Psalm 41

This article is about Psalm 41 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 41 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 42.

Psalm 41
"Blessed is he that considereth the poor"
1604 inscription with Psalm 41. Chubb's Almshouses, Crewkerne, UK
Other name
  • Psalm 40
  • "Beatus qui intellegit super egenum et pauperem"
LanguageHebrew (original)
Psalm 41
BookBook of Psalms
Hebrew Bible partKetuvim
Order in the Hebrew part1
CategorySifrei Emet
Christian Bible partOld Testament
Order in the Christian part19

Psalm 41 is the 41st psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Blessed is he that considereth the poor". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible, and generally in its Latin translations, this psalm is Psalm 40. In the Vulgate, it begins "Beatus qui intellegit super egenum et pauperem".[1] The final psalm in Book One of the collection, it is attributed to King David.

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies and has often been set to music, including a metred German version set by Heinrich Schütz and Handel's Foundling Hospital Anthem.

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text[2][3] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse Hebrew English translation (JPS 1917)
1 לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃‎ For the Leader. A Psalm of David.
2 אַ֭שְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּ֣יל אֶל־דָּ֑ל בְּי֥וֹם רָ֝עָ֗ה יְֽמַלְּטֵ֥הוּ יְהֹוָֽה׃‎ Happy is he that considereth the poor; the LORD will deliver him in the day of evil.
3 יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ יִשְׁמְרֵ֣הוּ וִ֭יחַיֵּהוּ (יאשר) [וְאֻשַּׁ֣ר] בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְאַֽל־תִּ֝תְּנֵ֗הוּ בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ אֹיְבָֽיו׃‎ The LORD preserve him, and keep him alive, let him be called happy in the land; and deliver not Thou him unto the greed of his enemies.
4 יְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִ֭סְעָדֶנּוּ עַל־עֶ֣רֶשׂ דְּוָ֑י כׇּל־מִ֝שְׁכָּב֗וֹ הָפַ֥כְתָּ בְחׇלְיֽוֹ׃‎ The LORD support him upon the bed of illness; mayest Thou turn all his lying down in his sickness.
5 אֲֽנִי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי יְהֹוָ֣ה חׇנֵּ֑נִי רְפָאָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י כִּֽי־חָטָ֥אתִי לָֽךְ׃‎ As for me, I said: 'O LORD, be gracious unto me; heal my soul; for I have sinned against Thee.'
6 אוֹיְבַ֗י יֹאמְר֣וּ רַ֣ע לִ֑י מָתַ֥י יָ֝מ֗וּת וְאָבַ֥ד שְׁמֽוֹ׃‎ Mine enemies speak evil of me: 'When shall he die, and his name perish?'
7 וְאִם־בָּ֤א לִרְא֨וֹת ׀ שָׁ֤וְא יְדַבֵּ֗ר לִבּ֗וֹ יִקְבׇּץ־אָ֥וֶן ל֑וֹ יֵצֵ֖א לַח֣וּץ יְדַבֵּֽר׃‎ And if one come to see me, he speaketh falsehood; His heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he speaketh of it.
8 יַ֗חַד עָלַ֣י יִ֭תְלַחֲשׁוּ כׇּל־שֹׂנְאָ֑י עָלַ֓י ׀ יַחְשְׁב֖וּ רָעָ֣ה לִֽי׃‎ All that hate me whisper together against me, against me do they devise my hurt:
9 דְּֽבַר־בְּ֭לִיַּעַל יָצ֣וּק בּ֑וֹ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁ֝כַ֗ב לֹא־יוֹסִ֥יף לָקֽוּם׃‎ 'An evil thing cleaveth fast unto him; and now that he lieth, he shall rise up no more.'
10 גַּם־אִ֤ישׁ שְׁלוֹמִ֨י ׀ אֲשֶׁר־בָּטַ֣חְתִּי ב֭וֹ אוֹכֵ֣ל לַחְמִ֑י הִגְדִּ֖יל עָלַ֣י עָקֵֽב׃‎ Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who did eat of my bread, Hath lifted up his heel against me.
11 וְאַתָּ֤ה יְהֹוָ֗ה חׇנֵּ֥נִי וַהֲקִימֵ֑נִי וַאֲשַׁלְּמָ֥ה לָהֶֽם׃‎ But Thou, O LORD, be gracious unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.
12 בְּזֹ֣את יָ֭דַעְתִּי כִּֽי־חָפַ֣צְתָּ בִּ֑י כִּ֤י לֹֽא־יָרִ֖יעַ אֹיְבִ֣י עָלָֽי׃‎ By this I know that Thou delightest in me, that mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
13 וַאֲנִ֗י בְּ֭תֻמִּי תָּמַ֣כְתָּ בִּ֑י וַתַּצִּיבֵ֖נִי לְפָנֶ֣יךָ לְעוֹלָֽם׃‎ And as for me, Thou upholdest me because of mine integrity, and settest me before Thy face for ever.
14 בָּ֘ר֤וּךְ יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מֵֽ֭הָעוֹלָם וְעַ֥ד הָעוֹלָ֗ם אָ֘מֵ֥ן ׀ וְאָמֵֽן׃‎ Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

King James Version

  1. 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.


The last verse represents a liturgical conclusion to the first segment of the Book of Psalms.[4] Alexander Kirkpatrick also suggests that this psalm "ends the first book of the Psalter ... with a hope, destined to be illuminated with a new light by the revelation of the Gospel".[5]

Uses

Judaism

Verse 4 is found in the repetition of the Amidah during Rosh Hashanah.[6]

Psalm 41 is one of the ten Psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.[7][8]

New Testament

Psalm 41 is quoted in the New Testament

Judas Iscariot is seen as the man who "lifts his heel" against his friend with whom he shared bread. This is poignant in the context of the Last Supper, as Jesus washed Judas' feet, shared bread with him and was repaid by Judas giving 'his heel' figuratively. This imagery is also ironic as the Messiah would crush the serpent's head under 'his heel' in a Christian view of Genesis 3.

Catholic Church

This psalm was traditionally performed during the celebration of Matins[10] in abbeys, according to the Rule of Saint Benedict of Nursia established in 530.[11][12] In the Liturgy of the Hours today, Psalm 41 is sung or recited at Vespers of a Friday of the first week. The main cycle of liturgical prayers takes place over four weeks.

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the eighth day of the month.[13]

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of a paraphrase of Psalm 41 in German, "Wohl mag der sein ein selig Mann", SWV 138, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628. The English text of Handel's Foundling Hospital Anthem for choir, composed for a fundraising concert, is adapted from the beginning of the psalm.

References

  1. ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 40 (41) Archived May 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
  2. ^ "Psalms – Chapter 41". Mechon Mamre.
  3. ^ "Psalms 41 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
  4. ^ Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel. ISBN 3-438-01121-2, 2nd edition. 1992, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Stuttgart, p665-667, 695f, 717f
  5. ^ Kirkpatrick, A. (1906), Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Psalm 41, accessed 6 November 2021
  6. ^ The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah, page 327
  7. ^ Weintraub, Rabbi Simkha Y. (2018). "Psalms as the Ultimate Self-Help Tool". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  8. ^ Greenbaum, Rabbi Avraham (2007). "The Ten Psalms: English Translation". azamra.org. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  9. ^ a b Kirkpatrick, A. F. (1901). The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Vol. Book IV and V: Psalms XC-CL. Cambridge: At the University Press. p. 838. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  10. ^ Psautier latin-français du bréviaire monastique, (1938/2003) p. 159
  11. ^ "La distribution des Psaumes dans la Règle de Saint Benoît". www.abbaye-montdescats.fr.
  12. ^ Prosper Guéranger, Rule of St Benedict, (Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, réimpression 2007) p. 46.
  13. ^ Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 196ff
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