoke about thy faithfulness, and thy salvation, or thy deliverance. I hid not thy love, and thy faithfulness, from the great congregation.)

11 But thou, Lord, make not far thy merciful doings from me; thy mercy and truth ever[more] take me up. (But thou, Lord, make not thy merciful doings to be far away from me; let thy love, and thy faithfulness, keep me safe forevermore.)

12 For why evils, of which is no number, (en)compassed me; my wickednesses have taken me, and I might not, that I should (even) see. Those be multiplied above the hairs of mine head; and mine heart forsook me. (For evils, of which there is no number, surrounded me; my wickednesses have taken hold of me, and I can no longer see. Yea, they be multiplied far above the hairs of my head; and my heart hath deserted me.)

13 Lord, please it to thee, that thou deliver me; Lord, behold thou to help me. (Lord, may it please thee to save me; Lord, look thou to help me.)

14 Be they shamed, and ashamed together; that seek my life, to take away it. Be they turned aback, and be they shamed/and be they ashamed; that will evils to me. (Be they shamed, and ashamed; all who seek to take my life. Be they turned back, and be shamed/and be ashamed; all who desire evil for me.)

15 Bear they their confusion anon; that say to me, Well! well! in scorn. (Bear they their own shame at once/Be they ashamed at once; who scornfully say to me, Well! well!)

16 All men that seek thee, be fully joyful, and be glad in thee; and say they, that love thine health, The Lord be magnified ever[more]. (But let all those who seek thee, be very joyful, and be glad in thee; and let those who love thy salvation, or thy deliverance, say forevermore, The Lord be magnified.)

17 Forsooth I am a beggar and poor; the Lord is busy of me (But I am a poor and needy man, yea, a beggar; Lord, help thou me). Thou art mine helper and my defender; my God, tarry thou not.

Psalms 40:9-17 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.