41:3 The Lord supports 1 him on his sickbed;
you completely heal him from his illness. 2
41:4 As for me, I said: 3
“O Lord, have mercy on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you!
1 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive, continuing the prayer of v. 2, but the parallel line in v. 3b employs the perfect, suggesting that the psalmist is again speaking in the indicative mood (see v. 1b). The imperfect can be understood as future or as generalizing (see v. 1).
2 tn Heb “all his bed you turn in his illness.” The perfect is used here in a generalizing sense (see v. 1) or in a rhetorical manner to emphasize that the healing is as good as done.
3 sn In vv. 4-10 the psalmist recites the prayer of petition and lament he offered to the Lord.