Psalms 38
Summary for Ps 38:1-22: Ps 38 a This psalm is a lament and prayer for healing. The psalmist’s suffering is associated with his unconfessed sin. He confesses his sin and entrusts his case to the Lord. 38:title b asking God to remember him: The meaning of this phrase is uncertain (also in 70:title c).Summary for Ps 38:1-17: 38:1-17 d These verses form a prelude to the psalmist’s confession (38:18 e) and describe his woeful condition.
Summary for Ps 38:1-4: 38:1-4 f The psalmist’s sins had triggered the Lord’s anger and rage, resulting in the arrows and blows of discipline and rebuke; as a result, his whole body is sick.
38:3 g Sin can lead to sickness and even death (1 Cor 11:30 h). Whether the psalmist actually felt physically ill or his sickness was a metaphor for emotional turmoil, he knew that it came from God and threatened his life (see Pss 32:3 i; 39:10 j).
38:4 k The psalmist’s burden results from sin (see 40:12 l; 41:4 m; cp. Gen 4:13 n).
Summary for Ps 38:5-8: 38:5-8 o The severity of God’s punishment brings anguish that affects every part of the psalmist’s being.
Summary for Ps 38:9-12: 38:9-12 p The psalmist longs for a restored relationship with God, but he feels alienated. He finds himself lost and alone as his friends disappear.
38:13 q The psalmist suffers quietly before his opponents (see Isa 53:7 r).
38:15 s The Lord alone will resolve the conflict (9:18 t; 27:14 u; 37:9 v, 34 w).
Summary for Ps 38:17-20: 38:17-20 x No longer able to endure his suffering and teetering on the verge of collapse (cp. 15:5 y), the psalmist confesses his sin (see 32:5 z).
38:19 aa That the psalmist’s enemies hate him without reason compounds his pain.
38:22 ab Asking the Lord to act quickly in times of great need is common in the Psalter (22:19 ac; 31:2 ad; 40:13 ae; 69:17 af; 70:1 ag; 71:12 ah; 79:8 ai; 102:2 aj; 141:1 ak; 143:7 al). However, wisdom and experience teach that God’s people must often wait for him to act (27:14 am; 37:7 an; Isa 8:17 ao; 40:31 ap).
Psalms 39
Summary for Ps 39:1-13: Ps 39 aq This prayer for rescue reflects the psalmist’s discouragement, which comes from having a limited perspective on his situation. 39:title ar Jeduthun was a levitical singer appointed by David along with Asaph (1 Chr 9:16 as; 16:38 at; 25:1 au).Summary for Ps 39:1-3: 39:1-3 av Suffering in silence only intensifies the psalmist’s anguish, pain, and inner turmoil.
Summary for Ps 39:4-6: 39:4-6 aw Because of his suffering and sin, the psalmist concludes that life is meaningless and fleeting (see Job 7:7-10 ax; Isa 40:6-8 ay). He had expected a wicked life to have those qualities (see Pss 37:2 az, 20 ba; 103:15-16 bb), but now whether a person is godly or not seems to be irrelevant.
Summary for Ps 39:4-5: 39:4-5 bc how fleeting my life is: This perspective comes out of suffering (see 78:39 bd; 89:47-48 be; 90:3-10 bf). The human lifetime is but a moment to God (90:4 bg), as temporary as a breath (see 39:11 bh; 144:4 bi).
39:8 bj The idea that rebellion brings on suffering is a common thread in Pss 32 bk, 38–41 bl.
Summary for Ps 39:9-11: 39:9-11 bm The psalmist links suffering with God’s discipline, assuming that it is punishment for his sin.
39:11 bn The Lord uses discipline to correct his children (38:1 bo, 3 bp, 7 bq; 40:12 br; see Prov 3:11-12 bs; Heb 12:5-6 bt).
39:12 bu A guest (or foreigner) had no rights of land ownership (see Lev 25:23 bv). The patriarchs had lived as guests in Canaan (Ps 105:23 bw).
39:13 bx Unlike the psalmist’s earlier request that God stay close to him (38:21-22 by), his present desire for God to leave him alone echoes Job’s disposition (Job 7:17-19 bz).
Psalms 40
Summary for Ps 40:1-17: Ps 40 ca This psalm includes a thanksgiving song (40:1-10 cb) followed by a lament (40:11-17 cc). The thanksgiving song includes the reason for the thanksgiving (40:1-5 cd), an affirmation of commitment (40:6-8 ce), and a public testimony of God’s character (40:7-10 cf). The lament concerns the psalmist’s troubles because of his sins (40:11-12 cg) and is followed by two prayers for vindication (40:13-15 ch, 17 ci).Summary for Ps 40:1-5: 40:1-5 cj The psalmist thanks the Lord for his rescue and testifies that God can be trusted.
40:6 ck The Lord delights in the attitude and character of the person making an offering more than in the offering itself.
• Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand: Greek text reads You have given me a body. In Heb 10:5-7 cl, the writer quotes from the Greek version of Ps 40:6-8 cm. He casts the words as something Jesus said as he left heaven and came into the world.
40:7 cn As is written about me in the Scriptures: Moses had recorded God’s requirements for Israel’s kings in Deut 17:14-15 co.
40:11 cp The psalmist prays that the Lord will be true to his character when answering this plea for mercy.
Summary for Ps 40:12-17: 40:12-17 cq The psalmist is troubled by both his adversities and his own sins and prays for rescue.
• This passage is repeated almost verbatim as Ps 70 cr.
Psalms 41
Summary for Ps 41:1-13: Ps 41 cs In this wisdom psalm, the psalmist prays for healing (41:4 ct, 10 cu), laments his distress (41:5-9 cv), and expresses confidence in the Lord’s blessing (41:1-3 cw, 11-12 cx). 41:1 cy The poor who suffer hardship have special protection under God’s law (Lev 14:21 cz; 19:10 da); they receive God’s justice and godly rule (Pss 72:13 db; 82:3-4 dc). The word translated poor is often a synonym for the godly (113:7 dd; see Zeph 3:12 de).41:3 df when they are sick: This illness might be physical or spiritual (see 6:2 dg; Ps 38 dh).
41:4 di The psalmist applies the blessing to himself (41:12 dj). Apparently he has taken care of the poor (41:1 dk), but he has sinned against the Lord in other ways. Out of his pain, he cries for healing while confessing his sin. The Lord alone can grant the restoration that brings true joy (30:2 dl; 107:20-21 dm).
Summary for Ps 41:5-9: 41:5-9 dn The psalmist’s enemies disguise themselves as friends, while his friends openly become his enemies. 41:5 do How soon will he die? The psalmist’s opponents regard his suffering as a divine judgment (cp. 1:6 dp).
41:9 dq the one who shared my food: Eating together was a sign of unity (Acts 2:42 dr). Refusing to eat with someone indicated hostility (1 Cor 5:11 ds). Jesus experienced the same kind of betrayal (John 13:1 dt, 18 du).
Summary for Ps 41:11-12: 41:11-12 dv The psalmist knows that the Lord has forgiven him and will bless him.
41:13 dw This doxology closes Book One (Pss 1–41 dx). Cp. 106:48 dy.
Copyright information for
TNotes