Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 41 (MT) / Psalm 40 (LXX) closes Book I of the Psalter with a Davidic sickbed-prayer and the first of the five Psalter-book-closing doxologies (v. 14). The psalm's signature verse — 'even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me' (v. 9) — is cited by Jesus at John 13:18 as fulfilled in Judas' betrayal during the Last Supper. The psalm opens with the beatitude 'blessed is the one who considers the poor' (v. 1) — a proto-Beatitude echoed in Matthew 25:31–46's sheep-and-goats judgment.
Notable Variants
41:9 'my close friend who ate my bread' → John 13:18 Jesus' explicit citation for Judas' betrayal; 41:1 'blessed is the one who considers the poor' as proto-Beatitude; 41:13 Book-I-closing doxology as Psalter-structural marker.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 41 = LXX Ps 40. 14 verses (MT/LXX), 13 verses (English). Closes Book I (Pss 1–41).
For the choirmaster. A psalm of David.
Superscription tracks MT.
Blessed is the one who gives thought to the weak — in the day of trouble the LORD will rescue him.
'Blessed is the one who considers the poor' tracks MT. The 'considers' (maskil / synion) — active reflective care for the poor — anticipates Matthew 25:31–46 ('I was hungry and you gave me food') and James 1:27 ('pure and undefiled religion … to visit orphans and widows'). Divine-reward for poor-care is proto-Beatitude theology.
The LORD will guard him and keep him alive; he will be declared blessed in the land. Do not give him over to the appetite of his enemies.
'The LORD protects him and keeps him alive' tracks MT.
The LORD will sustain him on his bed of illness; you transform his entire resting place when he is sick.
'The LORD sustains him on his sickbed' tracks MT. The divine-care-of-the-sick language anticipates James 5:14–15 ('is anyone among you sick … the prayer of faith will save the sick').
I said, "LORD, show me grace; heal my life, for I have sinned against you."
'As for me, I said: O LORD, be gracious to me; heal my soul' tracks MT. Soul-healing as confession-site — the integration of physical and spiritual healing in biblical anthropology.
My enemies speak malice about me: "When will he die and his name vanish?"
'My enemies say of me in malice: When will he die?' tracks MT.
When one comes to visit, he speaks emptiness; his heart gathers up trouble, then he goes outside and spreads it.
'When one comes to see me, he utters empty words' tracks MT. Deceptive-visitation theology — false friends using sickbed access for malice.
All who hate me whisper together against me; against me they plot harm.
'All who hate me whisper together against me' tracks MT.
"A vile thing has been poured into him; now that he lies down, he will never rise again."
'A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies' tracks MT. The enemies' curse — predicting the sufferer's death.
Even my close friend whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.
Masoretic (WLC)
גַּם־אִישׁ שְׁלוֹמִי אֲשֶׁר־בָּטַחְתִּי בוֹ אוֹכֵל לַחְמִי הִגְדִּיל עָלַי עָקֵב
Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς εἰρήνης μου ἐφ᾽ ὃν ἤλπισα ὁ ἐσθίων ἄρτους μου ἐμεγάλυνεν ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ πτερνισμόν
For even the man of my peace in whom I hoped, who ate my bread, has magnified his heel against me
JOHN 13:18 — JUDAS CITATION. At the Last Supper, Jesus explicitly cites this verse as fulfilled in Judas' betrayal: 'I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled: HE WHO ATE MY BREAD HAS LIFTED HIS HEEL AGAINST ME (ho trōgōn mou ton arton epēren ep' eme tēn pternan autou).' John 13:18 is the NT's direct Christological application of this Davidic betrayal-lament.
JOHN'S VERBAL CHOICE. John uses trōgōn ('chewing, eating' — crudely physical) rather than the LXX's esthiōn (generic eating) — intensifying the betrayal: Judas not merely ate but chewed Jesus' bread (the Last Supper bread) before betraying him. The Johannine verb-choice theologically deepens the breach-of-table-fellowship.
'MAN OF MY PEACE' (anthrōpos tēs eirēnēs mou). The LXX's 'man of my peace' — the intimate-covenant-companion — is the psalm's theological shock: the betrayer was not an outsider but a peace-partner. Judas as one of the Twelve — table-companion, foot-washed, Eucharistic-recipient — fulfills the shock-pattern with maximum depth.
The 'lifting of the heel' (pternismos) — proverbial image of treachery derived from horse-kicking — has particular resonance in the Jacob-Esau story (Gen 25:26 'Jacob grasped Esau's heel,' the root of 'Jacob' = 'heel-grabber'). John's use points to the ancient pattern of fraternal betrayal.
But you, LORD — show me grace and raise me up, so that I may repay them.
'But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up' tracks MT. The raise-me-up (haqimeni / anastēson) — resurrection-vocabulary — anticipates Jesus' anastasis. The Davidic petition fulfilled Christologically in Easter.
By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.
'By this I know that you delight in me' tracks MT.
As for me, you have upheld me in my integrity and set me before your face forever.
'You have upheld me because of my integrity' tracks MT.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.
'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen' tracks MT. BOOK I DOXOLOGY. This closing doxology marks the end of Book I of the Psalter (Pss 1–41). Each of the Psalter's five books closes with a similar doxology (Ps 41:13, 72:18–19, 89:52, 106:48, 150 as a whole). The Davidic-covenant 'blessed be the LORD God of Israel' formula recurs at Luke 1:68 (Zechariah's Benedictus) as the NT's echo.