Psalms 41:1

Psalm 41 ¹ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

41:1 How blessed ²  is the one who treats the poor properly! ³ 

When trouble comes, ⁴  the Lord delivers him. ⁵ 

Psalms 77:9

77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has his anger stifled his compassion?”

Psalms 86:5

86:5 Certainly ⁶  O Lord, you are kind ⁷  and forgiving,

and show great faithfulness to all who cry out to you.

Psalms 89:28

89:28 I will always extend my loyal love to him,

and my covenant with him is secure. ⁸ 

Psalms 104:25

104:25 Over here is the deep, wide sea, ⁹ 

which teems with innumerable swimming creatures, ¹⁰ 

living things both small and large.

Psalms 109:12

109:12 May no one show him kindness! ¹¹ 

May no one have compassion ¹²  on his fatherless children!

Psalms 112:5

112:5 It goes well for the one ¹³  who generously lends money,

and conducts his business honestly. ¹⁴ 

Psalms 119:17

ג (Gimel)

119:17 Be kind to your servant!

Then I will live ¹⁵  and keep ¹⁶  your instructions. ¹⁷ 

Psalms 143:10

143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you, ¹⁸ 

for you are my God.

May your kind presence ¹⁹ 

lead me ²⁰  into a level land. ²¹ 

Psalms 145:8

145:8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate;

he is patient ²²  and demonstrates great loyal love. ²³ 

Psalms 145:13

145:13 Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom, ²⁴ 

and your dominion endures through all generations.

[41:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 41. The psalmist is confident (vv. 11-12) that the Lord has heard his request to be healed (vv. 4-10), and he anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes (vv. 1-3). One must assume that the psalmist is responding to a divine oracle of assurance (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 319-20). The final verse is a fitting conclusion to this psalm, but it is also serves as a fitting conclusion to the first “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the second, third, and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 72:19, 89:52, and 106:48 respectively).

[41:1]  ² tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).

[41:1]  ³ sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.

[41:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).

[41:1]  ⁵ tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor. The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive of prayer (“may the Lord deliver,” see v. 2), but the preceding parallel line is a declaration of fact, not a prayer per se. The imperfect can be taken here as future (“will deliver,” cf. NEB, NASB) or as generalizing (“delivers,” cf. NIV, NRSV). The parallel line, which has a generalizing tone, favors the latter. At the same time, though the psalmist uses a generalizing style here, he clearly has himself primarily in view.

[86:5]  ⁶ tn Or “for.”

[86:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “good.”

[89:28]  ¹¹ tn Heb “forever I will keep for him my loyal love and will make my covenant secure for him.”

[104:25]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “this [is] the sea, great and broad of hands [i.e., “sides” or “shores”].”

[104:25]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “where [there are] swimming things, and without number.”

[109:12]  ²¹ tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”

[109:12]  ²² tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).

[112:5]  ²⁶ tn Heb “man.”

[112:5]  ²⁷ tn Heb “he sustains his matters with justice.”

[119:17]  ³¹ tn The prefixed verbal form is probably a cohortative indicating purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[119:17]  ³² tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the imperative that begins the verse.

[119:17]  ³³ tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as several ancient versions read the plural here.

[143:10]  ³⁶ tn Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.

[143:10]  ³⁷ tn Heb “your good spirit.” God’s “spirit” may refer here to his presence (see the note on the word “presence” in Ps 139:7) or to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).

[143:10]  ³⁸ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. Taking the statement as a prayer fits well with the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.

[143:10]  ³⁹ sn A level land (where one can walk free of obstacles) here symbolizes divine blessing and protection. See Pss 26:12 and 27:11 for similar imagery.

[145:8]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “slow to anger” (see Pss 86:15; 103:8).

[145:8]  ⁴² tn Heb “and great of loyal love” (see Pss 86:15; 103:8).

[145:13]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “a kingdom of all ages.”