Psalms 41:3

3 The Lord (shall) bear help to him on the bed of his sorrow; thou hast oft turned all his bedstraw in his sickness.

Psalms 41:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 41:3

The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing
When on a sick bed, or a death bed, where he lies languishing, and ready to expire; when his natural strength, spirits, and heart fail him, then the Lord strengthens him with strength in his soul; and is the strength of his heart, and his portion for ever. The Targum is,

``the Word of the Lord shall help him in his life, and shall appear to him on the bed of his illness, to quicken him;''

thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness;
or "all his bed thou hast turned" or "wilt turn in his sickness" F20; meaning not the recovery of him from a bed of sickness to a state of health, which is the sense given by many; much less a turning him from a state of ease and rest into trouble and distress; but making him easy and comfortable on a bed of sickness; which, in a literal sense, is done when a sick person's bed is turned or made, or he is turned upon it from side to side; so the Lord, by the comforts of his Spirit, makes a sick and death bed easy to them that believe in Christ, and often puts that triumphant song into their mouths in their dying moments, "O death! where is that sting?" &c. ( 1 Corinthians 15:55 ) ; and this is the peaceful end and blissful state of such who wisely consider Christ and believe in him; low estate, through the sins of his the insults of his enemies, and the treachery of one of his disciples, is described in the following verses.


FOOTNOTES:

F20 (tkph) "versasti", Pagninus, Montanus; "vertisti", Vatablus; "ita vertes", Michaelis; so Ainsworth; (demnia oi meteyhken) , Apollinarius.

Psalms 41:3 In-Context

1 For victory, the song of David. Blessed is he that understandeth of the needy man and poor; the Lord shall deliver him in the evil day. (To victory, the psalm of David. Happy is he who hath concern for the poor and the needy; the Lord shall save him on the evil day/the Lord shall rescue him in his time of trouble.)
2 The Lord keep him, and quicken him, and make him blessful in the land; and betake not him into the will of his enemies. (The Lord shall keep him safe, and alive, and make him happy in the land; and he shall not deliver him unto the power, or the will, of his enemies.)
3 The Lord (shall) bear help to him on the bed of his sorrow; thou hast oft turned all his bedstraw in his sickness.
4 I said, Lord, have thou mercy on me; heal thou my soul, for I have sinned against thee.
5 Mine enemies said evils to me; When shall he die, and his name shall perish?
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.