Logos Bible Study

Psalm 41:4–10

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41:4As for me, I said:11

“O Lord, have mercy on me!

Heal me, for I have sinned against you!

41:5My enemies ask this cruel question about me,12

‘When will he finally die and be forgotten?’13

41:6When someone comes to visit,14 he pretends to be friendly;15

he thinks of ways to defame me,16

and when he leaves he slanders me.17

41:7All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another;18

they plan ways to harm me.

41:8They say,19

‘An awful disease20 overwhelms him,21

and now that he is bed-ridden he will never recover.’22

41:9Even my close friend23 whom I trusted,

he who shared meals with me, has turned against me.24

41:10As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,

so I can pay them back!”25

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Footnotes

  1. 11 In vv. 4–10 the psalmist recites the prayer of petition and lament he offered to the Lord.
  2. 12 Heb “my enemies speak evil concerning me.”
  3. 13 Heb “and his name perish.”
  4. 14 Heb “to see.”
  5. 15 Heb “he speaks deceitfully.”
  6. 16 Heb “his heart gathers sin to itself.”
  7. 17 Heb “he goes outside and speaks.”
  8. 18 Heb “together against me they whisper, all those who hate me.” The Hitpael of לָחַשׁ (lakhash) refers here to whispering to one another (see 2 Sam 12:19).
  9. 19 The words “they say” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to make it clear that v. 8 contains a quotation of what the psalmist’s enemies say about him (see v. 7a).
  10. 20 Heb “thing of worthlessness.” In Ps 101:3 the phrase refers to evil deeds in general, but here it appears to refer more specifically to the illness that plagues the psalmist.
  11. 21 Heb “is poured out on him.” The passive participle of יָצַק (yatsaq) is used.
  12. 22 Heb “and he who lies down will not again arise.”
  13. 23 Heb “man of my peace.” The phrase here refers to one’s trusted friend (see Jer 38:22; Obad 7).
  14. 24 Heb “has made a heel great against me.” The precise meaning of this phrase, which appears only here, is uncertain. The language of this verse is applied to Judas Iscariot in John 13:18.
  15. 25 The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) here indicates purpose or result (“Then I will repay them”) after the preceding imperatives.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;

heal me, for I have sinned against you!”

My enemies say of me in malice,

“When will he die, and his name perish?”

And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,

while his heart gathers iniquity;

when he goes out, he tells it abroad.

All who hate me whisper together about me;

they imagine the worst for me.

They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him;

he will not rise again from where he lies.”

Even my close friend in whom I trusted,

who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,

and raise me up, that I may repay them!

NIVNew International Version (2011)

I said, “Have mercy on me, Lord;

heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

My enemies say of me in malice,

“When will he die and his name perish?”

When one of them comes to see me,

he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;

then he goes out and spreads it around.

All my enemies whisper together against me;

they imagine the worst for me, saying,

“A vile disease has afflicted him;

he will never get up from the place where he lies.”

Even my close friend,

someone I trusted,

one who shared my bread,

has turned against me.

But may you have mercy on me, Lord;

raise me up, that I may repay them.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

I said, “Lord, be gracious to me;

heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

My enemies speak maliciously about me:

“When will he die and be forgotten?”

When one of them comes to visit, he speaks deceitfully;

he stores up evil in his heart;

he goes out and talks.

All who hate me whisper together about me;

they plan to harm me.

“Something awful has overwhelmed him,

and he won’t rise again from where he lies!”

Even my friend in whom I trusted,

one who ate my bread,

has raised his heel against me.

But you, Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up;

then I will repay them.

NLTNew Living Translation

“O Lord,” I prayed, “have mercy on me.

Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

But my enemies say nothing but evil about me.

“How soon will he die and be forgotten?” they ask.

They visit me as if they were my friends,

but all the while they gather gossip,

and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.

All who hate me whisper about me,

imagining the worst.

“He has some fatal disease,” they say.

“He will never get out of that bed!”

Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely,

the one who shared my food, has turned against me.

Lord, have mercy on me.

Make me well again, so I can pay them back!

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

As for me, I said, “O Yahweh, be gracious to me.

Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

My enemies speak evil about me,

“When will he die and his name perish?”

And when one comes to see me, he speaks falsely;

his heart gathers disaster for itself.

He goes out to the street; he speaks.

All who hate me speak together against me.

Against me they assume the worst for me:

“A ruinous thing is poured out on him,

and now that he lies down, he will not rise up again.”

Even my close friend, whom I trusted,

who ate my bread,

has lifted his heel against me.

But you, O Yahweh, be gracious to me and raise me up

that I may repay them.

KJV 1900King James Version

I said, Lord, be merciful unto me:

Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

Mine enemies speak evil of me,

When shall he die, and his name perish?

And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity:

His heart gathereth iniquity to itself;

When he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

All that hate me whisper together against me:

Against me do they devise my hurt.

An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him:

And now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,

Which did eat of my bread,

Hath lifted up his heel against me.

But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me,

And raise me up, that I may requite them.