Focused Passage

Psalms 41:1-13

Blessed Mercy, Betrayed Trust, and the LORD Who Upholds His Servant

Psalm 41 moves from a beatitude on merciful concern for the weak, into David's plea for healing amid sin and enemy malice, through the wound of intimate betrayal, and finally into assurance of divine upholding and the doxology that seals Book I.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 Blessed is the one who cares for the poor; the LORD will deliver him in the day of trouble.

2 The LORD will protect and preserve him; He will bless him in the land and refuse to give him over to the will of his foes.

3 The LORD will sustain him on his bed of illness and restore him from his bed of sickness.

4 I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against You.”

5 My enemies say with malice: “When will he die and be forgotten?”

6 My visitor speaks falsehood; he gathers slander in his heart; he goes out and spreads it abroad.

7 All who hate me whisper against me; they imagine the worst for me:

8 “A vile disease has been poured into him; he will never get up from where he lies!”

9 Even my close friend whom I trusted, the one who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

10 But You, O LORD, be gracious to me and raise me up, that I may repay them.

11 By this I know that You delight in me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.

12 In my integrity You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever.

13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Blessed אַ֭שְׁרֵי H835 Interjection [is] the one who cares מַשְׂכִּ֣יל H7919 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular for אֶל־ H413 Preposition the poor דָּ֑ל H1800 Adjective - masculine singular the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular will deliver him יְֽמַלְּטֵ֥הוּ H4422 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular in the day בְּי֥וֹם H3117 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of trouble רָ֝עָ֗ה H7451 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 2

Original words

The LORD יְהוָ֤ה׀ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular will protect יִשְׁמְרֵ֣הוּ H8104 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular and preserve him וִֽ֭יחַיֵּהוּ H2421 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular He will bless him יֶאְשֹּׁר H833 Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine singular in the land בָּאָ֑רֶץ H776 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular and refuse וְאַֽל־ H408 Conjunctive waw | Adverb to give him over תִּ֝תְּנֵ֗הוּ H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular to the will בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ H5315 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of his foes אֹיְבָֽיו׃ H341 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

The LORD יְֽהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular will sustain him יִ֭סְעָדֶנּוּ H5582 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular on עַל־ H5921 Preposition his bed עֶ֣רֶשׂ H6210 Noun - feminine singular construct of illness דְּוָ֑י H1741 Noun - masculine singular and restore him הָפַ֥כְתָּ H2015 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular from his bed מִ֝שְׁכָּב֗וֹ H4904 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular . . . כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct of sickness בְחָלְיֽוֹ׃ H2483 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

I אֲ‍ֽנִי־ H589 Pronoun - first person common singular said אָ֭מַרְתִּי H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular O LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular be gracious to me חָנֵּ֑נִי H2603 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular heal רְפָאָ֥ה H7495 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular me נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular for כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction I have sinned חָטָ֥אתִי H2398 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular against You לָֽךְ׃ Preposition | second person feminine singular
Verse 5

Original words

My enemies אוֹיְבַ֗י H341 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular say יֹאמְר֣וּ H559 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural with malice רַ֣ע H7451 Adjective - masculine singular When מָתַ֥י H4970 Interrogative will he die יָ֝מ֗וּת H4191 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular and be forgotten וְאָבַ֥ד H6 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular . . . שְׁמֽוֹ׃ H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 6

Original words

My visitor וְאִם־ H518 Conjunction . . . בָּ֤א H935 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular . . . לִרְא֨וֹת׀ H7200 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct speaks יְדַבֵּ֗ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular falsehood שָׁ֤וְא H7723 Noun - masculine singular he gathers יִקְבָּץ־ H6908 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular slander אָ֥וֶן H205 Noun - masculine singular in his ל֑וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular heart לִבּ֗וֹ H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular he goes יֵצֵ֖א H3318 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular out לַח֣וּץ H2351 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular and spreads it abroad יְדַבֵּֽר׃ H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 7

Original words

All כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct who hate שֹׂנְאָ֑י H8130 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular me עָלַ֓י׀ H5921 Preposition | first person common singular whisper יִ֭תְלַחֲשׁוּ H3907 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . יַ֗חַד H3162 Adverb against me עָלַ֣י H5921 Preposition | first person common singular they imagine יַחְשְׁב֖וּ H2803 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural the worst רָעָ֣ה H7451 Adjective - feminine singular for me לִֽי׃ Preposition | first person common singular
Verse 8

Original words

A vile בְּ֭לִיַּעַל H1100 Noun - masculine singular disease דְּֽבַר־ H1697 Noun - masculine singular construct has been poured יָצ֣וּק H3332 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular into him בּ֑וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular he will never לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle . . . יוֹסִ֥יף H3254 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular get up לָקֽוּם׃ H6965 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct from where וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - relative he lies שָׁ֝כַ֗ב H7901 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 9

Original words

Even גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction my close friend אִ֤ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . שְׁלוֹמִ֨י׀ H7965 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular whom אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative I trusted בָּטַ֣חְתִּי H982 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular the one who shared אוֹכֵ֣ל H398 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular my bread לַחְמִ֑י H3899 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular has lifted up הִגְדִּ֖יל H1431 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular [his] heel עָקֵֽב׃ H6119 Noun - masculine singular against me עָלַ֣י H5921 Preposition | first person common singular

BSB notes

  • Cited in John 13:18
Verse 10

Original words

But You וְאַתָּ֤ה H859 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singular O LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular be gracious to me חָנֵּ֥נִי H2603 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular and raise me up וַהֲקִימֵ֑נִי H6965 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular that I may repay וַֽאֲשַׁלְּמָ֥ה H7999 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular them לָהֶֽם׃ Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Verse 11

Original words

By this בְּזֹ֣את H2063 Preposition-b | Pronoun - feminine singular I know יָ֭דַעְתִּי H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular that כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction You delight חָפַ֣צְתָּ H2654 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular in me בִּ֑י Preposition | first person common singular for כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction my enemy אֹיְבִ֣י H341 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | first person common singular does not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle triumph יָרִ֖יעַ H7321 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular over me עָלָֽי׃ H5921 Preposition | first person common singular
Verse 12

Original words

In my וַאֲנִ֗י H589 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular integrity בְּ֭תֻמִּי H8537 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular You uphold תָּמַ֣כְתָּ H8551 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular me בִּ֑י Preposition | first person common singular and set me וַתַּצִּיבֵ֖נִי H5324 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular in Your presence לְפָנֶ֣יךָ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular forever לְעוֹלָֽם׃ H5769 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 13

Original words

Blessed be בָּ֘ר֤וּךְ H1288 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular the LORD יְהוָ֨ה׀ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular the God אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י H430 Noun - masculine plural construct of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular from everlasting מֵֽ֭הָעוֹלָם H5769 Preposition-m, Article | Noun - masculine singular to וְעַ֥ד H5704 Conjunctive waw | Preposition everlasting הָעוֹלָ֗ם H5769 Article | Noun - masculine singular Amen אָ֘מֵ֥ן׀ H543 Adverb and Amen וְאָמֵֽן׃ H543 Conjunctive waw | Adverb

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.