Psalm 41:1-10

1 To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. O the happiness of him Who is acting wisely unto the poor, In a day of evil doth Jehovah deliver him.

2 Jehovah doth preserve him and revive him, He is happy in the land, And Thou givest him not into the will of his enemies.

3 Jehovah supporteth on a couch of sickness, All his bed Thou hast turned in his weakness.

4 I -- I said, `O Jehovah, favour me, Heal my soul, for I did sin against Thee,'

5 Mine enemies say evil of me: When he dieth -- his name hath perished!

6 And if he came to see -- vanity he speaketh, His heart gathereth iniquity to itself, He goeth out -- at the street he speaketh.

7 All hating me whisper together against me, Against me they devise evil to me:

8 A thing of Belial is poured out on him, And because he lay down he riseth not again.

9 Even mine ally, in whom I trusted, One eating my bread, made great the heel against me,

10 And Thou, Jehovah, favour me, And cause me to rise, And I give recompence to them.

Psalm 41:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. In this psalm is a prophecy concerning Christ, and concerning Judas Iscariot, as runs part of the title in the Syriac version; and in the Arabic version it is called a prophecy concerning the incarnation, and the salutation of Judas; and certain it is that Psalm 41:9 is to be understood of him, and of his betraying Christ into the hands of his enemies, since it is cited and applied to him by our Lord himself, John 13:18; so that having such a sure rule of interpretation, we may safely venture to explain the whole psalm of Christ, which treats both of his humiliation and exaltation; for it neither agrees with David wholly, nor with Hezekiah, to whom some ascribe it, as Theodoret remarks.