Psalm XLI

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor:

The Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble.

2 The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed

upon the earth: And thon wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

3 The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

4 I said, Lord, be merciful unto mc: heal my soul; for I have sinned

against thee.

5 Mine enemies speak evil of me, when shall he die and his name perish?

6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity;

His heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad he telleth it.

7 All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise

my hurt.

8 An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: And now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my

bread.
Hath lifted up his heel against me.
10 But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may
requite them.

* The much-disputed passage, verse 6, “Thou hast dug through my ears” or “Thou hast prepared ears for me,” is rendered from the Septuagint, “A body hast thou prepared for me,” in Heb. x. 5; because his taking our human nature was the first and most direct step to his being made servant, like the man ivliose ears were bored to the door-post. Possibly, too, there is reference to his being a Priest prepared for his office, by having his ears tipt with blood, as Lev. xiv. 14; Exod. xxix. 20. For the Hebrew is scarcely “bored,” it is rather “prepared.” Alexander says,” The Septuagint version may have been retained as suggesting that the Incarnation of the Son was a pre-requisite to his obedience.

(Jhrist.

136 PSALM XLI. — THE RIGHTEOUS ONE

11 By this I know that thou favonrest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.

12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.

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

Quoted by The melancholy interest attached to this Psalm has made it

Christ -J

well-known in Zion. Our Lord quoted it as his own, on the night when he was betrayed (see John xiii, ] 8, compared with ver. 9), when he saw the traitor take his seat at the Passover table with him, and sit down on his left hand, so near that he could hand him the sop, and dip with him in the dish. The strain, however, is such as suits his family as well as himself; they may use it in Him.

It is the Lord who says, “Blessed is he that acts wisely toward the poor,” ver. 1; the same who said “Blessed are the Tnerciful!” and the same who on the day of his coming shall say, “Come, ye blessed; I was sick, and ye visited me.” He encourages us to do good works in his Name, especially to those of the household of faith. What is written from verse 1 to 3 is a promise which Barzillai could have claimed; and Ehedmelech, who drew Jeremiah from the pit; and Onesiphorus, who oft refreshed Paul; and the women of Galilee, Susannah and others, who ministered to Christ of their substance; and the daughters of Jerusalem, who gave him sympathy as he bore the cross, pitying his marred countenance.

Perhaps in verse 4 Christ may be understood as saying, “I, even I, myself, did that to others, and do, therefore, claim the blessing. But how differently my foes act toward me! All my miracles of kindness are forgotten, the memory of all my thousand benefits is drowned in their malice; they wish my death,” When shall He die;” and “his name perish? “(Ver. 5.)” If he comes to see me,’’ {i.e, to play the spy on me), he goes away, saying,

“Some cursed filing cleaves io 7u7n.” {Yer. 8, literally, “is svhlcnd into him.”)

But the issue shall disappoint them; I shall not even r-nce en-, and I shall soon stand at thy right hand; “Mine enemy is not to triumph over me: And as for me, thou upholdest me in my integrity, And settest me before thy face for ever.” (Ver. 12.)

lu this he anticipates the reward of his obedience unto death, and “the glory that should follow,” as we too may do.

In this prospect it is interesting to hear him say, “Blessed be Jehovah, God of Israel,” (ver. 13). The rejected and despised One has not forgotten or given up the people who rejected him. He will be their King, “King of the Jews,” though they crucify him; he intends grace and glory for them in the latter day. “Rabbi, thou art “he Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.’^ And that” Amen and Amen,^’ how sweetly it dropped from the lips of the Faithful Witness, who delighted to preface his weighty sayings with “Verily,” verily, Afriv, Afyriv, and who fixes his mark to this blessed Psalm (resembling what Paul does in some of his Epistles), as if to say, “The signature of me, the Faithful Witness, with mine own hand.”

The Righteous One unpitied in his time of need.