Psalms — Chapter 40

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1I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

3And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

4Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

5Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

6Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

7Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

9I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.

10I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

11Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

12For 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.

13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.

14Let 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.

15Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.

16Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.

17But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

1I waited patiently for Jehovah; And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay; And he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

3And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, And shall trust in Jehovah.

4Blessed is the man that maketh Jehovah his trust, And respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

5Many, O Jehovah my God, are the wonderful works which thou hast done, And thy thoughts which are to us-ward; They cannot be set in order unto thee; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered.

6Sacrifice and offering thou hast no delight in; Mine ears hast thou opened: Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required.

7Then said I, Lo, I am come; In the roll of the book it is written of me:

8I delight to do thy will, O my God; Yea, thy law is within my heart.

9I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great assembly; Lo, I will not refrain my lips, O Jehovah, thou knowest.

10I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation; I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great assembly.

11Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Jehovah; Let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

12For innumerable evils have compassed me about; Mine iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; They are more than the hairs of my head; And my heart hath failed me.

13Be pleased, O Jehovah, to deliver me: Make haste to help me, O Jehovah.

14Let them be put to shame and confounded together That seek after my soul to destroy it: Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor That delight in my hurt.

15Let them be desolate by reason of their shame That say unto me, Aha, aha.

16Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: Let such as love thy salvation say continually, Jehovah be magnified.

17But I am poor and needy; [Yet] the Lord thinketh upon me: Thou art my help and my deliverer; Make no tarrying, O my God. Psalm 41 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1For the music director, a psalm of David. I relied completely on the Lord, and he turned toward me and heard my cry for help.

2He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing.

3He gave me reason to sing a new song, praising our God. May many see what God has done, so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord.

4How blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord and does not seek help from the proud or from liars.

5O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things; you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us. No one can thwart you. I want to declare your deeds and talk about them, but they are too numerous to recount.

6Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. You make that quite clear to me. You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.

7Then I say, “Look, I come! What is written in the scroll pertains to me.

8I want to do what pleases you, my God. Your law dominates my thoughts.”

9I have told the great assembly about your justice. Look, I spare no words. O Lord, you know this is true.

10I have not failed to tell about your justice; I spoke about your reliability and deliverance. I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness.

11O Lord, you do not withhold your compassion from me. May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me!

12For innumerable dangers surround me. My sins overtake me so I am unable to see; they outnumber the hairs of my head so my strength fails me.

13Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me! O Lord, hurry and help me!

14May those who are trying to snatch away my life be totally embarrassed and ashamed. May those who want to harm me be turned back and ashamed.

15May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” be humiliated and disgraced.

16May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you. May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May the Lord be praised!”

17I am oppressed and needy. May the Lord pay attention to me. You are my helper and my deliverer. O my God, do not delay.

1I waited patiently for Yahweh. He turned to me, and heard my cry.

2He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand.

3He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Yahweh.

4Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust, and doesn’t respect the proud, nor such as turn away to lies.

5Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be counted.

6Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire. You have opened my ears. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.

7Then I said, “Behold, I have come. It is written about me in the book in the scroll.

8I delight to do your will, my God. Yes, your law is within my heart.”

9I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know.

10I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly.

11Don’t withhold your tender mercies from me, Yahweh. Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me.

12For innumerable evils have surrounded me. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has failed me.

13Be pleased, Yahweh, to deliver me. Hurry to help me, Yahweh.

14Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt.

15Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!”

16Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, “Let Yahweh be exalted!”

17But I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Don’t delay, my God.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Videos
Reflection

Summary

A thanksgiving and lament psalm — David recalls God lifting him from the pit and putting a new song in his mouth; sacrifice is not God's desire but obedience ('in the volume of the book it is written of me'); yet troubles surround him.

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses. Key themes: worship, lament, praise, trust, kingship, creation, wisdom, Messianic prophecy, and the full range of human emotion brought before God.
Classification: Thanksgiving Psalm / Messianic Psalm Attributed Author: David ("To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David") Key Themes: Patient waiting for God, deliverance from the pit, the new song, sacrifice versus obedience, Messianic prophecy (Christ's incarnation and will), delight in God's will
Historical Context: Psalm 40 is one of the most significant Messianic psalms in the Psalter. While it begins as David's personal testimony of deliverance, verses 6-8 transcend David's experience and are directly applied to Christ in Hebrews 10:5-7, where the author identifies these words as spoken by the Son of God at His incarnation: "Lo, I come...to do thy will, O God."
The psalm has a two-part structure that puzzled ancient interpreters. The first half (vv.1-10) is confident thanksgiving and testimony, while the second half (vv.11-17) is urgent lament and plea for help. This has led some scholars to suggest two originally separate psalms were joined (note that vv.13-17 appear independently as Psalm 70). However, the structure also reflects authentic spiritual experience: past deliverance does not prevent present crisis, and the memory of God's faithfulness becomes the foundation for new prayers.
The Messianic content is remarkable. The phrase "mine ears hast thou opened" (v.6, KJV) is rendered in the Septuagint (and Hebrews 10:5) as "a body hast thou prepared me" — pointing to the incarnation. "In the volume of the book it is written of me" (v.7) suggests all Scripture testifies to Christ. "I delight to do thy will" (v.8) describes perfect obedience that no mere human has achieved — fulfilled only in Christ.
Structure:
  • Testimony of Patient Waiting and Deliverance (vv. 1-3)
  • The Blessedness of Trust (vv. 4-5)
  • Sacrifice and Obedience: The Messianic Declaration (vv. 6-8)
  • Proclamation in the Great Congregation (vv. 9-10)
  • Plea for Continued Mercy (v. 11)
  • Present Distress and Urgent Cry (vv. 12-17)

Map & Geography

  • No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.

Reflection

  • 1. "I waited patiently for the LORD" (v.1) — the Hebrew doubles the verb for emphasis. Waiting is not passive idleness but active, expectant endurance. David's waiting was rewarded with complete transformation: from pit to rock, from sinking to standing. What are you currently waiting for? Can you wait with expectation rather than resignation?
  • 2. Your testimony of deliverance becomes others' invitation to faith (v.3: "many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust"). Your story is not just for you. The pit God pulled you from and the rock He placed you on is meant to be proclaimed. Are you sharing your "new song" with others, or keeping your testimony private?
  • 3. Verses 6-8 reveal that God's ultimate desire is not religious activity but heart obedience. You can perform every spiritual discipline and still miss what God wants most: willing, delighted submission to His will. Is your relationship with God characterized by duty or delight? Is His law "within your heart" (v.8) or merely on your schedule?
  • 4. The psalm's two halves (thanksgiving in vv.1-10, lament in vv.11-17) reflect real spiritual life. Past deliverance does not immunize against future crisis. The memory of God's faithfulness does not prevent new problems, but it provides a foundation for new faith. Can you hold gratitude for past rescue and honesty about present struggle simultaneously?
  • 5. "I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me" (v.17). You do not need to be impressive, self-sufficient, or spiritually advanced for God to attend to you. He thinks upon the poor and needy — those who know they have nothing to bring. Your insufficiency is not a barrier to God's attention; it is the very thing that draws it.