Psalms 41:10-11

Context

41:10 As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,

so I can pay them back!”¹

41:11 By this² I know that you are pleased with me,

for my enemy does³ not triumph⁴ over me.

[41:10] ¹tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) here indicates purpose or result (“Then I will repay them”) after the preceding imperatives.

[41:11] ²sn By this. Having recalled his former lament and petition, the psalmist returns to the confident mood of vv. 1-3. The basis for his confidence may be a divine oracle of deliverance, assuring him that God would intervene and vindicate him. The demonstrative pronoun “this” may refer to such an oracle, which is assumed here, though its contents are not included. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 319, 321.

[41:11] ³tn Or “will.” One may translate the imperfect verbal form as descriptive (present, cf. NIV) or as anticipatory (future, cf. NEB).

[41:11] ⁴tn Heb “shout.”