Heal Me, for I Have Sinned
Psalm 41 summary: what it means
Psalm 41 opens with a blessing on the person who considers the poor. The LORD will deliver, preserve and sustain that person, even on a sickbed. Then the speaker turns to his own case. He is ill, he asks for healing, and he admits he has sinned. His enemies are waiting for him to die. Visitors speak falsely and spread gossip, and even a close friend who ate bread with him has turned against him.
The speaker asks God to raise him up, and takes the fact that his enemy has not triumphed as a sign of God's favour. He says God upholds him in his integrity and sets him in his presence forever. The psalm closes with a short blessing of the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting, followed by amen and amen.
Psalm 41: Heal Me, for I Have Sinned
World English Bible, public domain. allpsalms.com/psalm-41
Psalm 41 commentary: explained verse by verse
Blessed is he who considers the poor.The LORD will deliver him in the day of evil.
Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
The psalm begins with a blessing on the person who considers the poor, someone who pays attention to people in need. The promise attached is that the LORD will deliver that person in the day of evil.
Also read Psalm 34:19, Job 29:12-16, Ecclesiastes 11:1-2, Mark 14:7
The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive.He shall be blessed on the earth,and he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies.
The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
The promise continues. The LORD will preserve and keep that person alive, bless them on the earth, and not hand them over to their enemies.
Also read Psalm 27:12, Psalm 37:32-33, Psalm 33:19, Psalm 128:1-6
The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed,and restore him from his bed of illness.
The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
This verse speaks directly to illness. The LORD will sustain the person on their sickbed and restore them from their bed of illness. It sets up the speaker's own situation in the verses that follow.
Also read 2 Kings 1:6, 2 Kings 20:5-6, 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, Psalm 73:26
I said, “LORD, have mercy on me!Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.
The speaker now speaks for himself. He asks for mercy and healing, and in the same breath says he has sinned against God. He does not claim to be innocent.
Also read 2 Chronicles 30:18-20, Psalm 32:5, Psalm 6:2-4, Hosea 6:1
My enemies speak evil against me:“When will he die, and his name perish?”
Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?
His enemies speak about him as if he were already finished. They ask when he will die and when his name will perish.
Also read Psalm 38:12, Psalm 22:6-8, Proverbs 10:7, Psalm 102:8
If he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood.His heart gathers iniquity to itself.When he goes abroad, he tells it.
And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
A visitor comes and speaks falsehood at the bedside. His heart gathers iniquity, and when he goes out he tells it to others.
Also read Nehemiah 6:1-14, 2 Corinthians 11:26, Micah 7:5-7, Jeremiah 20:10
All who hate me whisper together against me.They imagine the worst for me.
All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.
Those who hate him whisper together against him. They imagine the worst for him, so the sickroom is surrounded by rumour.
Also read Proverbs 16:28, 2 Corinthians 12:20, Psalm 31:13, Proverbs 26:20
“An evil disease”, they say, “has afflicted him.Now that he lies he shall rise up no more.”
An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
The enemies' verdict is quoted directly: an evil disease has afflicted him, and now that he lies down he will not rise again. The speaker hears himself written off.
Also read Psalm 3:2, Psalm 38:3-7, Job 2:7-8, Matthew 27:41-46
Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,who ate bread with me,has lifted up his heel against me.
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
This is the sharpest line in the psalm. The betrayer is a familiar friend he trusted, someone who ate bread with him, and that friend has lifted up his heel against him. The shared meal makes the betrayal worse.
Also read Job 19:19, John 13:18, Obadiah 1:7, Micah 7:5
But you, LORD, have mercy on me, and raise me up,that I may repay them.
But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.
Also read Psalm 21:8-10, Psalm 109:6-21, Luke 19:27, Psalm 69:22-28
By this I know that you delight in me,because my enemy doesn’t triumph over me.
By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
The speaker reads his survival as a sign. Because his enemy has not triumphed over him, he knows God delights in him.
Also read Psalm 31:8, Colossians 2:15, Psalm 86:17, Psalm 25:2
As for me, you uphold me in my integrity,and set me in your presence forever.
And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.
He says God upholds him in his integrity and sets him in his presence forever. After the admission of sin in verse 4, integrity here is something God holds him in, not something he boasts of.
Also read Psalm 17:15, Psalm 73:23-24, John 17:24, Psalm 25:21
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,from everlasting and to everlasting!Amen and amen.
Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.
The psalm closes with a blessing of the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. It ends with a double amen, blessing God rather than continuing the request.
Also read Ephesians 1:3, 1 Chronicles 29:10, Revelation 7:12, Revelation 11:17
A prayer from Psalm 41
LORD, you care for those who consider the poor. Teach me to notice the people in need around me. When I am sick, sustain me on my bed and restore me. Have mercy on me and heal me, for I have sinned against you. When others whisper and imagine the worst, and even a close friend who ate bread with me turns against me, have mercy on me and raise me up. Uphold me in my integrity and set me in your presence. Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen.
Psalm 41 Bible study questions
- In verses 1 to 3, what does the psalm say the LORD will do for the person who considers the poor?
- In verses 5 to 9, what do the speaker's enemies and his familiar friend say or do?
- Verse 4 joins a request for healing to a confession of sin; how do you understand the link the speaker makes?
- Verse 9 describes being turned on by someone who ate bread with the speaker; why might that hurt more than the words of enemies?
- Psalm 55:13 also describes being wronged by a familiar friend; how does it compare with Psalm 41:9?
Questions about Psalm 41
What does Psalm 41 mean?
It begins by blessing those who care for the poor, then becomes the prayer of a sick man whose enemies and even a close friend have turned on him. He asks God for healing and ends by blessing God.
Who wrote Psalm 41?
The heading attributes it to David and addresses it to the Chief Musician.
What does Psalm 41:1-3 mean?
Verses 1 to 3 say that the person who considers the poor will be delivered, kept alive, protected from enemies and sustained by the LORD on a sickbed.
What does Psalm 41:9 mean?
It describes betrayal by a close friend, someone trusted who ate bread with the speaker and then lifted up his heel against him.
What does Psalm 41:12 mean?
It says God upholds the speaker in his integrity and sets him in God's presence forever.
How does the King James Version word Psalm 41:1?
The KJV reads "Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble." The World English Bible has in the day of evil where the KJV has in time of trouble.
Psalm 41 KJV: the King James Version
Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.1
The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.2
The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.3
I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.4
Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?5
And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.6
All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.7
An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.8
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.9
But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.10
By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.11
And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.12
Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.13
Psalm 41 in Hebrew
The Hebrew text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, which counts a psalm's heading as verse 1, so they can run one ahead of English Bibles.
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1 לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
2 אַ֭שְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּ֣יל אֶל־דָּ֑ל בְּי֥וֹם רָ֝עָ֗ה יְֽמַלְּטֵ֥הוּ יְהוָֽה׃
3 יְהוָ֤ה ׀ יִשְׁמְרֵ֣הוּ וִֽ֭יחַיֵּהוּ יאשר בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְאַֽל־תִּ֝תְּנֵ֗הוּ בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ אֹיְבָֽיו׃
4 יְֽהוָ֗ה יִ֭סְעָדֶנּוּ עַל־עֶ֣רֶשׂ דְּוָ֑י כָּל־מִ֝שְׁכָּב֗וֹ הָפַ֥כְתָּ בְחָלְיֽוֹ׃
5 אֲֽנִי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי יְהוָ֣ה חָנֵּ֑נִי רְפָאָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י כִּי־חָטָ֥אתִי לָֽךְ׃
6 אוֹיְבַ֗י יֹאמְר֣וּ רַ֣ע לִ֑י מָתַ֥י יָ֝מ֗וּת וְאָבַ֥ד שְׁמֽוֹ׃
7 וְאִם־בָּ֤א לִרְא֨וֹת ׀ שָׁ֤וְא יְדַבֵּ֗ר לִבּ֗וֹ יִקְבָּץ־אָ֥וֶן ל֑וֹ יֵצֵ֖א לַח֣וּץ יְדַבֵּֽר׃
8 יַ֗חַד עָלַ֣י יִ֭תְלַחֲשׁוּ כָּל־שֹׂנְאָ֑י עָלַ֓י ׀ יַחְשְׁב֖וּ רָעָ֣ה לִֽי׃
9 דְּֽבַר־בְּ֭לִיַּעַל יָצ֣וּק בּ֑וֹ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁ֝כַ֗ב לֹא־יוֹסִ֥יף לָקֽוּם׃
10 גַּם־אִ֤ישׁ שְׁלוֹמִ֨י ׀ אֲשֶׁר־בָּטַ֣חְתִּי ב֭וֹ אוֹכֵ֣ל לַחְמִ֑י הִגְדִּ֖יל עָלַ֣י עָקֵֽב׃
11 וְאַתָּ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה חָנֵּ֥נִי וַהֲקִימֵ֑נִי וַֽאֲשַׁלְּמָ֥ה לָהֶֽם׃
12 בְּזֹ֣את יָ֭דַעְתִּי כִּֽי־חָפַ֣צְתָּ בִּ֑י כִּ֤י לֹֽא־יָרִ֖יעַ אֹיְבִ֣י עָלָֽי׃
13 וַאֲנִ֗י בְּ֭תֻמִּי תָּמַ֣כְתָּ בִּ֑י וַתַּצִּיבֵ֖נִי לְפָנֶ֣יךָ לְעוֹלָֽם׃
14 בָּ֘ר֤וּךְ יְהוָ֨ה ׀ אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מֵֽ֭הָעוֹלָם וְעַ֥ד הָעוֹלָ֗ם אָ֘מֵ֥ן ׀ וְאָמֵֽן׃
Psalm 41 in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible
The Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain. It follows the Greek and Latin numbering, so this psalm is Psalm 40 there.
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1 Unto the end, a psalm for David himself.
2 Blessed is he that understandeth concerning the needy and the poor: the Lord will deliver him in the evil day.
3 The Lord preserve him and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth: and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.
4 The Lord help him on his bed of sorrow: thou hast turned all his couch in his sickness.
5 I said: O Lord, be thou merciful to me: heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.
6 My enemies have spoken evils against me: when shall he die and his name perish?
7 And if he came in to see me, he spoke vain things: his heart gathered together iniquity to itself. He went out and spoke to the same purpose.
8 All my enemies whispered together against me: they devised evils to me.
9 They determined against me an unjust word: shall he that sleepeth rise again no more?
10 For even the man of peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, hath greatly supplanted me.
11 But thou, O Lord, have mercy on me, and raise me up again: and I will requite them.
12 By this I know, that thou hast had a good will for me: because my enemy shall not rejoice over me.
13 But thou hast upheld me by reason of my innocence: and hast established me in thy sight for ever.
14 Blessed by the Lord the God of Israel from eternity to eternity. So be it. So be it.
Psalm 41 in Latin
The Clementine Vulgate, public domain, where this psalm is Psalm 40.
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1 In finem. Psalmus ipsi David.
2 Beatus qui intelligit super egenum et pauperem: in die mala liberabit eum Dominus.
3 Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum ejus.
4 Dominus opem ferat illi super lectum doloris ejus; universum stratum ejus versasti in infirmitate ejus.
5 Ego dixi: Domine, miserere mei; sana animam meam, quia peccavi tibi.
6 Inimici mei dixerunt mala mihi: Quando morietur, et peribit nomen ejus?
7 Et si ingrediebatur ut videret, vana loquebatur; cor ejus congregavit iniquitatem sibi. Egrediebatur foras et loquebatur.
8 In idipsum adversum me susurrabant omnes inimici mei; adversum me cogitabant mala mihi.
9 Verbum iniquum constituerunt adversum me: Numquid qui dormit non adjiciet ut resurgat?
10 Etenim homo pacis meæ in quo speravi, qui edebat panes meos, magnificavit super me supplantationem.
11 Tu autem, Domine, miserere mei, et resuscita me; et retribuam eis.
12 In hoc cognovi quoniam voluisti me, quoniam non gaudebit inimicus meus super me.
13 Me autem propter innocentiam suscepisti; et confirmasti me in conspectu tuo in æternum.
14 Benedictus Dominus Deus Israël a sæculo et usque in sæculum. Fiat, fiat.
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Psalm 41 at a glance
| Verses | 13 |
| Heading in the text | For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. |
| Attributed to | The heading attributes it to David and addresses it to the Chief Musician. |
| Type | Lament and Trust |
| Number in Greek and Latin Bibles | Psalm 40 |
Read Psalm 41 when you are facing
Psalm 41 in other translations
This page prints the World English Bible and the King James Version because both are public domain. The NIV, ESV, NKJV, NLT and NASB are under copyright, so they cannot be printed in full here. You can read Psalm 41 in those translations at Bible Gateway.
Where Psalm 41 belongs
Psalms of DavidBook 1 of the Psalms
How this page was made
The psalm text comes from public domain translations and is not edited. The summary, the verse notes and the answers are written for this page from the text of the psalm itself. Where a claim goes beyond the text, it is sourced below.
Sources
- Text: World English Bible and King James Version, both public domain, from ebible.org source
- Hebrew text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Douay-Rheims: Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Latin text: Clementine Vulgate, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Numbering: Greek and Latin psalm numbering, Wikipedia, Psalms source