Bible Commentaries
Psalms 41

Verses 1-13

Psalms 41

KEPT BY THE LORD

This is the 41st and last Psalm of the first of the five books that comprise the Book of Psalms. It corresponds with Genesis, the first book of the Pentateuch. This book begins with a benediction, Psalms 1 and closes, like each of the other four books, with a doxology of praise to Jehovah God.

Verses 1-13:

Verse 1-13 assert that the Lord will: 1) Deliver, 2) Preserve, 3) Keep, 4) Strengthen and 5) Make the bed of those who trust in the Lord.

Verse 1 declares that the one who acts wisely toward the poor, who empathizes with them, showing compassion, is a blessed or spiritually advantaged person. The Lord will deliver or set him free, be his relief in time of trouble, will reward him, Proverbs 14:21; Mark 10:21; Hebrews 13:16.

Verse 2 pledges that the Lord will preserve him, keep him alive before his enemies who come to gaze upon his pain, eager to see him die, v.5, 6. This compassionate person to the poor will be blessed on the earth, not be delivered up to the will of his enemies. God will frustrate the will and malice of his enemies against him by raising him up, contrary to all expectations, as he did Job and Hezekiah, v. 10; Job 42:10; 2 Kings 20:1-7; Psalms 27:12.

Verse 3 adds that the Lord will strengthen him, sustain him, in physical and spiritual ways as he may repeatedly languish upon his bed. The Lord is said to "make all his bed in the time of his sickness," as a good nurse turns the patient gently to fluff the bed to a soft resting condition, because He cares, 1 Peter 5:7.

Verse 4 indicates that David never lost sight of his own sins, as he cried, "Lord be merciful to me, heal my soul; For I have sinned against thee." He desired mercy, not justice, Psalms 6:2; Psalms 147:3; 2 Chronicles 30:20.

Verse 5 laments "mine enemies speak evil of me; When shall he die, and his name perish?" The hurt of false accusation is often deeper than that when one is guilty; In such malicious, false hurt David suffered, desired that his enemies be quickly cut off, Psalms 40:17; Revelation 22:20.

Verse 6 relates that when David’s enemies (feigned friends) came to see him they repeatedly spoke vain and deceitful things They took the words of David and went abroad misapplying, perverting what he had said, to hurt his influence, Psalms 12:2; Proverbs 28:20; Micah 7:5-7; Luke 11:53-54; Luke 20:20-23.. His enemy, like Judas Iscariot, was treacherous, in his snake-hearted ways of hypocrisy, John 13:30.

Verses 7, 8 add that all who hated David whispered together, in entrapment collusion against him, devising hurt to him, a thing of Belial, work of the Devil, 1 Peter 5:8; They even reported that this evil disease was of Belial-derangement, mental derangement nature, so that he would never be mentally competent again, desiring to destroy his total influence, Psalms 101:3; Psalms 18:4.

Verse 9 further adds that his most intimate, trusted friend, who had eaten bread at his table, 2 Samuel 9:11; 2 Samuel 19:33, (it was a gesture of loyal friendship) had lifted up his hand as an enemy to betray and destroy him, a sure type of our Lord’s betrayal by Judas, as recounted Jeremiah 20:10; Deuteronomy 32:15; Obadiah 1:7; Psalms 55:12-14; Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10; Mark 14:43-45; John 13:18; John 18:3; Acts 1:16.

Verses 10, 11 appeal for the Lord to be merciful and raise up David from his bodily affliction and enemy oppression that he might fight against and defeat them, vindicating his own righteousness, 2 Thessalonians 1:8. He added that he knew the Lord favoured him because He had not permitted them to kill or defeat him, even in his hour of bodily sickness, 1 Corinthians 15:57-58.

Verse 12 witnesses that the Lord sustained David in his integrity and set him before his face, with His favor to minister to him, Job 36:7; Psalms 34:15; Acts 2:28.

Verse 13 concludes with the doxology, "Blessed by (exists) the Lord (Jehovah) God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting," into the ages, adding two "amens," Amen, and amen, meaning, "So may it ever be!" Psalms 106:18.