Logos Bible Study

Psalm 40:12–17

The NET BibleOther versions

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40:12For innumerable dangers28 surround me.

My sins overtake me

so I am unable to see;

they outnumber the hairs of my head

so my strength fails me.29

40:13Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me!

O Lord, hurry and help me!30

40:14May those who are trying to snatch away my life

be totally embarrassed and ashamed!31

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed!32

40:15May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”

be humiliated33 and disgraced!34

40:16May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience35 your deliverance say continually,36

“May the Lord be praised!”37

40:17I am oppressed and needy!38

May the Lord pay attention to me!39

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O my God, do not delay!

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Footnotes

  1. 28 Or “sinful deeds.” The Hebrew term used here can have a nonmoral nuance (“dangers”) or a moral one (“sinful deeds”) depending on the context. The next line (see “my sins”) seems to favor the moral sense, but the psalmist also speaks of enemies shortly after this (v. 14).
  2. 29 Heb “and my heart abandons me.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of emotional strength and courage. For a similar idea see Ps 38:10.
  3. 30 Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.
  4. 31 Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”
  5. 32 The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those … be … embarrassed and ashamed … may those … be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies. See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.
  6. 33 The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.
  7. 34 Heb “May they be humiliated according to their shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’ ”
  8. 35 Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the Lord.
  9. 36 The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.
  10. 37 The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great” (cf. ). See Ps 35:27.
  11. 38 See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
  12. 39 The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. ) or as an imperfect, “The Lord will pay attention to me” (cf. ). The parallel in Ps 70:5 has, “O God, hurry to me!” For this reason some prefer to emend יַחֲשָׁב (yakhashav, “may he pay attention”) to חוּשָׁה (khushah, “hurry!”). The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward; elsewhere when the Qal of חָשַׁב (khashav, “reckon; consider”) is collocated with the preposition -ל (lamed) and a pronominal suffix there is an accompanying direct object or additional prepositional phrase/adverbial accusative (see Gen 15:6; 2 Sam 19:19; Job 13:24; 19:11; 33:10; Pss 32:2; 41:7; Amos 6:5).

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For evils have encompassed me

beyond number;

my iniquities have overtaken me,

and I cannot see;

they are more than the hairs of my head;

my heart fails me.

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!

O Lord, make haste to help me!

Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether

who seek to snatch away my life;

let those be turned back and brought to dishonor

who delight in my hurt!

Let those be appalled because of their shame

who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation

say continually, “Great is the Lord!”

As for me, I am poor and needy,

but the Lord takes thought for me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

do not delay, O my God!

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

For troubles without number surround me;

my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.

They are more than the hairs of my head,

and my heart fails within me.

Be pleased to save me, Lord;

come quickly, Lord, to help me.

May all who want to take my life

be put to shame and confusion;

may all who desire my ruin

be turned back in disgrace.

May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”

be appalled at their own shame.

But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who long for your saving help always say,

“The Lord is great!”

But as for me, I am poor and needy;

may the Lord think of me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

you are my God, do not delay.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

For troubles without number have surrounded me;

my iniquities have overtaken me; I am unable to see.

They are more than the hairs of my head,

and my courage leaves me.

Lord, be pleased to rescue me;

hurry to help me, Lord.

Let those who intend to take my life

be disgraced and confounded.

Let those who wish me harm

be turned back and humiliated.

Let those who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

be appalled because of their shame.

Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;

let those who love your salvation continually say,

“The Lord is great!”

I am oppressed and needy;

may the Lord think of me.

You are my helper and my deliverer;

my God, do not delay.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

For troubles surround me—

too many to count!

My sins pile up so high

I can’t see my way out.

They outnumber the hairs on my head.

I have lost all courage.

Please, Lord, rescue me!

Come quickly, Lord, and help me.

May those who try to destroy me

be humiliated and put to shame.

May those who take delight in my trouble

be turned back in disgrace.

Let them be horrified by their shame,

for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”

But may all who search for you

be filled with joy and gladness in you.

May those who love your salvation

repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”

As for me, since I am poor and needy,

let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.

You are my helper and my savior.

O my God, do not delay.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For evils without number have encompassed me.

My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see.

They are more than the hairs of my head,

and my heart fails me.

Be pleased, O Yahweh, to deliver me.

O Yahweh, hurry to help me.

Let them be shamed and abashed altogether

who seek to take away my life.

Let them be repulsed and humiliated

who desire my harm.

Let them be appalled because of their shame,

those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”

Let them rejoice and be glad in you,

all those who seek you.

Let them say continually, “Yahweh is great!”

—those who love your salvation.

But I am poor and needy.

Let my Lord consider me.

You are my help and my deliverer.

O my God, do not delay.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

For innumerable evils have compassed me about:

Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up;

They are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me:

O Lord, make haste to help me.

Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it;

Let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.

Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame

That say unto me, Aha, aha.

Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee:

Let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified.

But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me:

Thou art my help and my deliverer;

Make no tarrying, O my God.

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