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Psalms 41:4
Verse
Context
Sermons
Horatius Bonar
James Smith
Thomas WatsonSummary
Commentary
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
(Heb.: 41:5-7) He, the poet, is treated in his distress of soul in a manner totally different from the way just described which is so rich in promises of blessing. He is himself just such a דּל, towards whom one ought to manifest sympathising consideration and interest. But, whilst he is addressing God in the language of penitential prayer for mercy and help, his enemies speak evil to him, i.e., with respect to him, wishing that he might die and that his name might perish. רפאה .hs is as an exception Milra, inasmuch as א draws the tone to its own syllable; cf. on the other hand רגזה, Isa 32:11 (Hitzig). מתי (prop. extension, length of time) has only become a Semitic interrogative in the signification quando by the omission of the interrogative אי (common Arabic in its full form Arab. 'ymtâ, êmata). ואבד is a continuation of the future. In Psa 41:7 one is singled out and made prominent, and his hypocritically malicious conduct described. ראות of a visit to a sick person as in Sa2 13:5., Kg2 8:29. אם is used both with the perf. (Psa 50:18; Psa 63:7; Psa 78:34; Psa 94:18; Gen 38:9; Amo 7:2; Isa 24:13; Isa 28:25) and with the fut. (Psa 68:14; Job 14:14), like quum, as a blending together of si and quando, Germ. wenn (if) and wann (when). In ידבר לבו two Rebias come together, the first of which has the greater value as a distinctive, according to the rule laid down in Baer's Psalterium, p. xiv. Consequently, following the accents, it must not be rendered: "falsehood doth his heart speak." The lxx, Vulgate, and Targum have discerned the correct combination of the words. Besides, the accentuation, as is seen from the Targum and expositors, proceeds on the assumption that לבּו is equivalent to בּלבּו. But why may it not be the subject-notion: "His heart gathereth" is an expression of the activity of his mind and feelings, concealed beneath a feigned and friendly outward bearing. The asyndeton portrays the despatch with which he seeks to make the material for slander, which has been gathered together, public both in the city and in the country.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
I said--I asked the mercy I show. heal my soul--(Compare Psa 30:2). "Sin and suffering are united," is one of the great teachings of the Psalms.
John Gill Bible Commentary
I said, Lord, be merciful unto me,.... See Gill on Psa 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 Isa 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, Psa 40:12; he was treated as a sinner, and as guilty before God, Isa 53:12; and so the words may be read, "for I am a sinner unto thee" (u); 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" (w), so the word is used, Lev 6:26; and so it might be rendered in Lev 5:7; and perhaps may be better rendered so in Lev 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, Psa 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, Ti1 3:16. (u) "tibi", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius. (w) "Obtuli sacrificium pro peccato", Gussetius, Ebr. Comment. p. 249, 923.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
41:4 The psalmist applies the blessing to himself (41:12). Apparently he has taken care of the poor (41:1), but he has sinned against the Lord in other ways. Out of his pain, he cries for healing while confessing his sin. The Lord alone can grant the restoration that brings true joy (30:2; 107:20-21).
Psalms 41:4
Victory over Betrayal
3The LORD will sustain him on his bed of illness and restore him from his bed of sickness. 4I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against You.” 5My enemies say with malice: “When will he die and be forgotten?”
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
The Sickness, the Healer, and the Healing.
By Horatius Bonar0Sin and RedemptionHealingPSA 41:4ISA 53:5MAT 9:12Horatius Bonar emphasizes the profound need for healing from sin, which he describes as the soul's ultimate sickness, far worse than any physical ailment. He explains that while sin brings guilt and disease, God alone is the healer who offers forgiveness and restoration through Christ. Bonar reassures that God desires our healing and has provided the means for it through the cross, where true healing begins. He urges listeners to seek God directly for their healing, reminding them that it is not through human effort but by looking to the cross that they can find salvation and wholeness. The sermon concludes with a call to acknowledge our need for healing and to turn to God for restoration.
A Kind Inquiry
By James Smith02SA 20:9PSA 41:4PSA 107:20PRO 4:23ISA 53:5JER 17:9HEB 12:13JAS 5:161PE 2:243JN 1:2James Smith preaches on the deceitful nature of kind words from cruel hearts, using the treacherous act of Joab towards Amasa as an example. He emphasizes the importance of spiritual health over physical health, highlighting the need for Christians to inquire about each other's well-being in a genuine and loving manner. Smith delves into the spiritual relationship among believers, encouraging self-examination to ensure a healthy spiritual state by assessing desires, speech, prayer life, affections, and actions.
A Christian on Earth, Still in Heaven
By Thomas Watson0PSA 3:1PSA 23:4PSA 31:14PSA 40:17PSA 41:4PSA 55:12PSA 65:3PSA 69:3PSA 94:14Thomas Watson preaches about the spiritual paradise found in the Scriptures, particularly in the book of Psalms, which offers both delight and usefulness to every Christian. He highlights how the Psalms are enriched with variety and suited to every condition, providing comfort and guidance in times of sickness, reproach, unkind dealings, enemies, poverty, sin, prayer, desertion, and even death. Watson emphasizes the importance of being 'still with God,' illustrating how a gracious heart is continuously drawn towards God through contemplation, desire, love, faith, and a life lived in communion with Him.
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
(Heb.: 41:5-7) He, the poet, is treated in his distress of soul in a manner totally different from the way just described which is so rich in promises of blessing. He is himself just such a דּל, towards whom one ought to manifest sympathising consideration and interest. But, whilst he is addressing God in the language of penitential prayer for mercy and help, his enemies speak evil to him, i.e., with respect to him, wishing that he might die and that his name might perish. רפאה .hs is as an exception Milra, inasmuch as א draws the tone to its own syllable; cf. on the other hand רגזה, Isa 32:11 (Hitzig). מתי (prop. extension, length of time) has only become a Semitic interrogative in the signification quando by the omission of the interrogative אי (common Arabic in its full form Arab. 'ymtâ, êmata). ואבד is a continuation of the future. In Psa 41:7 one is singled out and made prominent, and his hypocritically malicious conduct described. ראות of a visit to a sick person as in Sa2 13:5., Kg2 8:29. אם is used both with the perf. (Psa 50:18; Psa 63:7; Psa 78:34; Psa 94:18; Gen 38:9; Amo 7:2; Isa 24:13; Isa 28:25) and with the fut. (Psa 68:14; Job 14:14), like quum, as a blending together of si and quando, Germ. wenn (if) and wann (when). In ידבר לבו two Rebias come together, the first of which has the greater value as a distinctive, according to the rule laid down in Baer's Psalterium, p. xiv. Consequently, following the accents, it must not be rendered: "falsehood doth his heart speak." The lxx, Vulgate, and Targum have discerned the correct combination of the words. Besides, the accentuation, as is seen from the Targum and expositors, proceeds on the assumption that לבּו is equivalent to בּלבּו. But why may it not be the subject-notion: "His heart gathereth" is an expression of the activity of his mind and feelings, concealed beneath a feigned and friendly outward bearing. The asyndeton portrays the despatch with which he seeks to make the material for slander, which has been gathered together, public both in the city and in the country.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
I said--I asked the mercy I show. heal my soul--(Compare Psa 30:2). "Sin and suffering are united," is one of the great teachings of the Psalms.
John Gill Bible Commentary
I said, Lord, be merciful unto me,.... See Gill on Psa 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 Isa 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, Psa 40:12; he was treated as a sinner, and as guilty before God, Isa 53:12; and so the words may be read, "for I am a sinner unto thee" (u); 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" (w), so the word is used, Lev 6:26; and so it might be rendered in Lev 5:7; and perhaps may be better rendered so in Lev 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, Psa 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, Ti1 3:16. (u) "tibi", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius. (w) "Obtuli sacrificium pro peccato", Gussetius, Ebr. Comment. p. 249, 923.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
41:4 The psalmist applies the blessing to himself (41:12). Apparently he has taken care of the poor (41:1), but he has sinned against the Lord in other ways. Out of his pain, he cries for healing while confessing his sin. The Lord alone can grant the restoration that brings true joy (30:2; 107:20-21).