Psalms 41
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Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
2 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.
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 me: 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.
11 By this I know that thou favourest 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.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 41:1-13
O Lord, Be Gracious to Me
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
2the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
3The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health.
4As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;
heal me, for I have sinned against you!”
5My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,
while his heart gathers iniquity;
when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
7All who hate me whisper together about me;
they imagine the worst for me.
8They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him;
he will not rise again from where he lies.”
9Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,
and raise me up, that I may repay them!
11By this I know that you delight in me:
my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
12But you have upheld me because of my integrity,
and set me in your presence forever.
13Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 41:1-13
Psalm 41
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.
2The Lord protects and preserves them—
they are counted among the blessed in the land—
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
3The Lord sustains them on their sickbed
and restores them from their bed of illness.
4I said, “Have mercy on me, Lord;
heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die and his name perish?”
6When one of them comes to see me,
he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;
then he goes out and spreads it around.
7All my enemies whisper together against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8“A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up from the place where he lies.”
9Even my close friend,
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned against me.
10But may you have mercy on me, Lord;
raise me up, that I may repay them.
11I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me.
12Because of my integrity you uphold me
and set me in your presence forever.
13Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
In Psalm 41, David is apparently struggling with a chronic illness. It has lasted long enough that people are impugning his character. Close friends have abandoned him when he most needs them.
Sadly, the longer an illness or disability lasts, the more one’s family and friends tend to vanish. For many people, it is easier to walk away than to be compassionately supportive.
Having been homebound for eight years due to neurological injuries, I sympathize with David’s pain. Many family members and close friends have spoken mercilessly, rejected pleas for assistance, and abandoned me. Like David, my physical pain has been compounded by emotional pain. It’s an all too-common tale.
Yet there are people who are precious gems who don’t walk away from sufferers when the journey gets long.
God promises blessings for those who faithfully support suffering family, friends, and strangers, who choose not to turn their backs on unsettling weaknesses. When you care for the physically weak, the emotionally frail, and the financially fragile, God will repay you, sustaining and restoring you when you yourself are weak.
If you do not turn your back on people who are weak, God will protect and preserve you in times of trouble.
Lori Engel
Chaplain (currently disabled), Eugene, Oregon USA (as of this writing)
