Psa 40:12-17 | NETfull | STEP | For innumerable dangers surround me. My sins overtake me so I am unable to see; they outnumber the hairs of my head so my strength fails me.

Psalms 40:12-17

12 For innumerable dangers ^{▼▼ Or “sinful deeds.” The Hebrew term used here can have a nonmoral nuance (“dangers”) or a moral one (“sinful deeds”) depending on the context. The next line (see “my sins”) seems to favor the moral sense, but the psalmist also speaks of enemies shortly after this (v. 14).} surround me.
My sins overtake me
so I am unable to see;
they outnumber the hairs of my head
so my strength fails me. ^{▼▼ Heb “and my heart abandons me.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of emotional strength and courage. For a similar idea see Ps 38:10.}
13 Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me!
O Lord, hurry and help me! ^{▼▼ Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.}
14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life
be totally embarrassed and ashamed! ^{▼▼ Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”}
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed! ^{▼▼ The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.} ^{▼▼ See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.}
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be humiliated ^{▼▼ The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.} and disgraced! ^{▼▼ Heb “May they be humiliated according to their shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’”}
16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!
May those who love to experience ^{▼▼ Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the Lord.} your deliverance say continually, ^{▼▼ The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.}
“May the Lord be praised!” ^{▼▼ The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great” (cf. NRSV). See Ps 35:27.}
I am oppressed and needy! ^{▼▼ See Pss 35:10; 37:14.}
May the Lord pay attention to me! ^{▼▼ The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The Lord will pay attention to me” (cf. NRSV). The parallel in Ps 70:5 has, “O God, hurry to me!” For this reason some prefer to emend יַחֲשָׁב (yakhashav, “may he pay attention”) to חוּשָׁה (khushah, “hurry!”). The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward; elsewhere when the Qal of חָשַׁב (khashav, “reckon; consider”) is collocated with the preposition -ל (lamed) and a pronominal suffix there is an accompanying direct object or additional prepositional phrase/adverbial accusative (see Gen 15:6; 2 Sam 19:19; Job 13:24; 19:11; 33:10; Pss 32:2; 41:7; Amos 6:5).}
You are my helper and my deliverer!
O my God, do not delay!

Psalm 41

^{▼▼ 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).}

Psalms 40:12-17

Psalm 41

For the music director; a psalm of David.