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Psalm Forty-one
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 41
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.
Psalm 41:1 Blessed
is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time
of trouble.
YLT
1To 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.
Blessed is he that considereth the poor
.... Not the
poor of the world in common
nor poor saints in particular
but some single
poor man; for the word is in the singular number
and designs our Lord Jesus
Christ
who
in Psalm 40:17
is
said to be "poor and needy": and so read the Septuagint
Vulgate
Latin
and Ethiopic versions here; who became poor for our sakes
that we might
be enriched by his poverty; being born of poor parents
educated in a mean
manner
and in public life was ministered to by others: the wordF17דל "tenuem"
Montanus
Cocceius;
"attenuatum"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "the poor
weakling"
Ainsworth. here used signifies one that is attenuated
weak
and exhausted either of his substance or strength
or both; as Christ was in
his state of humiliation
when he was emptied of his riches
and
though Lord
of all
had not where to lay his head; and whose strength was dried up like a
potsherd
when he suffered on the cross; and indeed at best he was encompassed
with weaknesses and infirmities: and in this his low estate he is to be wisely
considered
or attended to with wisdom and understanding; and he may be said
wisely to consider him
who considers how great a person he is
that came into
such a low estate for us; not a mere man
but above angels and men
that has
all the perfections of deity in him
is the eternal Son of God
truly and
properly God
and the Creator of all things
and Governor of the universe;
which consideration will engage to and encourage faith and hope in him
lead to
adore his wonderful grace
and to admire his condescension and humility in
becoming poor and weak; as also who considers that the poverty of Christ was
for our sakes
and that we might be made rich with the riches of grace and glory;
and considers it so as not to be offended with it; see Matthew 11:6; and
which may serve to support us under all meanness and infirmity
and in
whatsoever estate saints may come into; and likewise who considers him in his
offices which he exercised in that his estate as the apostle and high priest of
our profession; and him in his exalted state in heaven; see Hebrews 12:3; in a
word
he wisely considers him
who believes in him as his Saviour
prizes him
as the pearl of great price
cleaves close unto him
and follows him wherever
he goes; who desires to know more of him
is concerned for his honour
interest
kingdom and glory
and pities his poor members
and freely and
bountifully communicates to them; and so the Targum
"blessed
is the man that wisely considers the afflictions of the poor
that he may have
mercy on him;'
and
such an one is an happy man
and the following things said of him prove him to
be so;
the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble: or "in
the evil day"F18ביום רעה "in die mala"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Musculus. ; out of all his trouble
temporal and spiritual
of body and soul;
in every time of affliction
private and personal; or in a time of public
calamity; perhaps reference may be had to the time of Jerusalem's destruction
which was a time of great tribulation
Matthew 24:21; when
those who did not consider Christ in his poor and low estate
but despised and
rejected him
were destroyed; and such as did were saved from that calamity:
and it may also include the day of judgment
which is the evil day
unto which
the wicked are reserved
and when they will be punished with everlasting
destruction; but then those that consider Christ
and believe in him
will be
saved from wrath. SomeF19Vid. R. David Kimchium in loc. take these
words
with what follows in the two next verses
as a prayer
and as delivered
by him that visits the sick
for his comfort; and so Joseph Kimchi interprets
it of an honourable man visiting a sick man
and instructing and comforting him
with such words as these
that "the Lord will deliver him"
&c.
Psalm 41:2 2 The Lord will preserve
him and keep him alive
And he will be blessed on the earth; You will
not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
YLT
2Jehovah doth preserve him
and revive him
He is happy in the land
And Thou givest him not into the will
of his enemies.
The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive
.... Amidst a
thousand deaths
to which he is exposed for making a profession of his faith in
Christ; see 2 Corinthians 1:10;
or this may refer to his spiritual life
which is hid and preserved in Christ
in whom he believes; and is safe and secure; because Christ lives he shall live
also
and shall never die the second death
nor be hurt by it
but shall have
everlasting life;
and he shall be blessed upon
the earth; with temporal blessings; for whatever he has
be it more or
less
he has it with the blessing of God
and as a blessing of the covenant
and in love
and so is a blessing indeed: and with spiritual blessings; with
peace
pardon
righteousness
and a right and title to eternal glory and
happiness; and he will be blessed in the new earth
in which righteousness will
dwell
and where he will dwell
live
and reign with Christ a thousand years;
and thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemies; not into the
will of Satan
that roaring lion who would devour him if he might; nor of
wicked men
and furious persecutors
whose wrath the Lord makes to praise him;
and the remainder of it is restrained by him; some read these words as a
prayer
"do not thou deliver him"
&c. see Psalm 27:12; so
Pagninus
Montanus
Junius and Tremellius
Ainsworth
and others.
Psalm 41:3 3 The Lord will
strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.
YLT
3Jehovah supporteth on a
couch of sickness
All his bed Thou hast turned in his weakness.
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"F20הפכת "versasti"
Pagninus
Montanus;
"vertisti"
Vatablus; "ita vertes"
Michaelis; so
Ainsworth; δεμνια οι μετεθηκεν
Apollinarius.
; 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.
Psalm 41:4 4 I said
“Lord
be merciful
to me; Heal my soul
for I have sinned against You.”
YLT
4I -- I said
`O Jehovah
favour me
Heal my soul
for I did sin against Thee
'
YLT
4These I remember
and pour
out my soul in me
For I pass over into the booth
I go softly with them unto
the house of God
With the voice of singing and confession
The multitude
keeping feast!
I said
Lord
be merciful unto me
.... See Gill on Psalm 40:11;
heal my soul; not that it was diseased with sin in such
sense as the souls of other men are; but it is to be understood as a petition
for comfort while bearing the sins of others
and which Christ as man stood in
need of when in the garden and on the cross; so healing signifies comfort in
trouble
as in Isaiah 57:18;
for I have sinned against thee; or "unto
thee"
or "before thee"
as the Targum; not that any sin was
committed by him in his own person
but he having all the sins of his people on
him
which he calls his own
Psalm 40:12; he was
treated as a sinner
and as guilty before God
Isaiah 53:12; and
so the words may be read
"for I am a sinner unto thee"F21לך "tibi"
Pagninus
Montanus
Cocceius. ; I am
counted as one by thee
having the sins of my people imputed to me; and am
bound unto thee
or under obligation to bear the punishment of sin; or thus
"for I have made an offering for sin unto thee"F23"Obtuli
sacrificium pro peccato"
Gussetius
Ebr. Comment. p. 249
923.
so the
word is used
Leviticus 6:26; and
so it might be rendered in Leviticus 5:7; and
perhaps may be better rendered so in Leviticus 4:3; and
be understood
not of the sin of the anointed priest
but of his offering a
sacrifice for the soul that sinned through ignorance
Psalm 41:2
which
offering is directed to: and then the sense here is
heal me
acquit me
discharge me
and deliver me out of this poor and low estate in which I am; for
I have made my soul an offering for sin
and thereby have made atonement for
all the sins of my people laid upon me; and accordingly he was acquitted and
justified
1 Timothy 3:16.
Psalm 41:5 5 My enemies speak evil of
me: “When will he die
and his name perish?”
YLT
5Mine enemies say evil of
me: When he dieth -- his name hath perished!
Mine enemies speak evil of me
.... That is
the Jews
who were enemies to his person
people
doctrines and ordinances
and would not
have him to reign over them; these spake evil of him
charged him with being a
glutton and a winebibber; said he had a devil
and was a Samaritan; imputed his
miracles to diabolical influence; branded his doctrine with blasphemy
and
spoke against his religion and worship
and wished him ill
saying
when shall he die; they had a good will to assassinate him
privately
but upon mature deliberation they consulted and determined to take
what advantage they could against him
and deliver him up to the Roman
governor; they feared
should he go on and succeed
through his doctrines and
miracles
as he did
it would go ill with them; and they concluded
could he be
brought to death
it would clearly appear to the common people that he was not
the Messiah; though this was the very thing he came into the world for
and
which he himself was very desirous of; because hereby
and hereby only
the
salvation of his people could be brought about; and though this was a thing
foretold in prophecy
yet it seems as if Christ's enemies the Jews
and Satan
himself
were ignorant of it
and of its virtue and use to save men; however
though it was an ill wish in them
it was well for us that he did die
though
the consequence is not as they wished;
and his name perish? that is
the fame of his
doctrine and miracles
the memory of him and his worthy deeds
particularly his
Gospel
which so fully expresses the glory of his person and grace; yea
he
himself
for they hoped that upon his death he would come into general
disgrace
that his name would never be mentioned but with reproach
that his Gospel
would be no more preached
and that he would be accursed of God and men: in all
which they were sadly disappointed; for
upon his resurrection from the dead
he had a name given him above every name; his memory became precious to
thousands; an ordinance was appointed to remember him to the end of the world
in all his churches; his Gospel was ordered to be preached to all the world
as
it was; and he himself is blessed for evermore.
Psalm 41:6 6 And if he comes to see me
he speaks lies; His heart gathers iniquity to itself; When he goes out
he tells it.
YLT
6And if he came to see --
vanity he speaketh
His heart gathereth iniquity to itself
He goeth out -- at
the street he speaketh.
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 writerF24Delaney's Life of King David
vol. 2. p. 157
158.
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;
compared with Luke 23:2; compared
with Matthew 26:60
compared with John 19:5.
Psalm 41:7 7 All who hate me whisper
together against me; Against me they devise my hurt.
YLT
7All hating me whisper
together against me
Against me they devise evil to me:
All that hate me whisper together against me
.... That is
they privately conspired against him; see Matthew 22:15;
against me do they devise my hurt; not only to take away
his name and credit
but his life.
Psalm 41:8 8 “An evil disease
” they
say
“clings to him. And now that he lies down
he will rise up no
more.”
YLT
8A thing of Belial is poured
out on him
And because he lay down he riseth not again.
An evil disease
say they
cleaveth fast unto him
.... Not any
bodily one
of which they might hope he would die; much less any foul disease
the disease of sin; but
as the phrase may be rendered
"a word of
Belial"F25דבר בליעל
"verbum Belijahal"
Montanus
Musculus
Cocceius
Gejerus. ; that is
a wicked charge or accusation; a charge of sin brought against him by the sons
of Belial
as of blasphemy and sedition
which they concluded would be fastened
upon him
and stick by him
and in which they should succeed to their wishes;
or else the shameful punishment the death of the cross
inflicted on him
which
they fancied would fix an indelible mark of infamy and scandal on him
since
cursed is he that hangeth on a tree;
and now that he lieth
let him rise up no more; has much as
he was dead
of which they had full proof
and was laid in the grave
his tomb
watched
and the stone rolled to it sealed; they thought all was safe
and it
was all over with him
that he would never rise again
as he had given out
and
his disciples incapable of committing a fraud they afterwards accused them
with: this
according to the above learned writer
see Psalm 41:6
was
said by Absalom
as he thinks Ahithophel is the person designed in Psalm 41:9.
Psalm 41:9 9 Even my own familiar
friend in whom I trusted
Who ate my bread
Has lifted up his heel against
me.
YLT
9Even mine ally
in whom I
trusted
One eating my bread
made great the heel against me
Yea
mine own familiar friend
.... Or
"the man of
my peace"F26איש שלומי
"vir pacis meae"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus
Cocceius
Gejerus
Michaelis. ; who did live peaceably with him
and ought always to have done so;
whom he treated as his friend
as the rest of the apostles; calling him to that
high office
and ordaining him to it
and qualifying him for it; and whom he
called by the name of friend
when he came to betray him; Judas is meant;
in whom I trusted; with the bag and the money in it
both for
the sustenance of his own family
the apostles
and for the relief of the poor
John 12:6;
which did eat of my bread; of his bread in common
with the rest of the apostles; and who was eating with him when he gave the
sign who should betray him; and who seems to have eaten of the bread in the
Lord's supper: even this same person
hath lifted up his heel against me; by supplanting him
dealing hypocritically with him
and betraying him into the hands of his
enemies: the metaphor is either taken from an unruly horse throwing his rider
and then ungenerously spurning at him
and trampling on him; or from wrestlers
who seek to supplant and trip up each other's heels; which shows the
ingratitude
baseness
and treachery of Judas; see John 13:18.
Psalm 41:10 10 But You
O Lord
be merciful
to me
and raise me up
That I may repay them.
YLT
10And Thou
Jehovah
favour
me
And cause me to rise
And I give recompence to them.
But thou
O Lord
be merciful unto me
and raise me up
.... Not from
a bed of illness
nor from a state of poverty and want; but from the dead: it
was by the will of his divine Father that he suffered death
and it was to him
he made satisfaction and reconciliation for the sins of his people
by his
sufferings and death; and therefore it was but a reasonable request
that
having done this
he should be raised from the dead: besides
his Father had
promised it
and he had believed it; so that this prayer was a prayer of faith
founded upon a divine promise; and the resurrection of Christ is for the most
part ascribed to God the Father as his act; though not to the exclusion of the
Son
who had power
as to lay down his life
so to take it up again; and though
the resurrection of Christ from the dead is not only an act of power
but also
of justice
he having paid his people's debts
atoned for their sins
and
satisfied law and justice
it was but right and equitable that he should be
discharged from the prison of the grave
and set free; yet here it is requested
as an act of mercy
grace
and kindness; for
by doing it
it would appear that
his Father's wrath was taken away from him
and that he had turned himself from
the fierceness of his anger to him
and that he was well pleased with his
righteousness and sacrifice; besides
it was giving him glory
as well as
rolling away the reproach he lay under; and
however
it was in mercy to his
body the church
whom he represented
since it was for their justification;
nay
their regeneration is influenced by it; and so is the resurrection of
their bodies
of which Christ's resurrection is the pledge and pattern. The end
Christ had in view in making the request follows;
that I may requite them: not "him"
Judas
last mentioned; for justice pursued and overtook him; he destroyed
himself
and was gone to his own place
before Christ's resurrection from the
dead; but them
the Jews
as a body; his enemies that spoke ill of him
wished
ill to him
conspired against him
to take away his life
and did bring him to
the dust of death: and this his requital of them
after his resurrection
was
either of good for evil
by ordering his disciples to preach his Gospel
first
at Jerusalem
to those very persons who were concerned in his death
many of
whom were converted
baptized
and added to the church; or of evil
for their
evil to him
which had its accomplishment in part
at the destruction of
Jerusalem
and will more fully at the day of judgment
when they that have
pierced him shall see him come in the clouds of heaven.
Psalm 41:11 11 By this I know that You
are well pleased with me
Because my enemy does not triumph over me.
YLT
11By this I have known
That
Thou hast delighted in me
Because my enemy shouteth not over me.
By this I know that thou favourest me
.... Or
"delightest in me"F26הפצת בי "complacuisti in me"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus; "delectaris me"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Cocceius. ; as he did
both as his Son and his servant; in his obedience
sufferings
and death
whereby his counsels were accomplished
his covenant
ratified
and the salvation of his people procured; and which delight and well
pleasedness in him was the ground of his deliverance from the power of death
and the grave; see Psalm 18:19; the
token by which Christ knew this was
because mine enemy doth not triumph over me; Judas could
not; he was too short lived
he was quickly taken away
and all the woes fall
upon him imprecated on him
Psalm 109:6; nor
the Jews; for though they were highly delighted when they had fastened him to
the cross
and when he was dead
and laid in the grave; yet they could not sing
their jubilee song over him until the third day was past; for they knew he had
given out that he should rise again the third day; on which day he did rise
and
his apostles preached that he was alive
and through him the resurrection of
the dead
to their great grief
vexation
and mortification: nor did Satan
the
enemy of Christ
personal and mystical
triumph over him; not in the
wilderness
where
after he had tempted him
he was obliged to leave him; nor
in the garden
and his agony there
where he was strengthened by an angel; nor
even on the cross; for on that Christ himself triumphed over Satan and his
principalities
whom he spoiled
and destroyed the devil and all his works;
and
at his ascension to heaven
led captivity captive
and gave gifts to men
in token of triumph
and went forth
in the ministration of the Gospel
conquering
and to conquer; turning men from the power of Satan
and causing his
servants to triumph in him
while they were in every place diffusing the savour
of his knowledge.
Psalm 41:12 12 As for me
You uphold me
in my integrity
And set me before Your face forever.
YLT
12As to me
in mine
integrity
Thou hast taken hold upon me
And causest me to stand before Thee to
the age.
And as for me
thou upholdest me in mine integrity
.... In the
innocence of his nature
being free from sin
original and actual; in the
uprightness of his life and conversation before God and men; and in the
perfection of his obedience and sacrifice
whereby he brought in a perfect
righteousness
made complete atonement
and obtained full salvation and
redemption for his people; and
because of all this
Jehovah the Father upheld
him in his sufferings
as man and Mediator
that he failed not
and was not
discouraged: or rather the sense is
that by several things which turned up in
Providence
as the disagreement of the witnesses
declaration of his judge
and
the confession of Judas his betrayer
he was cleared of the charges brought
against him
and his innocence was maintained
and he upheld in it; but
especially this was done by raising him from the dead
when he was openly
acquitted
discharged
and justified
and declared to be the Holy One of God
1 Timothy 3:16;
and settest me before thy face for ever; after his
resurrection
he was introduced into the presence of his Father
and was made
glad with his countenance; where he sits before him as the Angel of his
presence
and appears in the presence of God in the behalf of his people; is
the Lamb in the midst of the throne
as though he had been slain; where his
person
blood
righteousness
and sacrifice
are ever in view for their
acceptance
and where he ever lives to make intercession for them; for here he
will continue until the time of the restitution of all things.
Psalm 41:13 13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel From
everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
YLT
13Blessed [is] Jehovah
God
of Israel
From the age -- and unto the age. Amen and Amen.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
.... Which is
said
either by the Messiah
on account of the delight his Father had in him;
the favour he had shown him in raising him from the dead
maintaining his innocence
and exalting him at his own right hand; and for all the blessings of grace the
whole Israel of God enjoyed through him: or else by the church
who is meant by
Israel
the Lord is the God of in a covenant way; who
hearing such things done
to her Lord and head
breaks out into an exclamation of praise
and ascribes
blessing and glory to God for them
which is due to him;
from everlasting
and to everlasting; that is
throughout all ages
world without end
Ephesians 3:21.
Amen and Amen; which word
as Kimchi observes
signifies
confirmation; and the doubling of it is for the greater confirmation of what is
expressed. Here ends the first part of the book of Psalms
which is divided
into five parts by the JewsF1Midrash Tillim
fol. 2. 1. Kimchi
Praefat. in Psal. .
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》