Psalms 41

General context

The psalm opens by calling blessed the one who considers the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble, preserve him, keep him alive, bless him on the earth, not deliver him to the will of his enemies, strengthen him on the bed of languishing and make all his bed in his sickness. The speaker then reports his own prayer, asking the Lord to be merciful and heal his soul because he has sinned against him. His enemies speak evil of him, asking when he will die and his name perish. If one comes to see him he speaks vanity, gathers iniquity to himself, and tells it when he goes abroad. All who hate him whisper together and devise his hurt, saying an evil disease cleaves to him and that now he lies down he will rise no more. Even his own familiar friend, in whom he trusted and who ate his bread, has lifted up his heel against him. He asks the Lord to be merciful and raise him up so that he may requite them, and says he knows God favours him because his enemy does not triumph over him. God upholds him in his integrity and sets him before his face for ever. The psalm closes with a blessing of the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting, Amen, and Amen.

Cited passages: Psalms 41:1, Psalms 41:2, Psalms 41:3, Psalms 41:4, Psalms 41:5, Psalms 41:6, Psalms 41:7, Psalms 41:8, Psalms 41:9, Psalms 41:10, Psalms 41:11, Psalms 41:12, Psalms 41:13

Psalms 41 (KJV)

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The text as printed here carries no heading; verse 1 opens with "Blessed is he that considereth the poor", so this source names no author, occasion or musical direction. Verses 1 to 3 speak in the third person about the one who considers the poor, and the speaker's own voice enters at verse 4 with "I said". The sickness is stated by the speaker's enemies, "An evil disease, say they", and by the general promise about "the bed of languishing"; the text does not name the illness. The speaker admits sin, "I have sinned against thee", and does not say what it was. The "familiar friend" who ate his bread is not named. The words "that I may requite them" state a wish for repayment without saying how. Verse 9 is quoted in the Gospel of John: "that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me". The closing verse, with its double Amen, is the only verse of the psalm that blesses the "Lord God of Israel" rather than speaking of the speaker's own case.

Cited passages: Psalms 41:1, Psalms 41:4, Psalms 41:8, Psalms 41:9, Psalms 41:10, John 13:18, Psalms 41:13

Literary context

The psalm opens and closes with "Blessed": first the man who considers the poor, and last the Lord God of Israel. Between them stands a sickroom scene told almost entirely through what others say. The enemies' words are quoted twice, "When shall he die" and "he shall rise up no more", and the visitor's false comfort is set against the whisper outside. The list narrows from "Mine enemies" to "All that hate me" to the single "familiar friend", with the intimate detail of shared bread turned into a lifted heel. The speaker's two prayers match: "be merciful unto me" at verse 4 with a confession, and "be merciful unto me" at verse 10 with a request to be raised up. The confidence at the end reverses the enemies' hope: they wait for his name to perish, and he says God sets him "before thy face for ever". The promise of verse 2, "thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies", is claimed in verse 11, "mine enemy doth not triumph over me".

Cited passages: Psalms 41:1, Psalms 41:13, Psalms 41:5, Psalms 41:8, Psalms 41:9, Psalms 41:10, Psalms 41:12, Psalms 41:2, Psalms 41:11

Key moments

1. Blessed is he that considers the poor (Psalms 41:1). The psalm promises deliverance in trouble to the one who considers the poor.
2. Heal my soul, for I have sinned (Psalms 41:4). The speaker reports his prayer for mercy and healing with a confession of sin.
3. When shall he die? (Psalms 41:5). His enemies speak evil of him and wait for his name to perish.
4. The whisper of an evil disease (Psalms 41:8). Those who hate him say a disease cleaves to him and he will not rise again.
5. The friend who lifted his heel (Psalms 41:9). His own trusted friend who ate his bread has turned against him.
6. Raise me up (Psalms 41:10). He asks the Lord to be merciful and raise him so that he may requite them.
7. Amen, and Amen (Psalms 41:13). The psalm closes by blessing the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting.

For reflection

The speaker asks to be raised up so that he may requite those who whispered against him, and a verse later says he knows God favours him because his enemy does not triumph; what does the poem treat as the proof of favour?

People in this chapter

• David
• Jacob