Psalms 41

The AIT Bible

0For the director: a psalm of David.

Blessings for the Merciful

1Blessed is the one who considers the poor; in the day of trouble Yahweh will deliver him.

2Yahweh will guard him and keep him alive; he will be called blessed in the land, and you will not give him over to the desire of his enemies.

3Yahweh will sustain him on his sickbed; all his lying-down you have transformed in his illness.

4As for me, I said, ‘Yahweh, be gracious to me; heal my life, for I have sinned against you.’

5My enemies speak evil against me: ‘When will he die, and his name perish?’

6And if one comes to see me, his heart speaks falsehood; it gathers wickedness for itself; he goes outside, he speaks.

7Together against me they whisper, all who hate me; against me they devise evil for me,

8‘A deadly thing has been poured into him; and the one who lies down will not rise again.’

9Even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

10But you, Yahweh, be gracious to me and raise me up, that I may repay them.

11By this I know that you delight in me: that my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.

12And as for me, in my integrity you have upheld me, and you have set me before your face forever.

13Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and amen.

Where this passage connects across Scripture — each link typed and reasoned, part of the AIT Bible Nexus Chart.

thematic Proverbs 19:17 — Both promise that showing kindness/regard to the poor brings Yahweh's blessing and reward.

quoted by John 13:1 — Jesus explicitly cites Scripture: the words 'He who eats my bread has lifted his heel against me' quote Psalm 41:9.
fulfillment John 13:18 — Jesus explicitly cites this verse ('he who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me') as fulfilled in Judas's betrayal.
fulfilled in John 17:6 — The loss of the 'son of destruction' so that Scripture might be fulfilled refers to Judas' betrayal foretold.
echoed in Mark 14:17 — The betrayal by a table companion echoes the psalm of a close friend who eats bread and lifts his heel.
echoed in Matthew 26:17 — The betrayer who dips with him echoes the psalm of the close friend who ate bread and lifted his heel.
thematic Psalms 6:2 — Shared petition for Yahweh's healing grace by a sinner on the sickbed.
thematic Psalms 55:1 — Both lament betrayal by a trusted intimate friend who shared the psalmist's table/fellowship.

parallel 1 Chronicles 29:10 — Both bless Yahweh the God of Israel 'from everlasting to everlasting' as a liturgical benediction.
parallel Psalms 72:18 — Both are closing doxologies to a book of the Psalter using the same blessing formula 'Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel' with 'Amen and amen.'
parallel Psalms 106:48 — Book-closing doxology with the same 'Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting' formula and double amen.
parallel Psalms 89:52 — Book-closing doxology using the same 'Blessed be Yahweh forever, Amen and amen' formula.
parallel Psalms 106:1 — Doxology closing a book of the Psalter with 'Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.'
echoed in Luke 1:67 — 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel' echoes the doxological formula of the Psalter.