Psalm 41

Psalm 41 is the last psalm of Book One (Psalms 1–41) of the Book of Psalms, and its superscription reads "A Psalm of David." The preceding Psalm 40 ends with thanksgiving for deliverance and a renewed prayer for help. This psalm continues that movement, voicing the lament and trust of a person lying ill.

Structure

• Verses 1–3: The psalmist celebrates the blessing of one who cares for the weak. The LORD delivers and preserves such a person in the day of trouble and sustains him upon his sickbed.
• Verse 4: The psalmist confesses that he has sinned and asks the LORD to heal his soul.
• Verses 5–9: His enemies speak evil of him, wondering when he will die. When they come to visit, they speak falsehood, and when they leave, they spread it abroad, whispering that an evil disease has seized him and that he will rise no more. Even his close friend, who ate bread with him, has lifted up his heel against him.
• Verses 10–12: The psalmist again pleads for mercy. Seeing that his enemy does not triumph over him, he is confident that God is pleased with him.
• Verse 13: A doxology (a brief hymn ascribing glory to God) blesses the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting and ends with "Amen, and Amen."

Key Verses

• Psalm 41:1 "Blessed is he that considereth the poor"
• To "consider" here means to care for.
• The verse describes a life of caring for one's weak neighbors as blessed.
• Some interpreters see it as pairing with the "Blessed is the man" of Psalm 1, so that the two frame the beginning and end of Book One.
• Psalm 41:9 "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me."
• In the New Testament, Jesus quotes this verse when foretelling his betrayal.
• Psalm 41:13 "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting."
• This is the doxology that concludes Book One.

People and Places

• David: The author of this psalm, named in the superscription.
• The enemies and the close friend: The text does not name them.
• Judas Iscariot: The figure connected with verse 9 in the New Testament.

Points for Reflection

• Authorship in the superscription: The psalm has traditionally been read as a psalm of David. Some scholars, however, regard the superscription as a later addition.
• The friend in verse 9: Some interpreters think of Ahithophel, the counselor who deserted David during Absalom's rebellion. The text itself, however, does not identify the friend.
• Connection with the New Testament: In John 13:18, Jesus quotes part of verse 9—"He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me"—and presents it as the fulfillment of Scripture. Because verse 4 contains a confession of sin, many interpreters do not read the entire psalm as a prophecy about Jesus; instead, they read the betrayal scene in verse 9 as foreshadowing the sufferings of Jesus.
• Sickness and sin: In verse 4 the psalmist confesses sin in the midst of illness. Many interpreters hold, however, that this verse does not assert that all sickness is the result of sin, and John 9:1–3 is often cited in this connection.
• The prayer for requital: Interpretations of "that I may requite them" in verse 10 differ. Some view it as a king's request for the restoration of justice, while others see it as the honest lament of a psalmist in distress. It is also sometimes discussed alongside the New Testament teaching on love for one's enemies.
• Doxologies closing each book: As in verse 13, a doxology stands at the end of each book of the Psalms. Examples include Psalm 72:18–19, Psalm 89:52, and Psalm 106:48.