Psalms 41:6

6 When one of them comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it around.

Psalms 41:6 in Other Translations

6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad.

6 They visit me as if they were my friends, but all the while they gather gossip, and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.

6 If someone comes to see me, he mouths empty platitudes, All the while gathering gossip about me to entertain the street-corner crowd.

6 And if he come to see [me], he speaketh falsehood; His heart gathereth iniquity to itself: When he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

6 When one of them comes to visit me, he speaks foolishly. His heart collects gossip. [Then] he leaves to tell others.

6 When one [of them] comes to visit, he speaks deceitfully; he stores up evil in his heart; he goes out and talks.

6 When anyone comes to see me, he says things he doesn't mean. At the same time, he thinks up lies to tell against me. Then he goes out and spreads those lies around.

Psalms 41:6 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 41:6

And if he come to see [me]
Meaning anyone of his enemies, when they came, as pretended, to pay him a friendly visit. A late learned writer ^F24 interprets this of Absalom, who visited his father when he had the smallpox, which he thinks, after mentioned, of which his enemies expected he would die, when Absalom pretended great concern for his life; though he, with others, were plotting against him, should he live, to destroy him;

he speaketh vanity;
lies and falsehoods, in an hypocritical manner, with a double heart; his mouth and his heart not agreeing together; see ( Matthew 22:16 ) ;

his heart gathereth iniquity to itself;
amasses to itself greater treasures of wickedness still, thought that itself is desperately wicked, and very wickedness: this is to be understood of the enemies of Christ observing his words and actions, and laying them up, with a wicked intention, against a proper time;

[when] he goeth abroad, he telleth [it];
as in the instances concerning giving tribute to Caesar, destroying the temple, and saying he was the son of God, ( Matthew 22:17 Matthew 22:18 ) ; compared with ( Luke 23:2 ) ( John 2:19 John 2:21 ) ; compared with ( Matthew 26:60 Matthew 26:61 ) ( John 5:17 John 5:18 ) , compared with ( John 19:5 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Delaney's Life of King David, vol. 2. p. 157, 158.

Psalms 41:6 In-Context

4 I said, “Have mercy on me, LORD; heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

5 My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die and his name perish?”

6 When one of them comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it around.

7 All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,

8 “A vile disease has afflicted him; he will never get up from the place where he lies.”

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 12:2; Psalms 101:7; Matthew 5:11
• 2. Proverbs 26:24
• 3. S Leviticus 19:16